The Seattle Times’s Dominic Gates reported that arrests and property damage in downtown Seattle are impacting SPD’s ability to respond to other crimes happening in the city and the overall public safety of the community.

Following demonstrations over the weekend, interim SPD Chief Adrian Diaz pleaded to members of the community for the violence and lawbreaking to stop. Diaz said peaceful protests and legitimate calls for social justice reforms “are being drowned out by relentless violence, mayhem and illegal behavior. Tensions have been on the rise over the past week as cases of violence and vandalism continue to pile up.

On Saturday night a major intersection near the Space Needle was shut down and multiple people were struck by a car slamming into the crowd. SPD couldn’t even get to scene for 90 minutes because officers were tied up at a protest, according to a report from KOMO News.

It is bad enough that these incidents are draining public safety resources. But the City Council’s approach may also be hurting tourism and recovery. Councilmembers Lorena Gonzalez and Teresa Mosqueda have committed to a 50% cut to SPD without a plan to ensure that Seattle is a safe and welcoming city.

It is frustrating to see Seattle’s reputation suffer as we continue to make national headlines for all the wrong reasons. But this is the kind of criticism we can expect when your city council has no plan to even maintain basic public safety. 

Seattle deserves better. Washington deserves better. It’s time to hold City Hall accountable and demand the chance we deserve before it’s too late.