The Lake City Taskforce, a volunteer citizens group formed several years ago to ensure that Lake City is a safe, clean and desirable community, is asking for assistance from the public in reporting transients engaging in illegal activity. Taskforce co-chair Suzy Smith said police are concerned about what appears to be an increase in transients in the area in recent months. On the evening of Aug. 24, two transients engaged in a fight in the parking lot of a Lake City area business, which resulted in the death of one of the two men. The owner of another Lake City area business recently caught a transient attempting to break in to his establishment. Earlier in the month, the windows of several Lake City area businesses were smashed by an unknown vandal during the night. Smith said the Taskforce is working with Seattle Police to monitor the situation, but help from the public is needed. "We want people to report the presence of transients to police," she said. "Also, don't encourage them to panhandle. ... If people see transients camping out or panhandling, report them to the North Precinct by calling the police department's non-emergency phone number, 206-625-5011. The public is also encouraged to report suspicious activity by leaving messages on the Lake City Taskforce Hotline, 206-362-8836.