Over 200 business owners and residents of downtown Seattle signed a letter to Seattle and King County leadership Tuesday expressing grave concerns over the safety of the downtown Seattle area. Petitioners cited specifically the area on Third Avenue, which they say has gotten out of control, calling it an “open drug market.”
The letter comes after a fatal shooting last month outside of a McDonald’s in the area. Two suspects of that shooting were arrested in Las Vegas.
Greg Smith, who lives downtown and owns a business in the same area, signed the letter. He said the city isn’t doing enough to make the area safe, as KIRO reports.
“It’s like the city and the county have said the streets are the jail,” said Smith. “You don’t want to be able to walk outside and worry about your family.”
Smith said that if the city doesn’t do anything about the growing issues, business owners and residents will eventually leave.
“It’s past a tipping point and I think you’re going to see decisions made by businesses and residents who say I’ve had it and some people are going to leave,” said Smith. “And some people are going to stand up and fight for their rights and I think that’s what you’re seeing now with this letter.”
