Seattle police shortage plunges to levels not seen in 70 years
Seattle radio host Jason Rantz on Washington passing a bill allowing DACA recipients to join law enforcement as the city struggles to maintain police.
Seattle residents and business owners are voicing their concerns about crime "perpetrated on a nearly hourly basis" and say people who commit assaults reemerge after their arrests to cause further chaos.
Members of the downtown Seattle community that spoke with the Puget Sound Business Journal offered their own "horror stories" regarding crime and have called on the city to take swift action.
They said that their concerns stem from increased drug activity and other crime in the downtown area of the city.
In 2023, the number of violent crimes in downtown Seattle fell by 10% from 2022. It was the lowest number since 2018.
Violent crimes in Seattle surged in 2021 and 2022 after the government defunded the police. (Seattle Police Department)
Pat Callahan, the CEO of Urban Renaissance Group, told the Business Journal that while there has been some improvement, the crime problem is still yet to be solved. He claimed that many tenants at his downtown property are considering leaving the area.
"Really, what's happening now is all the fentanyl use is bringing consistent crime to the area, and it's festering," he said.
URG Executive Vice President Shawn Jackson echoed his sentiments and told the outlet that conditions have become "somewhat extreme." He revealed that one individual recently started a garbage truck fire near the company's Joshua Green Building.
"These are property damage events that happen quite frequently," he said. "We can't let the challenges of several concentrated blocks in our downtown define our identity."
Commercial real estate broker Tom Graff said the current approach to crime is not working and is "not sustainable."
The Space Needle and Mount Rainier are seen on the skyline of Seattle, Washington, U.S. February 11, 2017. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)
He told the Business Journal about a man with a dog who yelled at customers and pounded on counters at the Five Spot Café when the business informed him of their pet policy. Police eventually removed the man, but he returned several times over the next few days.
During one instance, people at the café claimed the man had a gun and threatened to shoot patrons.
"This is madness," Graff added.
According to the Business Journal, some of the issues may stem from the city's jail capacity or its ability to book offenders.
City Attorney Ann Davison, addressing the issues regarding the King County Jail, noted that restrictions limit an officer's ability to book on half of misdemeanor crimes. People can currently be booked for things like assault, drunken driving, sex crimes, domestic violence, and firearm crimes, but not theft, harassment, animal cruelty, and the destruction of property.
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"We need to regain that misdemeanor jail capacity," Davison said.
Interim Police Chief Sue Rahr also told the outlet the department has lost 400 officers and anticipates the staffing will be "below what is needed" for the next two or three years despite hiring efforts.
"We need to get back to fighting crime. I think we got off track a little bit over the last couple of years," she said of the 2020 defund the police movement.
The Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Mayor's Office did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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