Thursday, October 1, 2026
I recently went downtown with my family for breakfast on a Saturday, and the conditions and behaviors we saw were very upsetting.
The area was filthy, which made us feel very uncomfortable. Plus, I felt like I had to prepare myself for conflict or what could go wrong. It’s time for the city to fix this.
I needed to understand what we are doing for downtown. I find that there are four services:
Of these groups, only the Walking Patrol has the authority to enforce the laws and standards downtown. All the other services rely on voluntary cooperation and can’t clean if people won’t move.
So what to do? In my conversations with different providers, there were two infrastructure items needed that are lacking:
One is a 23-hour facility, a service known as “Crisis Stabilization,” where people could be transported for triage and support in a safe place. This would provide comfort and assistance, allowing people a moment to figure out other options. It would also break the cycle of people simply moving to a different location downtown, which is what typically happens after an intervention.
The other need is for a better system for involuntary commitment. We currently don’t have the resources to help people with more significant problems. And while this may sound somewhat harsh, it is precisely what is needed in some situations for people on the streets with serious mental health issues. This may now be a better use of funds rather than housing, which has been a major focus and expense.
The Walking Patrol is undermanned. They don’t operate long enough and are trying to cover too large an area with too few people. In addition, those patrol officers are the first to be pulled when a problem requires more police presence elsewhere in the city. It is also one of the first programs to get cut when money or labor gets stretched.
Some good news, though. Last year, the state allocated money to provide police officers for local jurisdictions. Olympia applied, and it has eight new officers in the works, although it takes 12–18 months to get officers trained and in service. To improve downtown, the Olympia City Council will need to make this service a priority.
The Olympia City Council must also address policy items. We currently allow sleeping on the streets from midnight to 7 a.m. Is it time to change that policy and completely eliminate sleeping on downtown sidewalks?
Another possibility: Should we prohibit people begging with cardboard signs on downtown corners, similar to panhandling? Also, regardless of the time, the city can’t wake and move people sleeping inside recessed entries downtown because the entries are considered private property. The city council could fix this with a zoning or nuisance ordinance. Let’s be clear, having people sleep on sidewalks and in doorways is not providing services.
I view these options as restoring a balance while genuinely providing services, removing behaviors that so many of us find unacceptable and anti-social. We have normalized behaviors that historically weren’t tolerated. Blaming victims for the decreases in health services and affordability is simply wrong. But that doesn’t mean there can’t be an acceptable balance between how we help people and how we also take care of the rest of our community.
What's clear is that we need to change and improve our approach to downtown. It’s time for the city council to decide this is a higher priority than some other things, consider new policies, and move resources around. If the city elects to pursue some of these items, they will be controversial decisions, especially since some will be construed as anti-homeless. The city council will need our visible support through letters and testimony at council meetings to restore more balance to our downtown.
Pat Cole — pcbiglife@gmail.com— is a former Olympia City Council member. As a resident of Olympia, he seeks to set a positive tone and lead informed discussions about local civic issues.
The opinions expressed above are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The JOLT's staff or board of directors. Got something to say about a topic of interest to Thurston County residents? Send it to us and we’ll most likely publish it. Click here to email to us.
6 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
Tanker1982
I agree with Pat. I will stay focused on just one area, more police. Though his comments on mental health get to the core of the problem. The city hires recruits ( god love them), and pays for the training program. Somehow Sheriff Sanders hires qualified laterals that don’t need the recruit training and can serve almost immediately. Why the difference? Obviously good leadership and public support. So what is difference I ask for the public to comment on?
2 hours ago Report this
TheVirtualOne
There is a lack of will, leadership, and backbone in the city government that has allowed the downtown area to become what it has - a slum riddled with drug addicts and criminals. What’s needed they will not do. They give lip service that more police are needed, and in fact have already added an additional sales tax we will be paying, but the truth is they don’t want to solve the problems. This is the same as The Jungle - “Give us more money.” And we watch as nothing happens. Arrest and jail those who are involved in criminal activities. Offer services to those who are truly interested in helping themselves out of their current situation - yeah, give them a chance. If they refuse, give them a one-way bus ticket and ban them from returning to the city/county. I no longer patronize any businesses in downtown. I only use the streets when I have to get through it. Even that is risky.
2 hours ago Report this
OlyMamaLlama
Even though they may not have walls, they’re still our neighbors. You should be ashamed of suggesting involuntary commitment.
2 hours ago Report this
johnvaneenwyk
Interesting i do understand that some people are very destabilized by what they see downtown. Nevertheless, I have lived in Olympia for 34 years and have never experienced anything that approaches violence or threat to my person. walk the alleys, even at night. People I encounter are either non-responsive or courteous. That includes groups that are routinely labeled "homeless" and/or "mentally ill."
Rather than locking them away, how about treating them as equals--trying to make do in a world that is not always compatible with our needs and desires? It works pretty well. And certainly reduces our fears and discomfort.
This is not to suggest that all is copacetic. There is garbage, as well as litter, cracks in the sidewalk, potholes, etc. That can be fixed with ongoing patrols, as Pat suggests. But who will pay for it? Many feel that taxes are already too expensive, although our taxes are far less than those in places where conditions are better.
Finally, the ones I dislike are those who have the means (homes, cars, jobs, disposable income--however small) who trash the place out of sheer disregard and laziness--or, even worse, spite. I sometimes wonder if they are the ones who complain most vociferously about high taxes while creating the very conditions that require them.
Report this
BobJacobs
The comments about the walking patrol are especially troubling.
At least twice we have voted to tax ourselves to support this program. But time and again it is raided for other purposes.
When we tax ourselves for a specific purpose, the city should be spending that money as promised. It is a contract with the public, just as federal grants require a contract to provide the promised services.
I suggest the city provide an annual report on how voted funds are being spent. Such a report would reveal that voted funds are routinely used for purposes other than those for which they were voted.
Bob Jacobs
Report this
LinBell
Thank you Pat!
My husband and I would LOVE to feel comfortable spending time downtown, but typically find ourselves driving to a destination, completing our task and then driving back home. Some of our favorite places are the Farmers Market, Compass Rose, Octapas, Valentina's, La Gitana, and many other restaurants. It's not relaxing to be walking the street, browsing or shopping, when you realize you could be the target of someone's psychotic or drug induced trip. Random crimes happen everywhere, and we don't feel like risking our lives. There are so many unfortunate souls and they all need help, whether they realize it or not. Until the City of Olympia accepts that this apparently "Un-Politically Correct Choice" is actually the best choice, residents and visitors will continue to avoid the downtown core, to the detriment of downtown businesses.
Report this