05/23/2018
Regarding: Crime occurred tonight in Building (did not put that here on Facebook for confidentiality reasons)
FROM: REBEKAH LASALA

Dear Seattle Housing:
I have met all of you and dealt with you in some capacity and so has Greg. However, I do not believe Greg has met (LEFT NAME OUT FOR CONFIDENTIALITY REASONS.).
The "all caps" in this letter is for emphasis, not for "yelling" as is often specified in e-mail communications. I simply do not know what else to do as I was the victim of a crime tonight. I am rattled. It is 1:35 a.m. I cannot sleep.
(LEFT NAME OUT FOR CONFIDENTIALITY RESONS) (: I was there when you signed the public housing bill with Mayor Durkan. I was proud to see you there. As you know, I am not only a resident, but an activist for all people, for Leonard Peltier, for my people (the Native Americans- I am 25% Cherokee- and all Native tribes) for civil rights, and for the right to SAFE and fair housing.
I am sending this to all of you b/c I hope you know by now that I am a caring and loving person, who cares about my community and that I although I am vocal about things that matter, there is always a reason behind why I feel strongly about things.
I was the victim of a crime and Police Report: 18-184477 tonight due to the door being propped open. Follow me here. Stay with me here.
I care about my life. I care about the lives of those who do not even respect their own for leaving the door open. I care for the lives of their children and their unborn children and their children's children, even though they don't, b/c by always leaving the door open, they are inviting in whoever they want in the building.
By now, you all know that I care about where I live and that we are model tenants and I want the place I live to be a safe place.
By now, you all know that Greg and I are hard workers, and take pride in our place and we have thanked you all numerous times for all you have done.
By now, you all know that I have written NUMEROUS letters about the safety and the fact that I wish that more was done about the fact that the neighbors downstairs constantly prop the door open which puts my life at risk, and they have no regard for other's lives, my ife, their children's lives, or their own.
I have a police report and the Office Evans and Officer Glover implored you all to change the policy regarding security here and enforcing the door being closed with the resident. AFTER EVERY SINGLE DAY, AFTER EVERY SINGLE MORNING THE DOOR WAS PROPPED OPEN...I STOPPED TAKING PICTURES (which I was doing for a while) b/c I FELT POWERLESS OVER THE FACT THAT THESE NEIGHBORS HAD CONTROL AND THAT THESE NEIGHBORS KEPT PROPPING THE DOORS OPEN WITH NO REGARD FOR MY LIFE OR ANYONE ELSE'S. I know that Seattle Housing will not take an active stance on this and I have been repeatedly told that "The letters are just ignored by the residents" or that "it will not make any real difference."
Well, a meeting needs to be called. A SECURITY MEETING NOT JUST FOR MY SAFETY, BUT FOR EVERYONE WHO LIVES HERE!!!
I NOW REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE STOOD MY GROUND ON THEM CONSTANTLY LEAVING THE DOORS OPEN. BUT I GAVE IN AND GAVE UP. AT MY OWN PERIL AND POSSIBLY MY LIFE!!
However, tonight, as a rape survivor, domestic violence survivor and a sexual assault survivor, I am re traumatized, and this was after the extreme stress of the fact of the moving and the fact that I am currently unable to find any kind of job.
Tonight, at 10:35 p.m., after I was about to get up from my computer and wash dishes, a man ran into the building and started BANGING ON THE DOOR, MESSING WITH THE DOORKNOB AND THE KEYHOLE AND A MALE VOICE STARTED SCREAMING, "FUCK YOU, LET ME IN, FUCK YOU..." AND WAS KICKING IT AND POUNDING ON IT AND I WAS SHAKING AND FEARING FOR MY LIFE!! AT 10:36, I CALLED 911!! I TOLD THEM THAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO BREAK IN. THIS PERSON, AS I WAS ON THE PHONE, WENT DOWNSTAIRS AND STARTED POUNDING ON ALL OF THE DOORS AND BANGING ON THEM AND SCREAMING FOR SOMEONE TO LET HIM IN. THEN HE DID EVERYTHING HE DID AT 10:35 AGAIN AT 10:40. AS I TOLD THE COPS, I DID NOT LOOK THROUGH THE PEEPHOLE AS I DID NOT WANT HIM TO SEE ME AND I HAD NO CLUE WHO THIS WAS AND DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE VOICE.
I WAS TERRIFIED AS HE CAME BACK UP ONE MORE TIME AND DID IT TO THE DOOR AGAIN, BANGING, HITTING THE DOORKNOB AND TURNING IT, MESSING WITH THE LOCKS...BUT I WAS THINKING THE COP WAS ON HIS WAY AND LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT I WAS TO CALL THE COPS FIVE MORE TIMES BEFORE ONE SHOWED UP.
LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT I WOULD SIT HERE, TERRIFIED FOR AN HOUR, RATTLED, ANGRY AND UPSET AND TERRIFIED THAT SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO ME WAITING FOR THE COPS!!
I am still rattled, terrified and scared from what happened.
I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!
I told Seattle police how angry and upset I was that they took an hour b/c of how scared I was. I told them about the ongoing issue with the door being propped open and that this rule of leaving doors closed was never enforced. They said this "was indeed a Management Issue."
Obviously, my head is spinning with the multi prong issues here, some from Seattle Public Housing/Seattle Housing Authority, and others from Seattle PD and their ineptitude.
Some of these issues are:
1.) This neighborhood is obviously not a priority for the cops. This neighborhood is, in my view, a LOW priority for the cops, which became increasingly evident tonight after me calling FIVE TIMES before a cop was dispatched.
2.) BECAUSE OF THE CLASS-ISM STIGMATIZATION THAT OCCURS IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE LOWER DELRIDGE, it BECOMES EVEN MORE CRUCIAL THAT ALL NEIGHBORS REALIZE THAT BY PROPPING THE DOORS OPEN 24/7, THEY ARE INVITING VAGRANTS, METH HEADS, DRUG ADDICTS AND MENTALLY ILL AND UNSTABLE INDIVIDUALS IN HERE.
3.) If something were to happen to me or another resident B/C SEATTLE HOUSING DID NOT ENFORCE SAFETY ENOUGH AND KEEPING THE DOORS CLOSED, WHAT IMPLICATIONS DOES THAT HAVE FOR SEATTLE HOUSING AND WHAT MANIFESTATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES COULD HAPPEN?
Not only was I at the mercy of whoever this psycho was, but I LITERALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND MURDERED OR RAPED IF THAT PERSON WANTED TO BREAK IN B/C IT TOOK THE COPS AN HOUR TO GET HERE.
I am so livid and so angry that this has happened. This is what I was trying to avoid by letting you all know how UTTERLY DANGEROUS AND SERIOUS IT IS THAT THESE NEIGHBORS ARE ALLOWED TO LET THE DOOR OPEN CONSTANTLY.
I AM LIVID, SCARED, TRAUMATIZED AND UPSET THAT THIS ALL HAPPENED.

1.) I am asking that even though I have two weeks left in (LEFT THIS OUT ON FACEBOOK) that I get a chain lock on the door and that you all send us a bill for that. I need extra security, for obvious reasons.
2.) I am asking that our door in (left this out for confidentiality reasons) be better secured. I know Michelle that you have put a work order in but especially in light of what just happened, Greg and I are asking for that to be fixed right away.
3.) FOR FEAR THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN TO ME AND OTHERS IN NOT ONLY THE BUILDING...BUT THE COMPLEX FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO PROP THE DOORS OPEN 24/7... I ASK THAT YOU CALL A MEETING. THIS HAS TO STOP. My life is now currently at risk and I am in terrible fear this could happen again..to me, to others...and just in general..

Thanks,

Rebekah LaSala (who was the victim tonight)
and Greg LaSala (whose concerns echo mine)