Kim-Khánh Văn frequents the SipStopCafé and Community Market, a local convenience store and café in downtown Renton. She’s friends with Anu Sippy, owner of the SipStop.
In the past year, the SipStop has served as the target of seven break-ins, six of which were committed by the same individual, said Sippy, owner of the SipStop.
“Crimes are increasing,” Văn said. “I wouldn’t say it’s rapid, … but I’ve seen folks running and stealing stuff. … That’s something I don’t want to see again in my city.”
Văn serves as the chair of Renton’s Public Safety Committee and a council member on the Renton City Council. The committee discusses fire-related issues, police-related issues, emergency communications and public safety facilities.
In speaking with the community, she said the business community and downtown residents requested the addition of increased police presence downtown to deter rising crime.
The Renton City Council approved an estimated budget increase of $619,564 in 2023 and $706,052 in 2024 for the department’s plans for a downtown patrol district. A trial phase for the downtown patrol district started on March 20.
She believes having dedicated officers will help build bridges in the community within the area.
“Any interaction (regarding) businesses and residents connecting with officers — that’s important,” she said.
Văn said she believes in increasing community input regarding policing.
Though community input downtown asked for more police presence, different communities have different experiences with police, Văn said.
“If we’re looking at an over-policing of an area, or maybe somewhere where (not speaking) English is a factor, … their relationship (with police) can be a little bit different,” Văn said.
At 6 years old, Văn’s mother fled Vietnam with four children to a refugee camp in the Philippines. The family relocated to the U.S. after receiving sponsorship from a Lutheran couple. They lived with the couple in Ballard for three months prior to moving out. High rent costs in Ballard forced Văn’s family into South Seattle housing projects.
Văn said traumatic experiences with law enforcement as a refugee in South Seattle led her to develop a fear of law enforcement.
Văn said for communities of racial minorities, she believes fear of law enforcement results from bad experiences with law enforcement.
“I, myself, coming from a refugee experience and having had really awful experiences with law enforcement in Vietnam at the camp, and then in the U.S. as well — I can only imagine other folks from different communities that have darker skin,” Văn said.
She believes in making government more accessible to different communities so community stakeholders will have more input regarding the policing of their own communities.
Văn said her perspective regarding whether to increase police presence in an area served as dependent on community demand and logistics like funding and capacity.
“I think it’s very necessary that as government actors or law enforcement officers (that we) should very much reach out to communities and make sure that the government is accessible,” Văn said.
Văn said she’s in the process of unlearning her own fear of law enforcement.
Văn said a Seattle detective that supported the young residents of the housing projects and played chess with them helped her start to develop a new perspective on law enforcement. As an elected official, she said knowing members of the Renton Police Department on a personal level have also influenced her view of law enforcement.
Văn said she believes in institutionalized racism within policy, and the importance of increasing access to government to have policy reflect a diversity of lived experience.
“We’ve seen that it’s clear that there’s police brutality. It’s clear that black lives matter. It’s clear that we need to have reparations to heal the community,” Văn said.
Văn said she aims to reach out to “communities that have not had a voice at the table.”
“It’s time for us to heal the community by looking at these historical wrongs and actually fix it,” Văn said.
