King County launches 'walking bus' at Seattle courthouse to address employee safety concerns

Following months of safety concerns and rallies from King County employees, the county has launched a new security program to walk with workers at night in downtown Seattle.

The county will implement a "walking bus" pilot program Monday to escort county employees working at its downtown campus — which includes the King County Courthouse, King County Administration Building, King County Correctional Facility, Chinook Building and Yesler Building — to nearby transit services.

"In this initial pilot phase, two dedicated security escorts will depart daily, Monday through Friday, from the King County Courthouse: one to the King Street Station and one to the Coleman Dock ferry terminal," the county wrote in a news release Wednesday.

Following a fatal stabbing at City Hall Park adjacent to the courthouse in June, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn proposed a measure that would have the park condemned as a safety hazard. Dunn cited a survey from the King County Prosecutor’s Office which found that 160 of the 220 employees at the courthouse had expressed concerns about their safety.

"King County employees should be able to return to work without fearing for their lives, plain and simple," Dunn said in a news release. "These dangerous crimes are not being committed because of homelessness — they’re being committed by criminals who are allowed to flourish without any repercussions."

Later in July, a man was arrested after he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman who worked with the Department of Public Defense in the courthouse bathroom. The homeless encampment in the park was later cleared in August and remains temporarily closed. The King County Council ultimately approved Dunn's bill in a 7-2 vote last month and said it would seek options to acquire the park from the city.

This is not the first time courthouse employees have expressed concerns for their safety while on the job. In 2019, two entrances to the courthouse on Third Avenue were ordered to temporarily close following an attack on a public defender. Later in the year, the King County Council approved $600,000 in emergency funding to increase security measures at the courthouse, including hiring more screeners and having two deputies to provide on-street security.