In an effort to maintain the City of Bellevue as the safe place for all residents to work, play, and live, the Bellevue Police Department (BPD) today announced the continuation of its successful Bellevue Police Safe Place program ahead of LGBTQ Pride Month in June.
The program is more important than ever for LGBTQ residents and visitors. A 2023 national report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation found hate crimes against all LGBTQ individuals increased by 19-percent in 2022 compared to 2021. This included 622 reported single-bias, anti-LGBTQ hate crimes and 338 anti-transgender hate crimes (a 35-percent increase from the year before).
“The Bellevue Police Safe Place program is a community-wide effort to give LGBTQ people assurance that whether it’s a local business, a place or worship, or even a police department – they have allies who will look after them,” said Wendell Shirley, Chief of the Bellevue Police Department. “In the past, the national relationship between law enforcement and the LGBTQ community was not great, but for many local police departments – including the Bellevue Police Department – we are committed to rectifying the past by protecting the safety and well-being of today’s LGBTQ community. They have a safe place to work, play, and live in the City of Bellevue.”
Safe Place signage – like above – is displayed by participating community members, businesses, schools, and organizations that work closely with the Bellevue Police to reduce anti-LGBTQ crimes and LGBTQ student bullying and to encourage the reporting of anti-LGBTQ crimes. To receive a Safe Place badge, residents or businesses can submit a formal request at www.bpdsafeplace.com.
Although Bellevue enjoys a low rate of violent crime, discrimination, and crime against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) residents and visitor, these incidents still do occur. The Safe Place program provides LGBTQ people a location to visit should they feel they have been or are a victim of a hate crime – including in-person and online harassment.
Calling 9-1-1 and waiting for police to respond is essential for holding suspects accountable and reducing hate crimes and harassment in general. In addition to the 9-1-1 police response to these incidents, the Bellevue Police have an LGBTQ liaison officer who promotes partnerships between the department and LGBTQ community and can be a resource for answers to questions residents may have.
About Safe Place: The mission of Safe Place is to provide the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/ questioning (LGBTQ) community with signage and resources that provide easily accessible safety information. Safe Place – started by Seattle Police Officer Jim Ritter – is designed to further enhance the relationship between the police department, the LGBTQ community, and local businesses by providing Safe Place decals and signage to local businesses and organizations and encouraging those entities to clearly post them at the entrances to their premise as a symbol of safety for the victims of LGBTQ crime and a warning to those who commit those crimes.
Bellevue Beat Blog 