Fallen Officer Honored by Seattle Weed and Seed Site
By Betsy Harris, Seattle Weed and Seed Sites Steering Committee Cochair
 Seattle Weed and Seed site mourns loss of Deputy Steve Cox. |
In the early morning hours of December 2, 2006, Deputy Steve Cox was murdered in the line of duty in the Seattle community of White Center. He was integral to the early success of the White Center Weed and Seed site, and the White Center community and city of Seattle mourn this loss.
Deputy Cox served on the Steering Committee; participated on Weed and Seed law enforcement emphasis patrols, the monthly law enforcement/community public safety meetings, and community-policing projects; and acted as White Center storefront deputy.
White Center is one of three Weed and Seed sites in Seattle. It had just received Official Recognition when Deputy Cox came on board with the Weed and Seed strategy. Many years before he had become a successful prosecutor, but found himself feeling unfulfilled. He wanted to make a difference before a person got into trouble, so in his late 30s he became a law enforcement officer. Eventually, he chose to work and raise his family in his old neighborhood, a small community that the rest of Seattle had shunned because of its high levels of crime.
Today, the residents of this neighborhood call Deputy Cox a hero. No one knew everyone in White Center as well as he did. He worked tirelessly, making social contacts all night long, giving community members his cell phone number and telling them to call him if something was not right. He relied on the area's residents to be the "front lines" against crime and his commitment inspired everyone to work harder to make the neighborhood safe. Even when he seemed idle he was working. He knew when many people got off work, and you could always find him parked in a store parking lot at night, doing followup, watching a bus stop to make sure that women traveling alone at night would get safely on and off the bus without any hassle from nearby hustlers.
He'd tell people, "You commit a crime in White Center, you're going to jail." He meant it and they knew it. Steve would drive by "regulars" and check in with them, asking if they were still on probation and on the right track, or if he was going to have to transport them back downtown. And they respected him so much that they would answer truthfully. So no one was surprised when people he had arrested stopped by the huge, ever-growing memorial residents had created to pay their respects and comment on his influence on their lives. In particular, a former drug-addicted prostitute shared a heartfelt poem about his impact on her life.
Deputy Cox inspired others to work with him to redevelop their small community into a place that people were not ashamed to call home. He became the measure of what community policing is supposed to be. A Sheriff's Deputy for King County, he understood the Weed and Seed strategy and was deeply committed to working with the Seattle Police Department and other community partners, businesses, and residents in making the community a safer place for all. White Center is on the boundary between city and county, and the site was one of the first multijurisdictional collaborations to be developed using the Weed and Seed strategy. Deputy Cox could always be counted on to participate in strategy meetings, community events, youth programs, and anything else requested of him.
In addition to his many official responsibilities supporting the Weed and Seed site and surrounding neighborhoods, Cox volunteered on community improvement projects in his civilian life. At Saturday neighborhood cleanup events, he would lead groups of youth in cleaning a park or apartment complex. He was president of the Community Council and was always encouraging residents to participate so that the council would be truly representative of the community.
Deputy Cox was a hero to the citizens of White Center. He leaves a lasting legacy, and the community will carry on this legacy by working toward the continued success of the White Center Weed and Seed strategy and making the neighborhood a safer place for all families.
For more information, contact:
Betsy Harris
Cochair
Seattle Weed and Seed Sites Steering Committee
