AUBURN, Wash. — It has been a tumultuous last couple of months in Auburn.
At the end of April, four were shot during an illegal street racing event.
Then, a shopping center on Howard Road, the site of break-ins and armed robberies, began to get more attention after business owners started to speak out. That led the police department to put a focus there, making 47 arrests and 43 trespass notices in that surrounding area since May 1.
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"It's been difficult I know for the whole community,” affected business owner Carly Willis said of the recent violence. “This is not the Auburn that most of them grew up in. It's not the Auburn that I knew when I first got here."
Willis, who owns a store on Howard Road, said she’s seeing some improvement now at the shopping center.
However, the crimes elsewhere aren't stopping. "Something has definitely gone awry," Willis said.
On Tuesday morning, a man was killed during a drive-by shooting at a busy intersection less than half a mile from the police station. Two minors were later arrested in that case.
Then that same day, Kolby Crossley with the Auburn Police Department (APD) said someone else was shot at another location: the 'Copper Gate Apartments on Auburn Way North.
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"We do have a lot of concern coming from that apartment complex. Since last Friday, we've had five shootings in that one area which is an alarming number," Crossley said.
“Four of them resulted in property damage, found shell casings, but that fifth shooting that happened Tuesday night did end up with a very serious injury,” Crossley added.
Crossley stated that they believe multiple people were involved in that incident and that several stolen vehicles were at the scene which have since been recovered. No arrests have been made yet.
Apartment staff did not want to talk to KOMO News, but we did notice security on site. However, one resident told us they did not feel safe living there.
Crossley said the staff members there are "interested in creating a partnership with APD to collaborate efforts going forward in an attempt to reduce or eliminate the current problems they are facing "
"We're trying to figure out what the root of this problem is. Why does it keep happening? Who are the people involved," Crossley said.
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All of the violence also comes as last week the police department met with community members to discuss hotspot patrols and police staffing levels.
Police Chief Mark Caillier noted that local law enforcement recently started targeting police patrols in specific, problematic areas of the city.
Caillier said police staff levels are still 25% below normal levels. He testified that police officers will still target crime-prone areas of town in their routine patrols. Until police levels come back up, Chief Caillier said emphasis patrols would likely be the most effective way to minimize crime.
“We are actively recruiting and bringing more officers in, but there is a process to this,” Crossley added, saying it takes time. “We are working hard to make sure we’re fully staffed.”
"We know that we’ve had a pretty violent week. We've had two pretty serious shootings, but I will say that we are doing the best we can to hold people that committed these crimes accountable,” he added.
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'It's been difficult for the community': City of Auburn grapples with recent violence - KOMO News
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