City of Des Moines planning heightened police patrols to combat rise in shootings

South King County businesses tough out the rise in crime

Local leaders are blaming new, lax drug laws on a recent uptick in crime in South King County. FOX 13 reporter Steve Kiggins spoke with business owners stuck in the middle of it all.

DES MOINES, Wash. - The city of Des Moines announced that it will be increasing police patrols in certain areas of the city due to a rise in violence and shootings.

Within the last few days, at least four people have been shot near the intersection of Kent Des Moines Road and Pacific Highway South. In the last two months, there have been at least eight shooting incidents, five of which were deadly, according to the city of Des Moines. Many of those shootings occurred at a metro bus stop.

"This area has a significant number of closed businesses, derelict properties and several homeless people that openly use drugs and solicit money from the intersection island from passing vehicles," the city of Kent wrote on Facebook.

The city said it will need to conduct a more specific crime analysis review of the area to further illustrate the problems.

Police will initially conduct high-visibility traffic emphasis patrols from the area of S. 224th Street to S. 240th Street along Pacific Highway South. They will also enforce trespass and other misdemeanor charges to gain control of the area.

Des Moines police also want the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to conduct an operation in the emphasis area where federal informants are brought in to infiltrate gang, gun and drug operations.

However, Des Moines isn't the only South Sound city that is experiencing an uptick in violence.

On Nov. 29, Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell called on the mayors of other South Sound cities to meet and discuss "a coordinated effort to combat and reduce these violent and egregious acts from occurring in our communities."

Ferrell said in addition to regional efforts, a Retail Safety Summit will be held to address property crimes like shoplifting, car theft and burglary.

He said the City of Federal Way will strongly advocate for changes to state drug laws and public safety policy this upcoming legislative session.

Federal Way mayor calling for summit on crime

The mayor of Federal Way is calling on other mayors from the South Sound as the cities grapple with a rise in gun violence

Dana Ralph, mayor of Kent, told FOX 13 "There has to be an accountability piece that if you’re going to commit crimes, especially violent crimes, that something will happen. That you’ll be worked through the system and we’re going to hold people accountable. In the philosophy of prosecution of drug crimes, change in state laws, COVID has played a part in the fact that we’ve not been keeping people in custody and there’s a backlog in the court system. A revolving door around our criminal justice system does not work nor does it keep our community safe."

The Mayors of Auburn, Kent, Renton, Tukwila and Federal Way will be meeting with King County Executive Dow Constantine, the King County Prosecutor, the King County Adult and Juvenile Detention and law enforcement to come up with a coordinated safety plan to hold criminals accountable.

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