SHORELINE, Wash. — The city of Shoreline is spending $115,000 to bring “anti-crime” toilets to Echo Lake Park.
The toilets are designed to fight ongoing crime and drug use and have popped up in cities across the country.
“We wanted to find something that was hard to vandalize, easier to maintain, and these Portland Loos are able to do that, they don’t have a lot of moving parts,” communications program manager Eric Bratton told KIRO 7’s Rob Munoz.
The toilets, known as Portland Loos, were named after the city where they were first installed.
The features of the toilets allow people outside to see if more than one person is inside.
“Talking about how it’s rampant right now and there’s not a lot of safety and security for people who find themselves suffering, and suffering in the throes of addiction,” neighbor Sarah Sapp said.
The city of Seattle currently has one installed in the Rainier Beach neighborhood and another one is planned for Ballard.
“This toilet is also solar-powered and has a light in it, so if someone's in it and locks the door, (in) the dark you'll actually see when someone's in the toilet by the light,” Bratton said.
However, some neighbors told KIRO 7 that the new toilet will be only a small part of an ongoing solution.
“They are still human beings and they are still a part of the community, so I would argue more for the resources so that they could be safe,” Sapp said.
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