Last Saturday, over 300 Seattleites gathered in the rain to honor Eina Kwon, a 34-year-old pregnant woman who was murdered while driving in downtown Seattle last week. Her unborn child was delivered after the attack and initially survived but died shortly thereafter. She leaves behind a toddler son who was unharmed, and a husband who...
When it comes to public drug use, many want to emphasize compassion over criminalization. It’s important to remember that neglect isn’t compassion – intervention is. The extent of that intervention has been a contentious issue in Washington, leading to a special session in May which made hard drug posession a gross misdemeanor while providing pathways for...
Earlier this week Mayor Bruce Harrell delivered his 2023 State of the City address, outlining his plan to combat the homelessness crisis and increased crime at a time when workers are finally returning to downtown.
Former Seattle Police Chief and Change Washington adviser Carmen Best says that despite the city of Seattle trying to address homelessness, “if you just walk around, you can see that it hasn’t necessarily worked.” Best’s message underscores the need for Seattle’s leaders to develop a real plan to address homelessness that matches the scale of...
Change Washington Adviser and former Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best believes that the recent spike in gun violence in Seattle requires both additional resources for police to respond, but also deter crimes. “We do need to have more visibility with officers in the field so that there is a deterrent for people to gather in...
Can we be honest about Seattle right now? Mary Lou Sanelli was painfully honest in a piece special to the Seattle Times that is heartbreaking to read. Heartbreaking because it resonates deeply in each person that cares about this city. “My question always becomes: Other than fentanyl dealers, who is profiting from all of this...
Yesterday, Seattle was the subject of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial for its failure to reform policing while endangering poor and minority communities. Based on the recent federal hearing on the consent decree between the City of Seattle and the Department of Justice, the editorial board explained the simple facts: Seattle cut and demonized the...
Seattle Public Schools set a goal of clearing a homeless encampment on the campus of Broadview Thomson K-8 by September 1st when students return to classrooms. The district shared with parents this week, however, that while clearing the camp remains a “priority,” it will not be cleared in time to meet that deadline. According to...
Seattle Public Schools starts back in just one week. As this latest Covid-19 surge rocks our state and region, there is a great deal of uncertainty for all, but especially for students and parents. With that in mind, a column from Danny Westneat of the Seattle Times this past weekend struck a chord as students...
If you read the Seattle Times Editorial Board’s takedown of the City Council’s latest debacle you might have caught this one key statement: “More adept administrative oversight might have kept such a project on the rails, even despite the questionable insistence on handing out the no-bid deal. But this council was performing a hurried gesture...
Where is the plan? How many times will we have to ask before we get an answer? We have been calling for Seattle city leaders leaders to show us a plan for how they’re going to restore public safety. Time has passed and still no leadership. Other voices have taken up the call as well:...
The conversation around the recent spike in gun violence often ignores the victims. As non-profit leader Sean Goode wrote in Crosscut, “…gun violence in Seattle and south King County is not new. It has long and overwhelmingly victimized people of color, and long and overwhelmingly deserved significant resources to curb.” He explains the importance of...
Enough is enough. That’s the message from courthouse employees frustrated by the lack of safety provided by the city at their workplace, the downtown King County Courthouse. The area around the courthouse and adjoining park are notoriously overrun by open drug abuse and dealing as well as unregulated encampments. On Friday, workers rallied at the...
The race for Seattle City Attorney is turning into one of the more interesting races to watch after yesterday’s primary. The importance of this position cannot be overstated. The city attorney is responsible for ensuring that criminals are prosecuted. As KOMO News put it, “concerns about crime, safety and repeat offenders are a driving force...