Hello, after trying to deal with a safety concern yesterday, I feel retaliated against by the…read moreofficer who reported to the scene. At the very least, I hope this email serves as documentation that citizens are trying to make the area safer, only to have Kenmore officers retaliate and not address the originating safety concerns. Your dispatchers tell me to call when there's an issue, I call, and then the officer blows up on me, literally asks me to show him how I thought the cars were causing a safety concern. When I tried to show him, I opened my door as the cars were 180* behind me, he slammed it shut and sid you don't ever open your door. He just asked me to show him the cars that were behind me, so I'm dumbfounded by his request. He made it seem like opening the door would get me shot when he asked me to point it out to him. I have 100% of the event on audio/video. I was also worked up and frustrated since he did not care about why he was called to the scene, only to give me a hard time for inquiring. Receiving conflicting info from the dispatcher to the officer and then again from the lieutenant wasn't also a good look IMO. The issue where your officer wanted to pull his gun was related to scenario 4,
In the 14 years I have lived on Shepard, the safety issues have only increased. Common scenarios from turning from Shepard, making a left onto Elmwood going towards the 290: The areas that are concerning are:
01.) Bus stop is at the corner (green circle), it's a blind left turn from me (yellow circle) when the bus is parked on the corner.
02.) Then add to this when a delivery is being made at Consumers (red circle), they use both positions shown to unload, the truck(s) back to the dock and block view of oncoming cars on Elmwood. Put both situations together, it's simply not safe to turn off Shepard. Do you not agree the car behind the bus (maroon) is a safety concern for the car (yellow) turning onto Elmwood? I know I pull out blindly hoping not to be T-boned by the (maroon's car, truck or tractor-trailer), all of which who are still traveling at full speed while passing the bus on the right.
03.) Yesterday morning, a construction vehicle (purple circle) was stopped at the stop sign, not doing work, with hazard lights on. My only option was to turn onto Elmwood from the oncoming lane. I called your office, and your dispatcher said these construction crews have been advised on these issues many times, and they will send an officer. So the dispatcher makes my request justified, then the officer and lieutenant say we have to deal with it while construction is going on, and the truck drivers are free to do as they wish.
Now add all 3 scenarios together and try to make a left turn, safely. I know I pull out often, blindly hoping not to be T-boned by the maroon car, truck or tractor-trailer, all of which who are still traveling at full speed while passing the bus on the right in scenario 1.
04.) The other issue is on the opposite side of Shepard. Crossing Elmwood from the opposite side of Elmwood, to the side consumers is on, constantly has cars (pink circles) parked near the corner, not allowing 4 cars to pass at the same time. Crossing Elmwood while a car is turning left on Shepard Ave is not possible and is unsafe to try to do so. Now, add a bus to the corner (bottom right, green circle), and you've got multiple safety concerns simultaneously.
