Seattle Business leaders publicly addressed the crime that has overtook neighborhoods. They had the chance to speak with city council members about what is going on and what needs to be done to fix it. It’s the first time, in a long time, that business owners have been invited to come to city council and share their experiences,” Erin Goodman with the ‘SODO Business Improvement Area,’ said. “In the last two years, the number one thing I’ve heard from my businesses is that they’ve felt abandoned.”
Goodman shared the experiences they have had, which includes bold criminal activity, that they would like to see stopped. “Stealing metal that is loaded and ready to be sold, to even instances of people stealing metal directly from the walls, of breaking into businesses,” she said.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office’s said they are: “teaming with the new Seattle City Attorney to try and combine multiple misdemeanor offenses into a single felony charge. It’s a thoughtful partnership that we’re sure will continue.
At the felony level, in 2021 alone the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed:
424 cases involving one or more counts of burglary in the second degree
168 cases of robbery in the second degree (which can include shoplifting with force or the threat of force)
36 cases involving felony organized retail theft (organized efforts beyond basic shoplifting
The crime story is not unique to SODO. It is affecting neighborhoods all over. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office’s said they are: “teaming with the new Seattle City Attorney to try and combine multiple misdemeanor offenses into a single felony charge. It’s a thoughtful partnership that we’re sure will continue.
They are looking to tell these stories in the roundtable discussion with city council members and try to find solutions. “I want to make the point, this is not just about property crime because they’re also telling stories about violent crime and threats to their employees and customers,” Citywide Councilmember Sara Nelson said of the roundtable discussion, “I decided, as economic development chair, that I would do something about this because public safety is key to our economic recovery.”
“We think there might be some ways that the city can create some positions to have liaisons to do that kind of work,” Stewart said, of one solution that could streamline reports from districts to other city departments, not just the police department.
In response to the upcoming meeting, Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office said: “As the Mayor and staff continue to develop comprehensive, sustainable, and multi-faceted public safety strategies, the Mayor’s Office is frequently listening to small businesses and local business leaders about the significant public safety challenges they’re facing. The Mayor’s Office will continue to seek input from local businesses and look forward to learning more about the ideas they have for improving public safety.”
