Resident urges immediate action after repeated assaults on city property; council told parents are patrolling where police response absent

James Markhart addressed the Issaquah City Council during the public‑comment period on Feb. 24, saying repeated assaults on city property near locations he identified are harming children and that promised city responses have not been visible.

Markhart’s remarks and request Markhart said he previously raised the issue two weeks earlier and that, after reporting incidents to police, he had not seen increased police presence at the locations he highlighted. He described intervening personally in one assault and said he and at least one other community member are now patrolling these areas because they do not see official action. “Protecting our children shouldn't be a political issue,” Markhart said, and he asked the council, “what specific actions will you take to keep my child and the children of everyone else in this city safe?”

Scope and council response Markhart said community members have reported official responses promising additional patrols or programs but described a disconnect between those promises and observed conditions on the ground. He said the predictable nature of the incidents makes the lack of response especially troubling and that community frustration has grown. The mayor acknowledged the comment and noted staff would follow up on public comments as appropriate; no specific council action was recorded on the item during the meeting.

What the transcript shows and what the record does not The council did not take an immediate formal action in response to the public comment during the Feb. 24 meeting; the transcript records the public plea and the mayor’s acknowledgement. The city clerk and staff indicated the council would contact the commenter to follow up as warranted.