Seattle City Councilmember Praises Navigation Team Minutes Before He Votes To Eliminate Them
Seattle City Councilmember Praises Navigation Team Minutes Before He Votes To Eliminate Them
In an email to his constituents last week, Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss wanted to “address the homelessness in district 6.” Strauss said that action was needed to get homeless people out of parks, libraries, and bus stops and into adequate shelter. One of the best tools for this, Strauss wrote, was the Navigation Team....
Mayhem Downtown Drains Seattle’s Resources and Reputation
Mayhem Downtown Drains Seattle’s Resources and Reputation
The Seattle Times’s Dominic Gates reported that arrests and property damage in downtown Seattle are impacting SPD’s ability to respond to other crimes happening in the city and the overall public safety of the community. Following demonstrations over the weekend, interim SPD Chief Adrian Diaz pleaded to members of the community for the violence and...
“Self-Inflicted Wounds” Have Hollowed Out A Once Vibrant Seattle Downtown
“Self-Inflicted Wounds” Have Hollowed Out A Once Vibrant Seattle Downtown
The recent closing of Columbia Sportswear in downtown Seattle during the COVID-19 pandemic is just one of many during this tumultuous year. According to the Downtown Seattle Association, 126 street-level downtown businesses locations have closed since the pandemic began. But in Seattle, the exodus started even before COVID-19 swept the world, and many of the...
Sawant Gets a Lawyer and Taxpayers Get Stuck with the Bill
Sawant Gets a Lawyer and Taxpayers Get Stuck with the Bill
A Superior Court Judge ruled that there was enough evidence to move forward with the recall petition against Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant. According to a King 5 News report, the judge ruled that four allegations made against Sawant can proceed. These are serious allegations ranging from misusing public resources to doxing Mayor Durkin. Sawant...
BLMSKC Urges Immediate Investigation of Seattle City Council
BLMSKC Urges Immediate Investigation of Seattle City Council
Black Lives Matter of Seattle King County (BLMSKC) is taking the fight to the Seattle City Council. According a report from MyNorthwest.com the group sent a letter to the Ethics and Elections Commission (SEEC) calling for an immediate, transparent and aggressive investigation into the actions and conduct of the city council. The letter asks SEEC...
Jobs Continue to Flee Seattle As Violent Crime Surges
Jobs Continue to Flee Seattle As Violent Crime Surges
In what is being described as “mayhem”, the uptick in violent crime is forcing more and more people to pack up and flee Seattle, costing even more jobs that our community needs right now. Brian Nordwall, who owns Seattle E-bike, told KOMO News that the downtown area has become like open season for crime, and...
Faith Leaders Call Out City Council’s Treatment Of Chief Best
Faith Leaders Call Out City Council’s Treatment Of Chief Best
In a press conference, interfaith leaders from Seattle’s communities of color demanded that the City Council work to repair the damage it inflicted through its mistreatment of SPD Chief Carmen Best, the first African American woman to serve in that role. According to a report in the Post Millennial, Rev. Leslie Blackwell urged Chief Best...
Seattle City Council Offers No Plan to Address Violent Crime
Seattle City Council Offers No Plan to Address Violent Crime
Seattle Times reporters David Gutman and Mike Carter wrote about the mounting backlash the City Council is facing over its actions to defund the police, with no plan in place to maintain public safety. According to Gutman and Carter’s report, former SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole says the city is headed for trouble and urged council...
Seattle Residents Have Already Felt The Effects Of Defunding The Police
Seattle Residents Have Already Felt The Effects Of Defunding The Police
Seattle continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. A recent New York Times story showcased the chaos that played out in our city and how the “lack of a robust public safety presence” has left a lasting impact on citizens and businesses alike. It is a frustrating and all too familiar story for...
Historic Tax Hike Threatens to Push Jobs Out Of Seattle
Historic Tax Hike Threatens to Push Jobs Out Of Seattle
As the local economy continues to reel from the global health pandemic, Seattle’s business community is facing a host of new challenges courtesy of a massive business tax adopted by the City Council. The new tax would affect more than 700 local businesses and many of those business owners say it is a direct threat...
Seattle Would Have To Collect Thousands From Every Taxpayer To Escape Its Debt
Seattle Would Have To Collect Thousands From Every Taxpayer To Escape Its Debt
A new report from the nonprofit group Truth in Accounting shows that the city of Seattle would have to collect $5,400 from every single eligible taxpayer to pay its bills. The report analyzed the fiscal health of America’s 75 largest cities and then graded them from first to worst, along with giving each city a...
“Open Air Drug Market” Cited As Source Of Violence In Townhall
“Open Air Drug Market” Cited As Source Of Violence In Townhall
In a recent KOMO News special “town hall” hosted by KOMO journalist Eric Johnson, police, business leaders, and residents highlighted the many challenges and forces behind downtown Seattle’s seeming surge in violence in the last several months. One overriding factor that business leaders pointed to was what they described as an “open air drug market”...
Pierce County Has Innovative Solution To Crack Down On Repeat Criminal Offenders
Pierce County Has Innovative Solution To Crack Down On Repeat Criminal Offenders
Pierce County law enforcement authorities have taken an innovative approach to handling repeat criminal offenders. These “high priority offenders” are only a portion of criminals, but account for a large percentage of the overall crime in Pierce County. As KOMO reports, Pierce County police have mined data in reports and case filings to zero in...
Seattle Times Editorial Criticizes Leadership Over Response To Downtown Public Safety
Seattle Times Editorial Criticizes Leadership Over Response To Downtown Public Safety
In a new Seattle Times editorial, the paper criticizes the city government’s response to ongoing public safety problems affecting downtown Seattle and other areas of the city. Crimes of many types have been increasing in Seattle in recent years. These include violent crimes, a few notable examples being the mass shooting on Third Avenue last...