Neighbors fear Kennewick ‘drug house.’ Police have visited hundreds of times in 2 years
Residents of a West Kennewick neighborhood say they are being terrorized by the occupants of an alleged “drug house” that’s made them feel unsafe for a few years.
Several neighbors are so fed up they sounded off to the Kennewick City Council this week, claiming the nuisance home on the 8100 block of Bruneau Avenue allegedly attracts drug buyers, prostitutes and drunks.
Police and emergency calls to the house have been escalating.
Two search warrants served at the home in August and also in 2023 resulted in seized narcotics and several arrests, said police Chief Chris Guerrero. But some Kennewick residents said that hasn’t changed things in their normally quiet neighborhood.
“Some have even mistaken our house for this drug house, ringing our doorbell and asking to buy something,” said Kim Duarte.
Others have reported loud noises at night, inattentive drivers and speeders, littering, smashed cars, physical fights and people coming in and out the home at odd hours, bags in hand and wearing masks. One mother also said one person stole her 14-year-old son’s bicycle.
Many neighbors said they have the police department’s non-emergency line on speed dial, and that the owner of the house is unresponsive to their complaints. Some also said they don’t feel safe being on their front lawns anymore.
Others have installed security cameras and begun carrying Narcan spray, an overdose reversal drug.
“The things we see on a daily basis is frightening and very frustrating, to say the least. We would really appreciate any help from the city at this point, as we are all just extremely exhausted and feel we have run out of options as far as help for our neighborhood,” Duarte said.
Guerrero said calls and officer-initiated visits to the nuisance home have increased, from just two in 2020, to 16 calls in 2022 and ultimately to 141 last year.
This year alone there’s been 185 visits and calls to the house. Guerrero said a majority of the visits over the past 21 months have been the result of extra patrols.
“This is an anomaly,” he told city council and staff. “I don’t know of a time where we haven’t been able to address a home to prevent it from getting to this point, and I think council’s aware of that. But it’s something we need to work across all departments to try to find a solution to, and continue to engage the residents.”
That might include involving other departments in the matter, including the city attorney’s office. Code enforcement has visited the house several times, but neither they nor police have been able to contact the homeowner.
