The Capitol Campus Safe Place Program is an initiative to ensure that all people feel safe and respected while on the Campus. The Safe Place Program© was established by the Seattle Police Department in 2015 born out of a need to address low reporting of anti-LGBTQ crimes and school bullying incidents by increasing public trust in law enforcement and feelings of safety in the community. The program was expanded in 2018 to include anyone who may have been a victim of a bias crime.
Based on a directive from Governor Inslee, a work committee was formed to identify ways to make it easier for state buildings to become registered Safe Places where there are existing law enforcement programs. In 2019, the program was expanded to the Capitol Campus in Olympia. Participating Government Buildings, including the Washington State Patrol Headquarters, have placed a Safe Place sticker on the outside of their entrances. This indicates the building is a public facing building with a central reception that allows it to be a refuge for people seeking harbor from a potential hate crime. Employees are trained to call 911 and get the person to a safe place and wait until law enforcement officials arrive.
To date:
- Over 6,000 businesses throughout Seattle currently participate in the program.
- Over 200 police agencies throughout the US and Canada are actively working with SPD to initiate Safe Place in their communities.
The Safe Place program is implemented in the following state buildings:
- Office of the Governor (sticker on the door outside the Governor’s office)
- 1500 Jefferson Building
- Highways and Licensing building
- OB2
- Maple Park Building
- Natural Resources Building
- Transportation Building
- Helen Sommers Building