The Seattle Times reports “several” shooting incidents last night around Seattle. We cannot seem to get through our weekends this summer without news of terrible violence in the city. People are getting hurt, losing lives and, yet, the city isn’t acting boldly enough to turn things around. All while the city’s businesses are in a critical moment as the economy sputters back to life in spite of the Covid-19 Delta variant.

An editorial in that same paper this weekend emphasized that “for downtown not only to regain lost ground but to continue to grow, the city’s residents, business operators and employees must feel safe and secure.”

For human lives, safety and for our businesses, Seattle cannot afford to wait for a plan to turn things around. We call on our city leaders to act now and formulate a plan to prevent these shootings, keep our parks and downtown safe and identify ways to attract and retain police.