Joel Moreno, KOMO News

Joel Moreno

KOMO News

Seattle, WA, United States

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Recent:
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Past:
  • KOMO News
  • seattlepi
  • The National Desk

Past articles by Joel:

Bellevue sues homeowner to fast-track demolition of house damaged in landslide

The couple whose home collapsed in a landslide two weeks ago now face a lawsuit filed by the city. The legal action claimed the house needs to be demolished but John and Barbara Surdi are holding up the process. The Surdis don't oppose the demolition but first they want a chance to salvage what they can from inside, according to their attorney. A spokesperson for the city of Bellevue said the… → Read More

Police target drug dealing hot spots around Seattle in series of busts

Crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and a gun were all part of the haul in a series of drug busts Tuesday throughout the city. A half dozen suspected drug dealers were also arrested, police said. Neighbors were asking for help with these hot spots, according to investigators. The drug sales came with a lot of other crime related crime and people who live or work nearby worried it was… → Read More

Staffing crisis impacting response to 911 calls in Seattle

SEATTLE - Calls for help are sometimes meeting long delays as the city’s 911 system finds itself understaffed and overwhelmed. It is a potentially critical collapse in Seattle's public safety net and it could be months before the problem is solved. Until then, a balancing act is underway to better prioritize emergency calls. For every call taker who fills a chair at Seattle’s Community Safety… → Read More

Five officers accuse UW Police Department of racism, demand $8 million

New claims of racism have emerged within the University of Washington Police Department. Five Black officers have filed claims for damages totaling $8 million, saying they were routinely insulted and demeaned by co-workers as well as supervisors over the past several years. The allegations go beyond stereotyping and name-calling. Some officers said they were unfairly disciplined and even denied… → Read More

Candidates clash at Seattle mayor's forum on housing, homelessness

More distinctions emerged Tuesday night among the top contenders running for Seattle mayor. A forum focused on housing and homelessness, two crisis issues in the city, and the candidates invited to take part put forth their best solutions. Rarely did the discussion turn to encampments or sweeps or mental health or crime. Questions focused on how to help the most vulnerable, and candidates took… → Read More

Seattle police discover man living secretly in basement of woman's home

SEATTLE (KOMO) — A movie plot played out in real life at a home in Seattle this weekend when a couple discovered a man secretly living in the basement. According to a police report, the man had been eating from the downstairs refrigerator, had made up a bed and even arranged his clothes in one of the rooms. This went on for a couple of days before the woman who was already living there realized… → Read More

Seattle program to track vacant buildings an effort to bolster neighborhood safety

Seattle's program to track vacant buildings that have a history of trouble is putting new strains on the city's resources even as a monitoring program that works to keep each location sealed up and safe is facing difficulty because some property owners are not pitching in. Vacant buildings that fall into disrepair can be a magnet for illegal behavior and pose a safety hazards. → Read More

Activists say Seattle police crowd control revisions fall short

SEATTLE - Community members are rejecting a series of changes Seattle police want to adopt in how they respond to protests and riots. Activists said the revisions will still allow officers to use excessive force during demonstrations and that the threshold for declaring a riot still remains too low. → Read More

Security guards to monitor all 73 King County ballot drop boxes

As the election nears and political tensions mount, King County is once again opting to have guards at all 73 of its ballot drop box locations. The goal is to keep people from intimidating others who are trying to cast ballots. The move comes as other states are already hearing that armed groups will show up at polling places on election day. "Personally I feel that with the situation right now… → Read More

150 speak over 4 hours urging changes to Durkan's proposed Seattle budget

The public had a chance to join the tug of war over Seattle's 2021 budget process on Tuesday night. Four hours of sometimes heated testimony focused on Mayor Jenny Durkan's proposed spending plan. Many departments face cuts due to the impact of COVID-19. The plan would reduce police spending by $60 million and invests $100 million in Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. → Read More

East Precinct confronting new spike in crime but changes ahead

SEATTLE - Nightly protests aren't the only problem for Seattle's East Precinct. Crime is way up this year on Capitol Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods, even as police resources are being cut citywide. Overall crime is up 12 percent compared to this same time last year and neighbors don't know what to make of it. “It's sort of surprising but you can't really be surprised anymore,” said Ryan… → Read More

13 arrested, vandalism reported at Seattle's Breonna Taylor protests

SEATTLE - The decision to not prosecute the officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor triggered outrage among several protest groups in Seattle Wednesday night and eventually more than a dozen arrests. A group outside the federal courthouse on Stewart Street held and candlelight vigil and remained peaceful. A separate group took to the streets and really left its mark. As the… → Read More

Cuts to Seattle police department face potential problems from federal authorities

More fights likely lie ahead as the Seattle City Council looks to pick apart the police budget, but stripping down the department could run into additional stumbling blocks. One of them could be the consent decree. For the past eight years Seattle police have had to answer to federal authorities on many major policy moves. The city is accountable to federal monitors under the consent decree.… → Read More

Federal officers arrive in Seattle ahead of planned weekend protests

SEATTLE - A federal government plane landed at Boeing Field Thursday night and King County Executive Dow Constantine said it appears federal officials are ramping up activity in Seattle. A dozen personnel were on board, signaling the Department of Homeland Security's latest preparations for the city. DHS acknowledges it has tactical teams in place and on standby. → Read More

State mask mandate enforcement could fall on business owners

A mandate to wear a face mask has some businesses questioning how to enforce Washington's newest statewide health directive. Following Gov. Jay Inslee's announcement earlier this week, police agencies began clarifying they only plan to educate people about this order, so any enforcement is likely to fall on business owners. → Read More

Seattle protesters arrested for misdemeanors may not face criminal charges

Dozens of protesters arrested by Seattle police may never have to face a judge or go back to jail. City Attorney Pete Holmes hopes to steer them into a diversion program, even if they've been accused of theft or a low-level assault. While some see this as an opportunity, others feel outraged. For the past couple of weeks a frenzy has gripped the streets of Seattle over the killing of George… → Read More

'You have failed me as mayor:' Snohomish mayor under fire for handling of protests

A rift appears to be widening in the city of Snohomish where gun-toting vigilantes are being praised as patriots by some and denounced as racists by others. The firestorm is also leading to demands that Mayor John Kartak step down. Those calls for the mayor's resignation clashed with demands of support for him and other leaders, including Keith Rogers the former police chief and Snohomish County… → Read More

Business owners at a loss over potentially missing Phase 2 deadline

There are hints the most populous counties in Washington will miss the original timeline to move into Phase 2 of the state's reopening plan June 1, but Governor Jay Inslee still won't give a straight answer as that date gets closer. The potential delays could come in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, where shops and stores are gearing up for the next phase but could have the rug pulled out… → Read More

Retailers making safety changes to reopen during Phase 2

Governor Jay Inslee said Thursday retailers are ready to take on the challenge of safely re-opening. Curbside pickup is already underway under Phase 1. Many store owners can't wait to re-open when Phase 2 kicks in at the beginning of June. At Show Pony in Fremont, owner Stephanie Hara said she’s doing everything to make sure her customers and employees are safe when the store opens during Phase… → Read More

'A big challenge ahead': How widespread contact tracing is key to winning COVID-19 battle

When a man with a persistent fever showed up at Providence Regional Medical Center Jan. 20 the 35-year-old probably wasn't the only person in America with COVID-19, but he was the first doctors know about. The man had just come back from Wuhan, China. Nurses suited up in protective gear to care for him inside an isolation unit and a team of contact tracers started searching for the people he'd… → Read More