East-side cities launch regional 'East Side Safe Streets' patrols to target reckless driving

Kirkland Police Chief Mike St. Jean said the newly launched East Side Safe Streets task force will rotate directed patrols among Issaquah, Redmond, Bellevue and Kirkland on Saturday evenings to address the region’s most common traffic complaints, including speeding, modified exhaust and reckless driving.

St. Jean described the effort as a “force multiplier” that recognizes people who break traffic laws often cross city boundaries. “People that are breaking the law often don’t know or don’t know city boundaries,” he said, adding the task force collects resources from each agency and a supervisor for directed enforcement.

The initiative follows what St. Jean described as sustained community concern about traffic safety. He said the first deployment took place on a recent Saturday and “it went really well,” with more activity to follow.

St. Jean placed the task force in the context of broader public-safety trends in Kirkland, saying overall crime is down. “Robberies are down by 26 percent. Burglaries are down by 39 percent. Vehicle thefts are down by 65 percent. And vehicle prowls … that’s down by 72 percent,” he said, crediting proactive policing and community tips for part of those reductions.

Beyond enforcement, St. Jean emphasized continued community engagement through prevention and education—highlighting programs such as quarterly gun-safety classes (which include distribution of a free gun safe), Coffee with a Cop events and the community police academy. He said those programs and neighborhood partnerships are part of the department’s effort to reduce crime and build trust.

The task force is focused on traffic-related enforcement and is not described in the podcast as a permanent policy change; St. Jean said the agencies plan to rotate deployments and evaluate results. The city’s podcast noted listeners can watch for updates on the police department’s and city’s communications channels.