Golden Gardens and Magnuson Parks will be patrolled by private security officers through September; other parks are operating under reduced summer hours.
SEATTLE — The City of Seattle launched its new summer safety plan this week, which includes early closures at ten parks and private security patrols at two parks that have long been the subject of community complaints.
Seattle Parks and Recreation hired Jaguar Security Inc. to provide overnight patrols at Golden Gardens and Magnuson Parks between 10:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. Thursday-Sunday.
The patrols started Thursday, May 7 and will continue until Sept. 30.
The city has used private security to lock and unlock gates at parks for seeral years, but the overnight patrols is new this year after a short pilot last fall.
“I think it’s unfortunate we have to do that sort of policing, but on a trial basis it’s not a bad idea just for safety,” said Jennifer McClure, a longtime Ballard resident who lives near Golden Gardens. “I hope it ends up being a good safety thing.”
On Aug. 6, 2025, a man was injured in a shooting near the beach at 8 p.m.
Violent crime in the area been steady since 2020, according to Seattle Police Department data. The one outlier came last August, when violent crime spiked more than 40% above the five-year average for that month.
While community leaders organized a safety meeting after the shooting, the majority of complaints over the years have centered around drug use, fights and late night parties.
“When people break branches off trees, or burn weird stuff, that’s just disappointing,” McClure said. “We have a saying in our family, nothing good happens after midnight.”
In addition to private security, ten city parks will operate under reduced summer hours due to similar concerns.
“Creating safe, welcoming parks is a shared responsibility. Summer of Safety combines increased City presence, clear expectations, and ongoing evaluation to support positive use of our public spaces,” the Parks and Recreation department said on its website. “Our goal is simple: a fun, safe summer where everyone can enjoy Seattle’s parks.”
The department said it will continue to monitor conditions and make adjustments as needed.
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