Crime Down In Seattle, But City Faces Perception Of Lawlessness
SEATTLE, WA — Here are the cold, hard stats: Crime is down 12 percent in Seattle over the last 12 months.
But some Seattle residents and business owners don't believe those stats based on what they're seeing on city streets — and that difference is key to understanding why Mayor Jenny Durkan has launched a new month-long emphasis patrol program in seven city neighborhoods.
The Seattle City Council's Safe Communities Committee on Wednesday hosted Seattle police and other department officials to talk about the new program. The hearing revealed that the seven neighborhoods were chosen because of crime rates, but also because of items that might increase the perception that crime is high — like illegal dumping, illegally parked RVs and broken street lights. Data from the city's Find It/Fix It app, which allows residents to submit complaints about things like graffiti or clogged storm drains, was also a factor.
"I believe the statistics for crime have increased, but I believe it's far beyond what has been reported," University District resident Kurt Sorensen said before Wednesday's hearing, echoing more than a dozen other speakers at the meeting. "In my neighborhood, crime is so rampant, people have stopped reporting it."
The Council hearing came after Councilwoman Lorena Gonzalez sent a set of questions about the emphasis program to Durkan and Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best. Council does not have control over police deployments, but Gonzalez wanted to know why the seven neighborhoods were chosen, and what outcome Durkan and Best expect.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/crime-down-in-seattle-but-city-faces-perception-of-lawlessness/ar-AAB6zJa
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