Follow Up! Talking to the City About the 4th of July

Thank you to all our residents and businesses who shared your July 4th stories and videos. Thank you too to CM Rob Saka who helped to coordinate a meeting between ACC and city leadership to discuss what happened that night and how to proactively avoid that going forward.

ACC presented a short video compilation to provide a snapshot of the violence that night which impacted more than 20+ square blocks on Alki.

City leaders were not completely aware of what had transpired or the degree of fires, assaults, and threats. They had not seen the kind of firepower in machine gun-style devices, mortars, and other incendiaries that we experienced. As a follow up, city leaders will be conducting an internal review of 911 calls, police and fire staff response, and resident reports. All this information will be valuable for first responder safety and for training and planning moving forward. 

We made the following asks for a safer Alki this summer: 

• Immediate High Visibility Enforcement in Alki in summer evenings through end of September (Evening SPD patrols were sporadic prior) 

• The Mayor and City Council support of proactive policing to enforce laws and support the use of technology

• Add lighting in areas deemed aggregation points

In the long run we are asking the city to hire more police officers, to change city laws to include high fines for firing fireworks at people and property, and to develop a comprehensive safe July 4 plan that incorporates local business feedback and includes prosecution for organizers of flash mob-style activity resulting in violence.

ACC will continue to work with the City to coordinate follow up meetings to track progress and will report back to you, our community.

Thank you again to our community members and the city for engaging in this dialog! 

ACC attendees:

• Charlotte Starck, ACC President

• Liesa Rose, ACC Past President 

• Stacy Bass-Walden and Jolie Bass-Walden, Alki residents and founders of Alki Beach Pride Festival

• Christoper Parker, Alki resident and Professor of Political Science

Seattle city attendees:

• Rob Saka, City Council Member, District 1

• Brian Surratt, Deputy Mayor

• Alison Holcomb, Director of Public Safety 

• Amy Barden, Seattle CARE Department

• Harold D. Scoggins, Fire Chief, Seattle

• George Davisson, Captain, North Precinct, Seattle Police

• Pat Daly, Lieutenant, SW Precinct, Seattle Police

• Wes Collier, Lieutenant, SW Precinct, Seattle Police

• Erik Schmidt, Director of Operations, District 1, Rob Saka’s office

• Michael Taylor-Judd, District Affairs Manager, District 1, Rob Saka’s office

Other City-Related News: Parking Survey for Alaska Junction

SDOT is reviewing parking, loading, and curbspace needs in West Seattle/Alaska Junction (project info here). Their data shows that parking is often full, especially on California Ave SW (current parking situation here).

This summer, SDOT is collecting feedback from residents and businesses to better understand parking needs and explore potential changes. Please participate in the survey to have a voice in their decision making.

Here is the survey link: Survey for West Seattle residents

The survey closes next Monday July 27, 2026.  

They will use the feedback from businesses, residents, and visitors to develop draft recommendations. Potential 2027 changes SDOT will consider include paid parking, new time-limited parking, new load zones, disabled parking, and intersection daylighting. So please weigh in with your thoughts, experiences, and preferences. 

Coming ALKI Events

A quick reminder there is no ACC General Membership Meeting in July or August as we take a brief summer break.

• July 29 Tribal Canoe Journey Alki Beach Stopover On the afternoon of July 29th, 110-120 tribal canoes will stop at Alki Beach during their southbound journey. This year's journey is titled Paddle to Nisqually Medicine Creek Potlatch. Next year's event will be held in Alaskan waters, so be sure not to miss it. See more on the West Seattle Blog. [ Event website ]

  
  

• Aug 1 Pride Flag Ceremony

  [ Event website ] 

• Aug 7-14 Glass Float Hunt This week-long scavenger hunt transforms West Seattle into a treasure map. The event is co-hosted by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the West Seattle Junction Association. Fifty glass floats are hidden in local shops, while another 50 are placed in parks throughout the area. All come with cryptic clues posted on the hunt's website. Watch for the clues coming soon! [ Event website ]

• Aug 15 Alki Beach Pride This annual festival unites Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community and celebrates queer culture in a fun, urban, inclusive, and family-friendly event.[ Event website ] 

• Aug TBD ACC Volunteer Social We'll also be sharing details soon about our August Volunteer Social, a casual opportunity to meet neighbors, learn about current initiatives, and explore ways to get involved.