A youth soccer league in the Seattle area is calling it quits for the season due to an expanding homeless encampment riddled with crime – a situation that is being blamed on Democrat leaders and elected officials in the area.
Valor Soccer – an athletic system that works to "provide quality and affordable soccer programming" to kids in King County – is canceling the remainder of its fall season, with the head of the youth program pointing to shootings and drug overdoses at the homeless encampment as the reason why.
Dean Aldridge, the CEO of Valor Soccer, told the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based non-partisan organization, that the decision was made after an individual drove across the soccer filed at North Green River Park and did donuts, resulting in more than $100,000 in damage.
"We're a nonprofit – we don't have enough money to recoup these kind of losses," Aldridge told the think tank.
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"I don't know how you recover from something like this," he told reporters from the site of the field, nearly 23 miles from the heart of Seattle. "These are our most economically challenged kids. … What human being does this?"
Referring to the damages as a "massive, extraordinary financial loss," Aldridge said he was left with no choice but to cancel the remainder of the season amid widespread concern about the encampment from members and parents of the youth soccer league.
Attempting to figure out who was responsible for vandalizing the fields, Aldridge and Discovery Institute journalist Jonathan Choe ventured into the local encampment to speak with those who are living there.
Though they were not able to pinpoint a specific suspect, one individual inside the encampment told them she believed it was probably someone from inside the growing group who drove over the field.
"Gangs are moving in," Aldridge said. "This is what we've been dealing with ever since COVID."
Choe took footage of the encampment, which revealed new shacks being constructed and also showed individuals who had overdosed passed out on the ground.
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Aldridge, who did not specifically blame the homeless for the incident that took place, insisted that the growing encampment is inviting more criminal activity and lawlessness to the area.
"Lawless individuals just know that this is a free zone to do whatever you want to do," he said. "Come down here, shoot your guns, dump your garbage…"
In his comments about the matter, Aldridge insisted that the Democrat-led city is working to prioritize the needs of the homeless over the kids hoping to take part in the soccer program and other extracurricular activities. Aldridge specifically took aim at Dow Constantine, a Democrat who has served as King County Executive since 2009.
"Leaders lead," Aldridge said. "I think Dow needs to get off his ass. … I have not heard from Dow, I have not heard from his office."
"If his kids were down here playing or his grandchildren were down here playing, I'm sure it would be cleaned up," Aldridge added.
Constantine, according to Choe, has known about the problem since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly four years ago and has only allowed crews into the encampment for trash removal.
When Choe reached out to Constantine's office for a comment about the situation impacting the community, a spokesperson named Chase Gallagher responded, "We decline to participate in your project."
When reached for comment, Kristin Elia, a spokesperson for Constantine, told Fox News Digital that King County has been "planning for the initial restoration of the encampment site" with various partners.
"King County has been allocating funding and resources and has been planning for the initial restoration of the encampment site with partners. This phase of the plan is in process now, and implementation will be completed over the next four weeks, focusing on improving public safety through the removal of unauthorized vehicles and debris along Green River Road and ensuring safety within the public right-of-way," Elia said. "Additionally, the installation of barriers, fencing, and signage will be completed. After implementation, the King County Sheriff’s Office will patrol and enforce the maintenance of the restoration of the site. King County will continue to work with local partners to explore housing options to support those who remain unhoused in the area."
Because of the lack of urgency by King County and nearby municipalities like Kent and Auburn to deal with the situation, Aldridge said he is looking to take the youth soccer league to another area.
"King County won't enforce the laws, Kent won't enforce the laws, Auburn won't enforce the laws," Aldridge said. "Nobody's taking ownership."
"There's nothing humane about this," he added.
