[MUSIC] [MUSIC]
-- GOOD MORNING. THE PUBLIC
SAFETY MEETING WILL COME TO
ORDER. IT'S 9:34 A.M. JULY
28th, 2026 ON ROBERT KETTLE,
CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMITTEE. WILL THE COMMITTEE
CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?
-- COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER LIN HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA.
-- I MEAN.
-- COUNCILMEMBER SAKA.
-- GOOD HERE.
-- CHAIR KETTLE HERE.
-- CHAIR. THERE ARE FOUR
MEMBERS. FIVE MEMBERS PRESENT.
-- THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING
HERE TODAY. IN LIGHT OF THE.
TRAGEDY THAT WAS AT SEATTLE
CENTER ON SUNDAY, I'D LIKE TO
ASK FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
THANK YOU. BEFORE STARTING MY
CHAIR COMMENT, I JUST WANTED TO
SAY REGARDING SUNDAY NIGHT. I
WAS THERE, NOT AT THE. AT THE
TIME OF THE. THE INCIDENT, THE
SHOOTINGS, BUT AFTERWARDS I
RECEIVED A CALL FROM DEPUTY
MAYOR SURRATT AND I JOINED HIM
ON LOCATION, ON SCENE, AND I
JUST WANTED TO SAY A FEW THANK
YOUS. I WANT TO THANK THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN I
ARRIVED ON SCENE, I WAS ABLE,
WITH THE HELP OF. ALSO SEATTLE
CENTER SECURITY, IN ORDER TO GET
FROM ESSENTIALLY THE SUE BIRD
WAY ACROSS CAMPUS TO THE ARMORY
AND TO THE COMMAND POST. AND
DURING THAT TIME, I SAW THE
PROFESSIONALISM OF THE SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND THIS IS
WHILE AN OPERATION WAS ONGOING
SWAT WAS COMING ON BOARD. THIS
RELATES TO THE IMAX THEATER AND
THE SEARCH. SO IT WAS AN ONGOING
OPERATION. AT THAT TIME. I SAW
YOU KNOW, THOSE AT COMMAND
POSTS. ASSISTANT CHIEF DAVIS. I
SAW A NUMBER OF CAPTAINS. I KNOW
LIEUTENANTS FROM WEST PRECINCT
OFFICERS THAT I KNOW THAT HAVE
SEATTLE CENTER AS THEIR BEAT,
AND I SPEAK TO THEM ON A REGULAR
BASIS, SPOKE TO THEM, AND THE
WORK THAT THEY DID, PARTICULARLY
THE WORK THAT WAS DONE IN THE
IMMEDIATE, IN THE IMMEDIACY OF
THE SHOOTING I ALSO WANT TO
THANK THE SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR WORK, FOR
THEIR INSTANT RESPONSE. AND THEN
TRANSPORT OF THOSE THAT WERE
INJURED TO HARBORVIEW. SO
IMPORTANT, UNFORTUNATELY, ONE
WHO WAS TRANSPORTED DIED, WHICH
WAS THE THIRD FATALITY. SO
INCREDIBLE WORK BY THE SEATTLE
FIRE DEPARTMENT. I ALSO WANT TO
THANK SEATTLE CENTER. I WAS WITH
DEPUTY MAYOR SURRATT, BUT ALSO
ACTING SEATTLE CENTER DIRECTOR
ENGSTROM AND SOME OF HIS TEAM
WERE THERE TOO. AT THE COMMAND
POST AREA. THIS LOCATION WHERE
INITIALLY IT WAS SPD, BUT THEN
LATER KING COUNTY SHERIFF, ATF,
FBI AND OTHERS JOINED IN AND
THEY WERE THERE TO SUPPORT. AND
THEY HAD A MASSIVE EFFORT AT THE
INCIDENT. BUT ALSO AFTERWARDS
AND YESTERDAY AND NO DOUBT TODAY
AND IT WAS HARD FOR THOSE
PEOPLE, OBVIOUSLY, TWO
FATALITIES WERE THERE ON SCENE.
YOU KNOW, THE POSTHEPATITIC LOOK
OF A SCENE WITHOUT ANY PEOPLE.
BUT WHAT LOOKS TO BE A FESTIVAL
THAT IS HARD FOR THE SEATTLE
CENTER TEAM. AND IN ADDITION,
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE
DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL AS WELL. SO
I JUST WANTED TO THANK ALL OF
THEM FOR THEIR WORK ON SUNDAY
NIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH
TODAY AS WELL. IN PAST CHAIR
COMMENTS, I HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT
18, 19, 20, EARLIER THIS YEAR,
AND THOSE WERE THE AGES OF
PEOPLE KILLED JUST BEFORE
ANOTHER PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
MEETING. I HELD. YOU KNOW, A
YOUNG MAN, A UW STUDENT, AND
ANOTHER YOUNG PERSON. AND I'M
REMINDED THEN TOO, OF THE 19
YEAR OLD JUNIPER BLESSING. AND,
YOU KNOW, IT STRUCK TO ME AS A
WRITTEN BY JUSTICE DAVIS, WHO
WORKS ON OUR COMMISSION, WHO
SAID I DIDN'T MOVE TO SEATTLE
FOR PROGRESSIVE POLITICS. I
MOVED HERE TO SURVIVE YOU KNOW,
WE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ACROSS
THE BOARD. PUBLIC SAFETY IS
SERIOUS BUSINESS, AND WE HAVE TO
BE SERIOUS AS WE GO ABOUT THIS.
IT'S SERIOUS. AS ANOTHER CHAIR
COMMENTS. WHEN I TALKED ABOUT
LITTLE SAIGON AND NORTH AURORA
AND THE CHRONIC PUBLIC SAFETY
CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE THERE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE AT WE'RE
BEING ASKED WHY IT'S SO CHRONIC
WHEN WE'RE BEING ASKED, DID WE
CARE ENOUGH? I THINK WE DO. BUT
THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY ENOUGH.
I NOTED IN ANOTHER, AS PART OF
THIS PROCESS RELATED TO LITTLE
SAIGON AND NORTH AURORA, I NOTED
THAT IT'S NOT A TALE OF TWO
CITIES HERE IN SEATTLE, BUT A
TALE OF A CITY OF TWO MINDS WITH
AN APPARENT INABILITY TO MOVE
FORWARD, TO TAKE DECISIVE
ACTION. ACTION WITH A BELIEF
THAT WE LOOK OUT FOR OUR
NEIGHBORS IN CRISIS, BUT ALSO DO
THE SAME FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
IN CRISIS TO NOW INCLUDE UPTOWN
SEATTLE CENTER AND THE CRUCIAL
NEED FOR SUSTAINED LEADERSHIP
WITH FOLLOW UP AND FOLLOW
THROUGH OF PASSING ORDINANCES
AND ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING THEM.
COLLEAGUES, AS YOU KNOW, AND
PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE MOST
LIKELY KNOW, MANY OF YOU I'VE
SEEN BEFORE. WE HAVE OUR
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK PLAN FOR A
SAFER SEATTLE, WHICH WE UPDATED
IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. AT THE
START OF THE NEW COUNCIL,
INCORPORATING LESSONS LEARNED OF
THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS. IN THIS
PLAN, WE'RE BUILDING ON THE
MISSION AND THE VISION THAT WE
HAVE HERE IN COUNCIL. WITH THIS
COMMITTEE. UNDERSTANDING THE
PERMISSIVENESS IS A COMMON
THREAD THROUGH THE CHALLENGES
THAT WE SEE ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING, WE
UPDATED THE SIX PILLARS TO
INCLUDE HAVING A FUNCTIONAL
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. IT IS
SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE A
FUNCTIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM ACROSS THE BOARD. ANOTHER
PILLAR WAS GUN VIOLENCE
PREVENTION AND REDUCTION AND
COMMUNITY SAFETY. AND BECAUSE OF
THAT, WE HAD MEETINGS. WE HAD
BRIEFINGS HERE AND COMMITTEE ON
THIS VERY TOPIC. AND MY
COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA,
HELD A SYMPOSIUM WITH NATIONAL
EXPERTS ON THE VERY TOPIC THAT
WE'RE DEALING WITH TODAY.
FOLLOWING SUNDAY'S SHOOTING. AND
ANOTHER PILLAR TWO WAS
ADDRESSING THE SEAM BETWEEN
PUBLIC SAFETY, TRADITIONAL
PUBLIC SAFETY, THE POLICE, BUT
ALSO WITH PUBLIC HEALTH, MENTAL
BEHAVIORAL SUBSTANCE USE,
HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND
ALL THE ISSUES THAT RESIDE IN
THAT SEAM THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN
CARE OF, WHERE WE CANNOT BE OF
TWO MINDS, WE HAVE TO BE
DECISIVE SO NOW WE HAVE A MASS
CASUALTY SHOOTING EVENT THAT
KILLED THREE AND FOLLOWED TWO
NEAR MASS CASUALTY EVENTS IN THE
DAYS PRECEDING AND NORTH AURORA
AND CAPITOL HILL. AND THERE'S
COMMON THREADS THROUGH EACH OF
THESE. AS I SAID, RELATED TO
LITTLE SAIGON AND PARTICULARLY
WITH NORTH AURORA AND WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH MINORS BEING
TRAFFICKED, I SAID, IT'S NOT
RIGHT AND IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.
AND THAT GOES TO FOR THE GUN
VIOLENCE THAT WE'RE SEEING AND
THE THROUGH LINES. THERE IS A
DIRECT THROUGH LINE BETWEEN
SUNDAY NIGHT. WHAT HAPPENED
EARLIER THIS SPRING IN A KING
COUNTY METRO BUS STATION, AND
TWO YEARS AGO AT GARFIELD, WHERE
I REMEMBER BEING AT THE CHURCH
WITH THE PASTOR, MAYOR HAROLD
AND MY COLLEAGUE COUNCIL
PRESIDENT HOLLINGSWORTH.
REGARDING THE LOSS OF OUR MA
MURPHY PAIN THAT DAY, THERE'S A
THROUGH LINE AND PART OF THE
THROUGH LINE IS THE INABILITY OF
THE CITY TO TAKE ACTION,
CONCRETE ACTION. THERE'S ACTIONS
TAKING. BUT TO HAVE THAT FOLLOW
THROUGH, THAT FOLLOW UP AND TO
SEE IT THROUGH AND NOT BE OF TWO
MINDS. SO WE HAVE OUR STRATEGIC
FRAMEWORK PLAN. WE'RE WORKING A
LOT OF PIECES RELATED TO THE
PUBLIC SAFETY CHALLENGES THAT
WE'RE FACING TO INCLUDE GUN
VIOLENCE AND VIOLENCE
INTERVENTION. SO I CALL ON MAYOR
WILSON TO BUILD A FULLY
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH. WE
CAN'T HAVE A LOCK THEM ALL UP
APPROACH, BUT WE ALSO CANNOT
HAVE A ABOLITIONIST APPROACH. WE
HAVE TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE
APPROACH THAT STARTS WITH
COMPASSION FOR OUR NEIGHBORS IN
CRISIS, TO INCLUDE OUR YOUNG
PEOPLE WHO MAY PICK UP A GUN AND
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN CRISIS.
THAT ARE REPRESENTED HERE TODAY.
DOWNTOWN BELLTOWN NOW UPTOWN
NORTH AURORA ALL THESE
NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I THINK OUR
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK CAN BE A
GUIDE TO WORK WITH THE
EXECUTIVE, TO WORK WITH THE
MAYOR, TO REALLY CREATE A PLAN,
A PLAN THAT DOES AWAY WITH, ONCE
AND FOR ALL THIS ISSUE OF BEING
A CITY OF TWO MINDS THAT IS
DECISIVE, THAT IS, THAT IS DONE
WITH THE FOLLOW THROUGH. SO
MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER HEAR FROM
ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE
REPRESENTED AND ORGANIZATIONS
THAT ARE REPRESENTED. I THANK
YOU FOR BEING HERE AND
COLLEAGUES THIS RECENT EVENT WAS
JUST YET ANOTHER. I DON'T WANT
TO PUT IT HIGHER REALLY, BECAUSE
THAT WOULD LESSEN, YOU KNOW, THE
LOSS OF LIVES THAT A KING COUNTY
METRO STATION AND RAINIER BEACH
AND ALL THE OTHER CHALLENGES
THAT RAINIER BEACH HAS FACED, OR
LAKE CITY OR BELLTOWN OR
DOWNTOWN OR THE CITY OR NORTH
BEACON HILL, LITTLE SAIGON
ACROSS THE BOARD. THAT'S OUR
DUTY. THAT'S AS I SEE IT. AND
COLLEAGUES, I THINK WE AS A
COMMITTEE AND AS A COUNCIL CAN
PRESS FORWARD AND PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE MAYOR. BUT WE NEED TO
DO THAT, AND WE NEED TO DO IT
WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE
OUT HERE. AND A NUMBER OF THEM
ARE REPRESENTED HERE IN THE
AUDIENCE OF CHAMBERS TODAY SO
THAT'S MY CHAIR COMMENT FOR
TODAY. THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES. IF
THERE'S NO OBJECTION, THE
AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED. HEARING,
SEEING NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA
IS ADOPTED. WE'LL NOW OPEN THE
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. PUBLIC
COMMENTS SHOULD RELATE TO ITEMS
ON TODAY'S AGENDA OR WITHIN THE
PURVIEW OF THE COMMITTEE CLERK.
HOW MANY SPEAKERS DO WE HAVE
SIGNED UP TODAY
-- WE HAVE 17 IN PERSON, AND I
THINK FOR REMOTE.
-- OKAY, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE
TWO MINUTES. WE'LL START WITH
THE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS HOW MANY
REMOTE.
-- FOR?
-- SO LET'S DO TEN IN PERSON,
DO THE FOR REMOTE. AND THEN
WE'LL FINISH WITH THE REMAINING
IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. CAN YOU
PLEASE READ THE PUBLIC COMMENT
INSTRUCTIONS?
-- THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS
UP TO 60 MINUTES. SPEAKERS WILL
BE CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH
THEY REGISTERED. SPEAKERS WILL
HEAR A CHIME WHEN 10 SECONDS ARE
LEFT OF THEIR TIME. SPEAKERS
MICS WILL BE MUTED IF THEY DO
NOT END THEIR COMMENTS WITHIN
THE ALLOTTED TIME TO ALLOW US TO
CALL THE NEXT SPEAKER THIS
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW
OPEN. WILL BEGIN WITH THE FIRST
SPEAKER ON THE LIST, THE FIRST
IN-PERSON SPEAKER IS ERIC
ZIMMERMAN, TO BE FOLLOWED BY
KEVIN DARES.
-- THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ERIC
ZIMMERMAN, REPRESENTING THE
NONPARTISAN WASHINGTON POLICY
CENTER. I HAVE MORE THAN TWO
DECADES OF EXPERIENCE WITH
NATIONAL POVERTY PROGRAMS
WORLDWIDE. IN WASHINGTON, I
FOCUS ON HOMELESSNESS POLICY AND
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. WHILE
DIVERSION CAN BE AN APPROPRIATE
TOOL, LEAD IS AN EXPERIMENTAL
PROGRAM THAT OPERATES BEYOND
WHAT ITS EVIDENCE SUPPORTS AND
IS NOW USED TOO OFTEN IN
SEATTLE, THE 58% REDUCTION IN
RECIDIVISM CITED IN THESE LEADS
ON PRESENTATIONS AND IN YOUR
COUNCIL PACKET IS NOT FACTUAL,
AND IT MISUNDERSTANDS, LEADS
SMALL AND PRELIMINARY STUDY. THE
STUDY USES STATISTICAL MODELING
TO PREDICT AN ODDS RATIO,
REDUCING THE ODDS OF ARREST BY
58% COULD CORRESPOND TO THE NON
LEAD GROUP'S ARREST RATE BEING
20% HIGHER THAN THE LEAD GROUP.
PERHAPS IT DOES NOT SHOW A 58%
DROP IN ARRESTS. IT HAS BEEN
CHERRY PICKED FOR THE COUNCIL,
BUT THAT CAN HAPPEN BOTH WAYS.
THE STUDY DOES SAY THAT THE LEAD
GROUP HAD 150% HIGHER REPORTED
DEATH RATE THAN THE NON LEAD
GROUP, SIX MONTHS AFTER
DIVERSION, THE ARREST RATE FOR
THE LEAD PARTICIPANTS HAD NOT
DECLINED. BOTH THE LEAD AND NON
LEAD GROUPS ULTIMATELY RECEIVED
FEWER CRIMINAL CHARGES OVER THE
LONGER TERM, WITH NO
STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT
DIFFERENCE, ACCORDING TO THE
STUDY, A REDUCTION IN FELONIES
FOR LEAD PARTICIPANTS MAY HAVE
RESULTED FROM SPECIAL TREATMENT
BY THEIR STUDY PARTNER, THE
PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE. WE CAN
EVALUATE SAYS MASS DIVERSION
THROUGH OTHER EVIDENCE BETWEEN
THE YEARS 2014 TO 2020 FOR
SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY ARE
FIRST IN THE NATION FOR THE
GROWTH OF CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS,
PLUS 850% SEVERAL HUNDRED
PERCENTAGE POINTS ABOVE
JURISDICTION. NUMBER TWO,
SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY HAVE THE
COUNTRY'S SECOND HIGHEST TOTAL
POPULATION OF CHRONICALLY
HOMELESS, EQUALING THE COMBINED
TOTALS OF THE THIRD AND FOURTH
HIGHEST JURISDICTIONS. BECAUSE
OF SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY,
WASHINGTON IS ALSO FIRST IN THE
NATION FOR GROWTH OF CHRONIC
HOMELESSNESS, WITH THE SECOND
HIGHEST STATE POPULATION BECAUSE
OF SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY,
WASHINGTON'S FIRST IN THE NATION
FOR THE GROWTH OF DRUG OVERDOSE
DEATHS, SHIFTING FROM 33rd PLACE
IN 2019 PER CAPITA TO FOURTH
PLACE IN 2024, DRIVEN BY SEATTLE
AND KING COUNTY. WASHINGTON HAS
MASSIVE DRUG EXPOSURE AND IS
FIRST IN THE NATION FOR OPIOID
OVERDOSES SEEN IN HOSPITALS IN
2022, 2023 AND 2024. WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN SEATTLE HAS NO
PRECEDENT. IT'S ENTIRELY NEW
TERRITORY IN OUR COUNTRY. WE
CANNOT SEE IT COPIED BY OTHERS.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE IT. PLEASE
VOTE NO. ON INCREASING DIVERSION
IN SEATTLE. THANK YOU.
-- NEXT WE HAVE KEVIN DARES TO
BE FOLLOWED BY JESSICA NORTON.
-- SHOULD I ADD, HE'S HERE IN
ONE CAPACITY. BUT AS IT TURNS
OUT MR. ZIMMERMAN IS ALSO THE
MAYOR OF NORMANDY PARK. SO IT
TURNS OUT, YOU KNOW, ELECTED OR
FORMER ELECTEDS DO GET A
COURTESY. SO IT HAPPENS TO YOU
WENT FIRST. SO WELCOME. OKAY.
MR. DARES.
-- I WANT TO TALK TO ALL OF YOU
BECAUSE I'VE TALKED TO THE
COUNCIL AND THE POWERS THAT BE
FOR OVER A DECADE AND NOTHING
CHANGES. I MEAN, WE'VE HAD
MEETINGS, WE'VE HAD COMMUNITY
WALKAROUNDS, WE'VE HAD
EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF FROM
DURKAN TO HAROLD TO WILSON.
NOTHING'S BEEN DONE. AND I
DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'M I'M
WINGING IT. AND I HATE TO ASSUME
HOW ANYBODY THINKS, BUT I HAVE
TO IMAGINE YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE
FAR DIFFERENT THAN MINE, BECAUSE
WHEN I WAKE UP IN MY
NEIGHBORHOOD, NINE TIMES OUT OF
TEN, THERE'S FECES AND URINE
SPREAD ALL ACROSS THE FRONT OF
THE BUILDING. THERE'S A
GENTLEMAN NAMED TODD WHO HAS ONE
LIMB LEFT BECAUSE HE CAN'T STOP
INJECTING INTO THE OTHERS, AND
NOBODY DOES ANYTHING FOR THEM.
THEY BRING THEM TO THE HOSPITAL
AND THEY CHOP ANOTHER LIMB OFF,
OR THEY REMOVE A LITTLE BIT MORE
OF HIS ARM. BUT THEN THEY PUT
HIM BACK ON THE STREET, AND
THERE'S PEOPLE WHO OVERDOSE IN
MY NEIGHBORHOOD EVERY DAY, AND
THERE'S YOUNG GIRLS IN THE ALLEY
GETTING TURNED OUT AND GETTING
DRUGGED UP AND GETTING RAPED
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
EVERY DAY. WE HAD A CONVERSATION
EARLIER. WE HAD A KIDNAPING IN
MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS CALLED
IN BY MORE THAN SIX PEOPLE. THAT
WAS VIDEOTAPED, AND NO COPS EVER
CAME. AND WHEN WE INVESTIGATED
THIS, IT WAS SHOWN IN THE 911
REPORT THAT THEY MARKED IT AS
LOW PRIORITY. SO I DON'T KNOW. I
DON'T I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR
THOUGHT PROCESS IS. IF YOU'RE
FOR LESS ENFORCEMENT, YOU'RE FOR
ALLOWING THIS TO CONTINUE
BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE ALLOWING IS
FOR YOUR COMMUNITIES TO COLLAPSE
AND PEOPLE'S LIVES TO BE
DESTROYED. AND NOBODY STEPS IN.
AND I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO BE
HERE TODAY BECAUSE I'M TIRED.
I'M TIRED OF ADDRESSING A
COUNCIL MAYOR WHO DOESN'T SEEM
TO HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL OR
ACUMEN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND
SO I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW
WHERE YOU ALL ARE FROM, BUT I
HOPE THAT Y'ALL CAN STEP UP AND
CHANGE IT.
-- THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU, MR. JERRY'S.
-- NEXT UP WE HAVE JESSICA
NORTON TO BE FOLLOWED BY TOM
GRAF.
-- GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS
JESSICA NORTON AND I HAVE LIVED,
WORKED AND FREQUENTED BELLTOWN
MY ENTIRE LIFE. 54 YEARS. FOR
MORE THAN 22 YEARS I'VE OWNED A
BUSINESS ON SECOND AVENUE
BELLTOWN A DENSE, WALKABLE,
TRANSIT ORIENTED, MIXED INCOME
NEIGHBORHOOD WITH HOUSING,
BUSINESSES AND SOCIAL SERVICES
ALL IN CLOSE PROXIMITY. BUT
TODAY, THOSE STRENGTHS ARE BEING
UNDERMINED BY AN ENTRENCHED
ORGANIZED OPEN AIR DRUG MARKET.
EVERY DAY, RESIDENTS, WORKERS,
SENIORS AND VISITORS MUST
NAVIGATE OPEN AIR DRUG USE, DRUG
SALES, HUMANS IN EXTREME
DISTRESS AND RELATED TRAUMATIC
DISORDERS SIMPLY TO MOVE THROUGH
THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE CAN'T USE
OUR SIDEWALKS. WE HAVE TO WALK
IN THE STREET. THIS IS NOT AN
ISOLATED PROBLEM. IT IS A DAILY
REALITY AND IT AFFECTS EVERYONE
TRYING TO LIVE, WORK, VISIT AND
ACCESS SERVICES IN BELLTOWN. THE
GREATEST TRAGEDY IS THAT IT IS
HARMING THE VERY PEOPLE THAT WE
ARE TRYING TO SERVE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING PROVIDERS REPORT PEOPLE
ARE LEAVING OR REFUSING
PLACEMENT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT
FEEL SAFE. BUSINESSES STRUGGLE
AND PEOPLE LIVING WITH ADDICTION
ARE LEFT IN DEGRADING CONDITIONS
THAT DEEPEN THEIR CRISIS IN FULL
PUBLIC VIEW. THIS IS NOT A
FAILURE OF HOUSING OR SOCIAL
SERVICES. IT IS A FAILURE TO
PROVIDE PUBLIC SAFETY THAT
ALLOWS THESE INVESTMENTS TO
SUCCEED. COMPASSION AND PUBLIC
SAFETY ARE NOT COMPETING VALUES.
THEY DEPEND ON ONE ANOTHER.
PEOPLE IN RECOVERY, PEOPLE
SEEKING SERVICES, RESIDENTS,
WORKERS ALL DESERVE A
NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THEY CAN MOVE
SAFELY AND WITH DIGNITY, WHICH
WE CANNOT RIGHT NOW. I ASK YOU
TO MAKE BELLTOWN THE DENSEST
RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE
COUNTY A PRIORITY. NOT BECAUSE
IT MATTERS MORE, BUT BECAUSE IT
MATTERS JUST AS MUCH. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU, MISS NORTON. THANK
YOU FOR COMING.
-- GOOD MORNING. I'M TOM GRAF,
CHAIR OF BELLTOWN UNITED. I LIVE
AND WORK IN BELLTOWN AND I'M
COMMITTED TO A SAFE AND
PROSPEROUS DOWNTOWN IN THE
ENTIRE CENTER CITY MATTERS TO ME
RIGHT NOW. THE OPEN DRUG USE AND
THE OPEN DRUG MARKET IN ON
BLANCHARD IS UNACCEPTABLE. AND
IT SEEMS LIKE THE POLICE HAVE
LET IT GO. THEY HAVE OTHER
PRIORITIES, AND I GET THE CITY
COUNCIL CARES. BUT YOU ARE NOT
IN CHARGE OF THE SEATTLE POLICE.
THE MAYOR IS. AND I AM BEGGING
YOU TO FIGURE THIS OUT WITH THE
MAYOR AND GET CLEAR DIRECTION
FROM HER TO THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT THAT OPEN DRUG USE,
OPEN DRUG DEALING AND COVERING
IT UP WITH A TENT IS NOT
ACCEPTABLE EITHER. HAS GOT TO
STOP. THIS IS OUR HOME. THIS IS
THE HEART OF THIS REGION, AND IT
IS GETTING WORSE. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU.
-- NEXT WE HAVE GRETA LEVINSON
TO BE FOLLOWED BY DAVID LEVINSON
-- GOOD MORNING. I AM A 22 YEAR
RESIDENT OF BELLTOWN. I THINK OF
MYSELF AS A FAIRLY FEARLESS
PERSON. I WAS A HOME HEALTH
NURSE FOR DECADES, AND I KNEW
NEVER KNEW WHAT I WOULD FIND
BEHIND THAT DOOR. NO, I AM NOT
SO FEARLESS. DAILY I ENCOUNTER
PEOPLE WHO ARE SCREAMING,
WIELDING MAKESHIFT WEAPONS,
URINATING AND DEFECATING IN
PUBLIC. PEOPLE OPENLY DRUG AND
DEAL ON THE STREET. THAT SEEMS
ALMOST INNOCUOUS TO THE FEAR OF
BEING ASSAULTED. THIS IS NOT
NORMAL IN A CIVIL LY SOCIETY. WE
NEED MORE POLICE AND SOCIAL
SERVICE ACTION AND COORDINATION,
MAINLY COORDINATION. THIS IS NOT
WORKING AS IT IS.
-- THANK YOU.
-- DAVID LEVINSON.
-- HI, MY NAME IS DAVID
LEVINSON. I LIVE IN BELLTOWN AND
I WANT TO SAY EVERYTHING THAT'S
BEEN SAID IS TRUE. BELLTOWN IS
IS FULL OF DEBRIS. BELLTOWN HAS
TENTS, TENTS THAT ARE THAT
PEOPLE DEAL DRUGS OUT OF PEOPLE
FALLING OVER FROM OVERDOSES AND
NOTHING HAPPENS. I DON'T
UNDERSTAND IT. YOU KNOW, WE LIVE
IN A TECH CITY. WE HAVE A
TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT IN SEATTLE
THAT'S OVER 600 PEOPLE. AND AND
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, RUN BY A
WOMAN WHO IS IS VERY, VERY UP ON
TECHNOLOGY. AND YET WE TAKE THE
CAMERAS AWAY AND WE TAKE THE
CAMERAS AWAY TO STUDY THEM.
WE'RE A TECHNOLOGY CITY. WE
KNOW THE CAMERAS ARE AN OLD
TECHNOLOGY. USE THEM. I MEAN,
AND SO WE GET A REPORT, WE SEND
IT TO NYU. OH, GREAT. IT'S
BEAUTIFUL THERE. THERE'S NO
DRUGS, THERE'S NO TENTS. BUT
THERE ARE CAMERAS ALL OVER. AND
THEY'RE GOING TO STUDY WHETHER
WE SHOULD HAVE CAMERAS. GIVE
THEM GIVE THE POLICE WHAT THEY
NEED TO, TO MOVE FORWARD AND
CLEAN UP THE MESS THAT IS
BELLTOWN RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.
-- THANK YOU.
-- NEXT UP, WE HAVE JULIA
BILBAO. AND TO BE FOLLOWED BY
JUSTIN PERKINS.
-- OKAY. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME
IS JULIA THEOBALD. I AM A THIRD
PIKE PINE RESIDENT. AND WHILE
I'M HERE TO SPEAK AS A RESIDENT
TODAY, I AM ALSO VERY INVOLVED
IN THE THIRD AND THRIVE
COALITION, WHICH IS FOCUSING ON
PROBLEMS AT THIRD PIKE PINE.
VERY MUCH FITTING THE
DESCRIPTION OF WHAT EVERYBODY
ELSE HAS SEEN. AND I'M ALSO
CHAIR OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY
COUNCIL. SO DEEPLY INVOLVED AND
SUPPORTIVE OF SOLUTIONS, ALL
SORTS OF SOLUTIONS TO THESE
PROBLEMS. I WANT TO, FIRST OF
ALL, COMMEND THE COUNCIL TODAY
FOR THE LEGISLATION THAT IS
BEFORE THEM, FOR TAKING AN
EVIDENCE BASED APPROACH AND
CLARIFYING THE IMPLEMENTATION
GUIDELINES FOR POLICE. I FOUND
THE CENTRAL STAFF MEMO TO BE
PARTICULARLY INFORMATIVE,
ESPECIALLY THE RATIONALE THAT
THIS WAS BEING CAUSED OR THE
LACK OF PRE-BOOKING. DIVERSION
WAS BEING CAUSED BY THE
OFFICER'S PERCEPTION THAT THE
PUBLIC HEALTH AND CASE
MANAGEMENT SERVICES THAT THEY
NEEDED AT THE TIME WERE NOT
AVAILABLE. THEY ARE NOT WRONG.
WE NEED TO MEET THOSE SUFFERING
ON THE STREET, NOT JUST WHERE
THEY ARE, BUT WHEN THEY ARE AT
THIRD PIKE PINE. WE STILL
NIGHTLY HAVE 50 TO 100 PEOPLE
GATHERING TO USE DRUGS NIGHTLY.
IT IS A DRUG DEN. THE THIRD AND
THRIVE COALITION HAS BEEN
SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING SOME OF
THE DAYTIME INTERVENTIONS
EXTENDED TO TO 11 P.M. AT NIGHT,
INCLUDING. WE DELIVER CARE. THEY
HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE IN
DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEMS UP TO
THAT POINT, BUT THEY HAVE ALSO
SAID THE BEST THEY CAN DO IS
DIAGNOSE. THEY HAVE NOWHERE. NO
PEOPLE, NO SERVICES TO CONNECT
THEM TO AT THESE TIMES. SO UNTIL
WE SHIFT OR EXTEND OUR PUBLIC
HEALTH RESOURCES TO COVER THE
HOURS WHEN THESE PROBLEMS ARE
HAPPENING, WE WILL NOT SEE ANY
IMPROVEMENT. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU.
-- NEXT UP, WE HAVE JUSTIN
PERKINS TO BE FOLLOWED BY DEVON
MOORE.
-- GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE.
-- GOOD MORNING.
-- I'M JUSTIN PERKINS. I'M A
CLIENT OF THE LEAD OPTION. I
MEAN IDEAL OPTIONS. AND THEY
PRETTY MUCH BEEN HELPING ME FROM
THIS TIME. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR.
I MOVED TO SEATTLE LAST WITHIN
THE LAST THREE YEARS. HAD A JOB
AT THE AIRPORT, BUT THEN I THEN
A WEEK I GOT HERE AND
UNFORTUNATELY SOME THINGS
HAPPENED WITH MY FOLKS WHERE
I'M OUT HERE IN THE STREETS AND
THEY'RE BEING HELPING ME GET MY
ID ENHANCED AND PRETTY MUCH GET
THINGS ON THE ROAD AGAIN. I WAS
STABBED LAST YEAR WITH A FRIEND
OF MINE, AND I'M GETTING BACK
INTO FROM RECOVERY AND STARTING
TO GET BACK TO WORK. AND IT'S
ALL BECAUSE OF IDEAL OPTIONS.
THAT HAS HELPED ME GET THAT. AND
THAT'S ABOUT IT.
-- THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE
-- GOOD MORNING. COUNCILMEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE
TODAY. I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK
YOU TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND
SUPPORT AND INVEST IN THE LEAD
PROGRAM. MY NAME IS DEVIN AND MY
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LEAD
PROGRAM GOES BACK MORE THAN A
DECADE. I WAS FIRST REFERRED TO
LEAD AROUND 2015, AT A TIME WHEN
I WAS UNHOUSED, DEEP IN MY
ADDICTION AND LIVING DOWNTOWN
SEATTLE, I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH
LEFT IN ME THEN, BUT RIGHT AWAY,
LEAD LED ME WITH KINDNESS. THEY
GAVE ME A LITTLE BIT OF HOPE.
AND WHEN YOU'RE USING THE WAY I
WAS, USING HOPE IS SOMETHING YOU
HOLD ON TO WITH BOTH HANDS. OVER
THE NEXT SIX YEARS. MY LIFE WAS
A CYCLE OF JAIL AND THE STREETS
AND TRYING TO SURVIVE. I WENT IN
AND OUT OF JAIL DOZENS OF TIMES.
EVERY SINGLE TIME SOMEONE FROM
LEAD SHOWED UP FOR ME, THEY
DIDN'T LECTURE ME. THEY DIDN'T
SHAME ME. THEY JUST KEPT SHOWING
UP, TRYING TO REIGNITE THE HOPE
THAT I KEPT LOSING. I MADE PLANS
TO GET CLEAN MORE TIMES THAN I
COULD COUNT, AND JUST AS MANY
TIMES AS I CHOSE TO GO BACK TO
THE STREETS INSTEAD. BUT ON
JANUARY 15th, 2021, I WENT TO
JAIL FOR WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE
THE LAST TIME, AND LEAD WAS
THERE AGAIN. AND IN THAT TIME I
FINALLY SAID YES. I WENT TO
TREATMENT. I MOVED INTO AN
OXFORD HOUSE AND LEAD MADE THAT
TRANSITION FEEL POSSIBLE. THEY
TOLD ME I HAD ALREADY DONE THE
HARDEST PART, WHICH WAS SAYING
YES, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I TRY
TO CARRY IN MY WORK TODAY. I
HAVEN'T COMMITTED A CRIME IN
OVER FIVE YEARS. I WORK A
PROGRAM OF RECOVERY AND NOW I
WORK AS AN OUTREACH NAVIGATOR
SUPPORTING JUSTICE IMPACTED
FOLKS. THE SAME PEOPLE, THE SAME
WAY PEOPLE ONCE SUPPORTED ME. I
CAN HONESTLY SAY, I DON'T THINK
THAT I'D BE STANDING HERE TODAY
WITHOUT THE PATIENCE, KINDNESS,
AND RESOURCE NAVIGATION LEAD
GAVE TO ME. THEY DIDN'T JUST
HELP ME CHANGE MY LIFE, THEY
HELPED ME BUILD ONE. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU
-- AND OUR LAST IN-PERSON PUBLIC
COMMENT. BEFORE WE SWITCH TO
ONLINE IS ANGELO DEJESUS.
-- WELCOME BACK.
-- HI AGAIN. WELCOME BACK. I'M
ANGELA. I LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN
IN NORTH BELLTOWN ALL RIGHT. I
DO NOT WANT OPEN AIR DRUG USE IN
MY NEIGHBORHOODS. I DO BELIEVE
THAT THERE SHOULD BE A PATHWAY
TO GETTING PEOPLE THE HELP THEY
NEED. BUT IF THEY SAY NO, THEY
GOT TO GO, OKAY. WITH, LIKE,
POLICE STAFFING, WE NEED
PATHWAYS THROUGH EDUCATION.
STARTING FROM HIGH SCHOOL OR
COLLEGE OR TECHS. AND OUR MAYOR
IS A FAILURE IN THIS. YOU GUYS
ARE BACKUP. YOU'RE A DUAL.
IT'S NOT EVEN BACKUP. YOU GUYS
ARE SIDE BY SIDE. AND WE NEED
THIS DONE TO GET MORE JOBS. WE
NEED MORE TAX REVENUE. WE NEED
MORE HOUSING. GET THEM JOBS,
CHANGE THE ZONING LAWS. THAT WAY
WE CAN HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW,
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TURNED
INTO RESIDENTIAL. IT HAS TO BE
DONE, YOU KNOW, AND CREATING
THESE OTHER JOBS. IT'S NOT JUST
POLICE OR CIVIL SERVICE, LIKE
PRETTY MUCH ANY JOB THAT CIVIL
SERVICE. AND YOU GUYS ARE IN
CHARGE OF DOING THIS. AND THE
MAYOR, I BELIEVE SHE'S A TOTAL
FAILURE IN THIS SITUATION.
SHE'S NOT EVEN A COLLEGE
GRADUATE IN THIS SITUATION.
SHE'S AN UNDERGRAD. AND ALL OF
YOU HAVE ALMOST MASTER'S DEGREE.
YOU KNOW, AS A, YOU KNOW, AS A
TRANSLATOR, AS SEATTLE. I LEFT
MY CITY AND MY CITY IS AWFUL.
I'M FROM MIAMI, AND IT DOESN'T
COMPARE. IT'S KIND OF LIGHT
HERE. YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY
HAPPY TO LIVE IN THIS CITY AND I
FEEL SAFE IN THE CITY. BUT ALSO
I LOOK LIKE THIS. OKAY? AND
OTHER PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOOK LIKE
THIS ARE SCARED, AND THEY NEED
PROTECTION. THANK YOU. YOU GUYS
HAVE A GREAT DAY.
-- THANK YOU. FELLOW NAVY
VETERAN, NOT THE ONLY NAVY
VETERAN WHO HAS SPOKEN THIS
MORNING ALREADY.
-- WE'LL TRANSITION TO OUR
SEVEN REMOTE SPEAKERS BEFORE
COMING BACK AND FINISHING IN
PERSON. THE FIRST REMOTE SPEAKER
IS JAKE WALLACH. PLEASE PRESS
STAR SIX. WHEN YOU HEAR THE
PROMPT. YOU HAVE BEEN UNMUTED.
-- SIGNED UP. WHICH ONE?
-- EDDIE. CHAIR KETTLE, THIS IS
JAKE WALLACH. I LIVE UP IN NORTH
AURORA. I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT
THE VIOLENCE CONTINUES AND THAT
WE CANNOT TURN OUR EYES. YOU
MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING THAT
THERE'S AN INABILITY OF THE CITY
TO TAKE ACTION, AND I TOTALLY
AGREE. WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO
DO IS WE NEED TO ASK FOR STATE
HELP, AND WE NEED A TASK FORCE
ON AURORA AVENUE. WHAT'S
DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE NORTH
AURORA CORRIDOR AND THE SEATTLE
CENTER SHOOTING IS THAT ON NORTH
AURORA, THE CITY ALREADY KNOWS
WHY IT'S HAPPENING AND BY WHO.
OVER 60% OF THE SHOOTINGS ARE
DIRECTLY RELATED TO PROSTITUTION
BASED ON SPD DATA. THE NARRATIVE
ON THE STREET NEEDS TO CHANGE,
AND THE CITY PRESS RELEASES
AREN'T GOING TO CHANGE IT.
AFTER THE STREETS WERE CLOSED,
WE SAW A DIP IN VIOLENCE FOR
ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO. BUT THEN
TWO WEEKS LATER, WE SAW OVER 200
JOHNS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BACK
ON AURORA, SPD ONLY HAS TWO VICE
DETECTIVES FOR ALL OF SEATTLE,
AND THEY'RE NOT MAKING ENOUGH
PROGRESS BECAUSE OF COURSE
THEY'RE NOT. THERE'S ONLY TWO
OF THEM. WE NEED TO ASK FOR
STATE HELP BECAUSE WE NEED IT,
AND WE NEED A TASK FORCE ON
AURORA AVENUE. THANKS FOR THE
TIME.
-- THANK YOU.
-- NEXT UP, WE HAVE SARAH CLARK
TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALBERTO
ALVAREZ. PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX.
-- COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE CHAIR
KETTLE. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMITTEE. FOR THE
RECORD, MY NAME IS SARAH CLARK
AND I'M HERE TODAY TESTIFYING
ON BEHALF OF THE OVER 2600
MEMBERS OF THE SEATTLE METRO
CHAMBER IN SUPPORT OF COUNCIL
BILL 121248. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE
TO THANK CHAIR TUTTLE FOR
SPONSORING THIS BILL AND FOR
YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP AND
THOUGHTFUL WORK TO FIND AND
INTRODUCE BALANCED POLICY
APPROACHES TO ADDRESS OUR
REGION'S PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES.
AFTER DROPPING SLIGHTLY IN THE
NOVEMBER 2025 INDEX RESULTS,
WHICH IS OUR VOTER RESEARCH
PROJECT, OUR MAY 2026 POLLING
SHOWED THAT PUBLIC SAFETY HAS
MOVED BACK UP TO THE SECOND
HIGHEST PRIORITY. VOTERS WANT
THE CITY TO ADDRESS COMING IN
ONLY ONE POINT BEHIND
RESPONDENTS TOP PRIORITY
ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS. THIS IS
PARTICULARLY POIGNANT AFTER THE
TRAGIC EVENTS AT SEATTLE CENTER
OVER THE WEEKEND. WE SUPPORT
ESTABLISHING IN-FIELD
PRE-BOOKING DIVERSION AS THE
CITY'S PREFERRED APPROACH TO
ENFORCEMENT OF DRUG USE OR
POSSESSION CRIMES. MORE
IMPORTANTLY, WE SUPPORT THE
REQUIREMENT FOR SPD TO COLLECT
DATA ON REFERRALS, PARTICIPATION
AND OUTCOMES THAT IS INCLUDED IN
THIS BILL. WE WILL CONTINUE TO
SUPPORT CITY POLICIES THAT
EMPHASIZE TRACKING OUTCOMES SO
THAT ELECTED LEADERS CAN MAKE
FULLY INFORMED DECISIONS.
COUNCIL BILL ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO,
FOUR, EIGHT AFFIRMS OUR VALUES
OF THE CITY WHILE ALSO ENSURING
METRICS ARE TRACKED. POLICY
MAKERS ARE FULLY INFORMED. THE
POLICIES PASSED ACHIEVE THE
INTENDED RESULTS AND THAT WE ARE
GETTING THE POSITIVE OUTCOMES
FOR OUR NEIGHBORS. WE ALL WANT
TO SEE. WE RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU
TO PASS THIS BILL. THANKS.
-- NEXT UP, WE HAVE ALBERTO
ALVAREZ.
-- THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING HOW
MANY TRAGEDIES HAS THE POLICE
CHIEF BEEN AWAY IN CHICAGO OR ON
HIS SPEAKING TOUR IN OTHER
STATES? WE NEED A CHIEF WHO
LIVES HERE, VALUES OUR CITY. YOU
CAN'T RUN A POLICE DEPARTMENT
VIA ZOOM BARNS, ESPECIALLY, HAS
NO RIGHT TO FEEL UPSET WHEN A
REPORTER ASKED HIM IF HE WAS
GOING TO BE OUT OF TOWN AGAIN
UNTIL MID-AUGUST, IF RUNNING THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT IN OUR CITY IS
TOO MUCH OF A BOTHER FOR BARNES
HE NEEDS TO TURN OVER HIS BADGE
OR THE MAYOR NEEDS TO FIRE HIM.
IT'S BAD ENOUGH. IT'S BAD
ENOUGH PROBLEM THAT MANY POLICE
OFFICERS DON'T WALK AND LIVE IN
OUR COMMUNITIES. IT'S EVEN WORSE
WHEN YOU HAVE A CHIEF WHO
DOESN'T VALUE OUR CITY. AND
SPENDS ITS TIME IN ANOTHER STATE
EVERY CHANCE HE GETS, WE NEED A
CHIEF WHO LIVES IN OUR TOWN AND
UPHOLDS OUR VALUES THANK YOU ALL
AND HAVE A GOOD DAY.
-- THANK YOU. NEXT UP, WE IS JOE
KUNZLER.
-- THANK YOU. SEATTLE PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMITTEE. JOE KUNZLER
HERE. I WANT TO GET RIGHT TO THE
POINT I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT
LAST SUNDAY NIGHT I HEARD THERE
WAS AN OFFER FOR A DRONE TO COME
ASSIST SEATTLE AND THAT OFFER OF
ASSISTANCE WAS TURNED DOWN AT
LEAST TWICE IN THE AYE ONCE
REPORTED BY SOMEBODY ELSE. THE
SECOND I HEARD ON THE LIVE RADIO
STREAM. AND I'M WONDERING WHAT
HAPPENED THERE. I THINK YOU AS A
CITY COUNCIL, SHOULD DEMAND
ANSWERS AS TO WHY THE OFFER OF A
DRONE TO FIND SUSPECTS WAS
DENIED. AND I THINK THAT THIS
CITY COUNCIL SHOULD PLEASE
SUPPORT THE USE OF DRONES IN THE
EVENT OF EMERGENCIES SUCH AS
THIS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE
MY PUBLIC COMMENTS AT AT THAT. I
OBVIOUSLY HAD GIVEN MY
CONDOLENCES TO THOSE THAT WERE
TRAUMATIZED BY THIS EVENT, AND I
WANT TO CONCLUDE BY WEDNESDAY IS
THE 16th ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN I
WAS HOME INVADED BY AN
ANTI-SEMITIC FELON AND HIS
NEPHEW AND I HAD TO FIGHT OFF
THAT ANTI-SEMITE WITH MY BARE
HANDS. AND THE ANTI-SEMITE CAME
FROM SEATTLE AND A PRISON GANG.
SO I THINK ANTI-SEMITISM PRETTY
SERIOUSLY, AND I HOPE YOU WILL
SPEAK OUT AGAINST THAT AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC
SERVICE. GOODBYE.
-- THANK YOU NEXT UP, WE HAVE
DAVID HAINES.
-- MR. HAINES.
-- HI, DAVID HAINES, DID YOU SEE
WHEN THE POLICE CHIEF LOST HIS
COOL AND TRIED TO ACT VIOLENT
AND BULLY THE. AND VERBALLY
ABUSED THE REPORTER WHEN HE
SIMPLY ASKED ABOUT WHY HE'S
ALWAYS OUT OF TOWN. IT'S A REAL
CONCERN. I THINK WE NEED A NEW
POLICE CHIEF. I THINK WE NEED TO
PURGE THE JIM CROW LAW. SOUTH
SCORING LIVED EXPERIENCE LENS
THAT SHOWS UP IN SEATTLE AND
STARTS PLAYING THE RACE CARD,
RUNNING INTERFERENCE FOR BLACK
CRIMINALS. THERE'S A PROLIFIC
AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE. AND JUST
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SHOOTING A
TON AND THEY'RE BAD SHOTS, IT
DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S MORE
SAFE BECAUSE LESS PEOPLE HAVE
DIED. AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE
FACT THAT THE HUMAN SERVICES
DEPARTMENT IS UNDERMINING PUBLIC
SAFETY. THEY WENT ON A JUNKET TO
BALTIMORE, AND TO JUSTIFY THE
PAYMENT IN THE HOTEL, THEY CAME
BACK WITH A BAD IDEA. THEY'RE
LITERALLY COPYCATTING BALTIMORE,
BALTIMORE RIGHT NOW HAS MORE
SHOOTINGS, 185 THAN THEY DID
LAST YEAR, 183. AND I THINK THEY
HAVE SOMEWHERE LIKE 57 DEATHS
THIS YEAR. BUT THEY'RE
CONSIDERING IT AN IMPROVEMENT
BECAUSE THERE WAS 81 DEATHS LAST
YEAR. BUT YET THIS IS THE SOLE
FOUNDATION OF THE MAYOR'S
APPROACH TO GUN VIOLENCE. ALL
THOSE NONPROFITS THAT WERE
CREATED DURING THE GEORGE FLOYD
PROTESTERS WHERE THEY SHOWED UP
AND SAID, WE WANT TO REIMAGINE
POLICE. WE WANT TO RUN
INTERFERENCE FOR GUN TOTING
CRIMINALS. WE WANT TO PAY
GANGSTERS TO RELOCATE. IF THEY
DON'T RETALIATE, WE HAVE THIS
ONGOING WE HAVE PEOPLE RUNNING
INTERFERENCE FOR CRIMINALS. WE
HAVE A POLICE CHIEF WHO'S
TRYING TO BLAME HIS CAPTAINS FOR
ALL THE PROBLEMS. BUT YET THE
POLICE CHIEF, THE ONLY THING
HE'S TAKEN SERIOUSLY IS HIS
$375,000 SALARY AND TRYING TO
RUN INTERFERENCE FOR BLACK
CRIMINALS THAT HE USED TO TEACH
WHEN HE WAS IN HISTORY CLASS. WE
NEED A REVOLT AGAINST THIS
COUNCIL.
-- THANK YOU.
-- NEXT UP, WE HAVE ANDREA
SUAREZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY ART
DOLLAR. THAT'S ALL OF OUR
REMOTE SPEAKERS.
-- OKAY.
-- WE GOOD? ANDREA SUAREZ FROM.
HI, I'M ANDREA SUAREZ FROM WE
ART SEATTLE. PLEASE DO NOT VOTE
ON ANYTHING TODAY. COUNCILMAN
LIN KETTLE JUAREZ. PLEASE DON'T
VOTE. VOTE NO. JUST PLEASE STOP
UNTIL YOU MEET WITH THE FOLKS
FROM BATTLEFIELD ADDICTION. FROM
WASHINGTON POLICY CENTER WHO'S
DEBUNKED THE DATA TODAY RIGHT
HERE. HE WAS FIRST TO SPEAK THAT
SAID THAT THE LEAD DATA DOES NOT
PROVE TO HAVE THE OUTCOMES THAT
I THINK YOU'VE BEEN LED TO
BELIEVE. PLEASE VOTE NO OR STOP
UNTIL YOU ALLOW US TO ALSO MEET
WITH LEAD AND UNPACK THE DATA
TOGETHER AND HAVE A CONVERSATION
WITH WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S
NOT. ON JULY 14th, I GOT A
CHANCE TO SEE THE MECHANICS OF
THE LEAD DIVERSION FOR MY OWN
EYES. I WAS EYEWITNESS TO AN 18
YEAR OLD GIRL. IMAGINE LISTENING
IN COUNCIL MAYOR'S OFFICE. ERIC
EVANS. IF YOU'RE IF YOUR 18
YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS MISSING
AND YOU'RE AT HOME AND WE HAVE
THOUSANDS OF MOMS AND DADS THAT
CALL US AND THINK, GOD, I JUST
WISH MY DAUGHTER OR SON OR LOVED
ONE WOULD CALL FROM JAIL SO I
CAN KNOW THAT THEY'RE ALIVE.
BUT IN THIS CASE, THIS 18 YEAR
OLD CAME INTO THE SOUTH
PRECINCT. I MET WITH HER. SHE
KNEW WHO I WAS. WE WERE GOING TO
EITHER GO TO VALLEY OR TO THE
KIRKLAND CRISIS CENTER. WE WERE
GOING TO TAKE HER TO LAKESIDE.
WE WERE GOING TO TAKE HER TO I
TO HUB. WE WERE GOING TO TAKE
HER TO A SAFE STATE. THE MORE WE
LOVE. WE HAD IT ALL FIGURED OUT,
BUT THE. THE OFFICER SAID, BUT
WE'VE GOT TO DO THAT LEAD
PROTOCOL THING FIRST. THE LEAD
INTAKE CAME IN AND SAID, WHAT'S
YOUR NAME? WHAT'S YOUR RACE?
WHAT'S YOUR AGE? BOOM BOOM,
BOOM. THREE QUESTIONS. SIGN
HERE. CHARGE IS DROPPED RIGHT
THERE AT MIDNIGHT. THAT LITTLE
GIRL GRABBED HER BACKPACK AND
BOLTED. SHE'S NOW BACK WITH HER
BOYFRIEND TWICE HER AGE. BACK ON
RAINIER AVENUE SOUTH IN DISTRICT
TWO, SMOKING FENTANYL. AND EVEN
IF SHE WAS TO SHOW UP AT HER
APPOINTMENT WITH HER PAPER THREE
DAYS LATER, SHE'S STILL HIGH AS
A KITE AND EXPECTED TO HAVE THE
FACULTIES TO KNOW WHAT HER BEST
PLAN IS. THE LEAD PROGRAM
DOESN'T WORK, AND THEY'VE BEEN
OUR GOLD STANDARD FOR TEN YEARS,
AND WE'VE LOST 20,000 PEOPLE TO
DEATH BY OVERDOSE. WE'RE ASKING
YOU TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
PLEASE. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU. NEXT UP, WE HAVE
ART DOLLAR.
-- ART, DARLING, BATTLEFIELD
ADDICTION. I BROUGHT MY EVIDENCE
HERE TODAY. WHEN? WHEN WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT THIS WORD
ACCOUNTABILITY, THAT SOMEONE HAS
SOMEHOW HAS BECOME SOME NEGATIVE
WORD OR SOME HURTFUL WORD. WHEN
WE SPEAK OF ACCOUNTABILITY WITH
EACH OTHER, WE'RE NOT TALKING
ABOUT PUNISHMENT. WE'RE ACTUALLY
TALKING ABOUT HOLDING EACH OTHER
TO A HIGHER STANDARD. SO THE WAY
OUR PROGRAMS WORK IS, IS YOU
GUYS STAND UP, PLEASE. SO WHAT
WE'RE GOING TO DO TODAY IS A
PROGRAM IS WE ARE GOING TO HOLD
EACH OTHER TO A HIGHER STANDARD.
WHAT IS THE STANDARD OF BEHAVIOR
THAT WE ALL CONDUCT OURSELVES
WITH? IS THERE ANY STANDARD
ANYMORE THAT PEOPLE MUST? IS IT
A BAD THING TO ASK SOMEBODY TO
BE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD?
WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR
PUNISHMENT. NOBODY HERE WAS
PUNISHMENT. I GOT GUYS THAT ARE
HAVE AN ANKLE BRACELET ON FROM
CITY OF SEATTLE THAT SAVED HIS
LIFE. THANK GOD HE WAS ARRESTED
BECAUSE HE'S IN OUR PROGRAM NOW
AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM HIM. THANK
GOD FOR ALL OF YOU THAT WERE
ARRESTED AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON
WAS BROUGHT TO US THROUGH
ACCOUNTABILITY. IT WASN'T THEIR
CHOICE. THEY DIDN'T JUST DECIDE
ONE DAY TO WAKE UP AND GO, YOU
KNOW WHAT? TODAY I'M GOING TO
STOP DOING DRUGS. SOMEBODY ASKED
THEM TO TO BE COMMITTED TO A
HIGHER STANDARD OF LIVING. AND
THEY'RE EITHER DOING IT FOR
THEIR FAMILY. THEY'RE DOING IT
FOR THE LAW. THEY'RE DOING IT
FOR THEIR PROBATION OFFICER,
SOMEBODY WHO ASKED MORE OF THEM.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
ACCOUNTABILITY, IT IS NOT A
NEGATIVE WORD IN OUR VOCABULARY.
IT IS A WORD THAT ACTUALLY MEANS
SOMETHING TO US. IT MEANS, HEY,
LOOK OUT FOR YOUR BROTHER AND
HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE TODAY FOR A
HIGHER STANDARD OF LIVING AND
REQUIRE MORE OF HIM, ESPECIALLY
WHEN PEOPLE DON'T WANT IT FOR
THEMSELVES. THIS MYTH OUT THERE
THAT SOMEONE'S GOT TO WANT IT
FOR THEMSELVES. NOBODY WANTS IT
FOR THEMSELVES. PEOPLE.
ACTUALLY, WHAT HAPPENS IS
SOMEBODY REQUIRES MORE OF YOU.
AND ALONG THE WAY, YOU START
WANTING IT FOR YOURSELF. WE HAVE
PEOPLE THAT WENT TO JAIL,
DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO JAIL,
DIDN'T WANT TO GET SOBER, BUT
NOW THEY WANT IT. SO IT'S NOT
ABOUT PUNISHMENT. IT'S ABOUT
HOLDING. WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE
GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER.
PROTECT BUSINESS, PROTECT OUR
OUR CITIZENS. THESE GUYS WILL
GET BETTER. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU NOAH. THANK YOU.
-- MY NAME IS NOAH LAGER. I'M
CURRENTLY IN BATTLEFIELD
ADDICTION PROGRAM. TO BE FRANK,
THE ONLY WAY I FOUND SUCCESS WAS
THROUGH BEING ARRESTED. NOT
BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO, BUT
BECAUSE ADDICTION HELD ME BACK.
I WAS OFFERED LEAD FIVE YEARS
AGO. I WAS LET GO THAT NIGHT,
DID NOT SHOW UP FOR THE PROGRAM.
CHARGES WERE EVENTUALLY DROPPED.
AS IT NOW IS NOT A WORKABLE
PROGRAM WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY
AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE
PERSON, THE PROGRAM IS THE ONLY
WAY TO SUCCESS.
-- THANK YOU, THANK YOU. PLEASE
DO SNAPS OR JAZZ HANDS
-- NEXT UP WE HAVE PETER. OR TO
BE FOLLOWED BY HANNAH ZIFF.
-- GOOD MORNING COUNCIL. THANK
YOU FOR HAVING ME. I'M PETER OR
A RESIDENT OF THE NORTH AURORA
NEIGHBORHOOD. I'M HERE TO
REPRESENT NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE
ALONG AURORA AVENUE NORTH WITH
AN UPDATE ON OUR EXPERIENCE
THERE. THE BARRIERS THAT WERE
PUT IN PLACE AT SEVERAL
RESIDENTIAL INTERSECTIONS HAVE
BEEN WORKING AS INTENDED TO
PROTECT RESIDENTS HOMES FROM
DRIVE BY SHOOTINGS CONNECTED TO
THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ALONG
AURORA. HOWEVER, AS PREDICTED,
THESE MEASURES SIMPLY MOVE THE
PROBLEM, AS EVIDENCED BY THE
SHOOTING AT NORTH 96th STREET ON
JULY 23rd. OUR SECURITY CAMERA
NETWORK HAS CAPTURED AN
INCREASED VOLUME OF PROSTITUTION
SOLICITATION AT NORTH 97th
STREET, EAST AND WEST AND NORTH,
109th STREET, ALSO, SITES OF
DOCUMENTED SHOOTINGS. THIS
ACTIVITY REGULARLY INVOLVES
VIOLENCE, INCLUDING PHYSICAL
BEATINGS BETWEEN YOUNG WOMEN AND
PIMPS, RECORDING THEM WITH
NEARBY NEIGHBORS WAKING TO THEIR
SCREAMS. THE JUNE 30th REVIEW BY
SEATTLE'S OFFICE OF INSPECTOR
GENERAL OF THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT FOUND THAT OUT OF 40
SELLER CONTACT CASES, 37% WERE
MINORS. LET US NOT FORGET THAT
THE MOMENT A TRAFFICKED
INDIVIDUAL TURNS 18, THEY ARE NO
LONGER A MINOR AND THE CRIME IS
A MISDEMEANOR. THE PROSTITUTION
ON AVENUE NORTH IS UNDENIABLY A
HUMAN TRAFFICKING ISSUE. FULL
STOP. THIS ACTIVITY FOLLOWS A
PREDICTABLE PATTERN NIGHT AFTER
NIGHT AND FREQUENTLY DURING THE
DAY, NEIGHBORS GROW WEARY AND
DISILLUSIONED ABOUT CALLING 911
BECAUSE WHEN THEY DO, OUR
FOOTAGE SHOWS SPD OFFICERS
TYPICALLY SHOW UP FOR A MOMENT,
OFTEN STAY IN THEIR VEHICLE, AND
DRIVE AWAY A MOMENT LATER, AT AN
SPD PRESS CONFERENCE LAST WEEK,
ANDRE SALES, POLICE DEPUTY CHIEF
OF ADMINISTRATION AND
INVESTIGATIONS, SAID CRIME IS
MOBILE. WE DON'T WANT OUR
OFFICERS TO BE STATIONARY. IN
THE CASE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON
AURORA AVENUE NORTH, I DISAGREE.
TWO MOBILE PATROLS ARE GOING TO
MISS THE ACTIVITY AT A HANDFUL
OF HOTSPOTS. I CONTINUE TO
ADVOCATE FOR SATELLITE PRECINCT
ON 97th AND AURORA. I ADVOCATE
FOR TASK FORCE DEDICATED TO
AURORA AVENUE NORTH HUMAN
TRAFFICKING. I ADVOCATE FOR
FUNDING FOR A DEDICATED
PROSECUTOR ON CITY ATTORNEY
EVANS TEAM FOR STATE AID TO HELP
STABILIZE OUR POLICE FORCE.
-- AND.
-- FOR FUNDING OF 24/7 RECOVERY
SERVICES FOR TRAFFICKED
SURVIVORS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME.
-- THANK YOU.
-- WE HAVE HANNAH ZIFF.
-- HI. MY NAME IS HANNAH. I'M
FROM PIONEER SQUARE. I WANT TO
TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THAT
WE'RE ON NATIVE LAND SO
YESTERDAY WE TALKED ABOUT THE
SHOOTINGS AND IT WAS TALKED
ABOUT A LOT IN TERMS OF HEALTH.
AND TODAY THE MEETING'S ABOUT
SAFETY. AND I WAS KIND OF
THINKING IN BROAD STROKES,
THERE'S THE HEALTH AND SAFETY
DIVISION OF OUR FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT. AND THEN UNDER THAT
IS HOUSING AND URBAN
DEVELOPMENT. AND THERE'S A
REASON THAT'S FEDERAL BECAUSE
THE SECURITY OF OUR COMMUNITY IS
ALSO THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION.
THERE ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME
COIN. SO JUST TO GET GRANULAR,
THE WATERFRONT PARK SHOWED THE
VALUES OF OUR CITY PRETTY WELL
THAT WE WANT TO HAVE A
RECIPROCITY OF INVESTMENT
BETWEEN THE CITIZENS AND THE
GLOBAL ECONOMY. AND I THINK
RECENTLY, THIS SUMMER, I HEARD
THAT IF THERE'S A BUILDING
THAT'S COMPLETELY COUNTER TO
OUR VALUES, IT CAN ACTUALLY GET
TAKEN DOWN BY HOUSING AND URBAN
DEVELOPMENT. AND THE JACK ON
FIRST. I LIVE ON FIRST AND
JACKSON THE JACK ON FIRST AND
ALASKAN WAY HAS TURNED OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD INTO AN UNSAFE
SITUATION ON THAT CORNER. SO
HERE'S MY HOME AND THEN YOU CAN
SEE IT. IT'S A BRICK WALL. AND
THEN THERE'S THE WATERFRONT
PARK. SO I KNOW TWO RESIDENTS. I
DIDN'T TAKE A POLL OR ANYTHING,
SO THERE COULD BE MORE TO
RESIDENTS WHO OWN IN OUR
BUILDING MOVED BECAUSE THEY USED
TO LOOK OUT. AND IT USED TO BE A
1930s PARKING GARAGE, WHICH WAS
MIXED USE. AND NOW IT'S JUST A
BRICK WALL. THERE USED TO BE
PEOPLE WALKING THERE. NOW
THERE'S ASSAULTS THERE. OKAY.
AND PEOPLE ARE SMASHING THE
BUILDING OF THE JACK BECAUSE
IT'S CREATED A BAD VIBE IN OUR
COMMUNITY. PEOPLE ARE SPRAY
PAINTING MY BUILDING AND I WANT
TO TAKE DOWN THE JACK. I WANT
GOOD INVESTMENTS, NOT GREEDY
-- THANK YOU
-- NEXT UP IS ASHLEY, TO BE
FOLLOWED BY CRAIG THOMPSON
-- HI EVERYONE. AND I KNOW THIS
IS A HARD WEEK FOR EVERYONE IN
SEATTLE, SO THANK YOU
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE FOR YOUR
WORDS UP TOP. A LITTLE OVER TWO
MONTHS AGO WE PRESENTED ON LEAD
OUTCOMES. SINCE THE PUBLIC USE
ORDINANCE, AND THE DATA SHOWED
THAT CLIENT OUTCOMES IMPROVED
WITH EXPOSURE TO LONG TERM CASE
MANAGEMENT. THIS MIRRORS THE
MANY EVALUATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
DONE ON LEAD OVER THE YEARS, AND
THIS CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE
MOST RIGOROUSLY EVALUATED
DIVERSION PROGRAMS IN THE REGION
TODAY. YOU HEARD FROM JUSTIN AND
DEVIN TWO WEEKS AGO. YOU HEARD
FROM MORE LEAD PARTICIPANTS AND
GRADUATES. AND THESE ARE THE
PEOPLE WHO FEEL THE IMPACT OF
THIS PROGRAM MOST ACUTELY. AND
WHO HUMANIZE THE DATA IN THOSE
REPORTS. THESE ARE PEOPLE
ACTIVELY RECOVERING, REPAIRING
THEIR RELATIONSHIPS AND
REUNITING WITH THEIR FAMILIES
AND COMMUNITIES. IN PARTICULAR,
WHEN I MEET WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE
THEIR KIDS IN OUR ZOOM CALLS, I
SEE HOW IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL
OUR PROGRAM IS. I, I DIDN'T
BENEFIT FROM HAVING A DAD IN
PRISON. I DON'T THINK ANYONE
DOES. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS
LEGISLATION, WHICH CONTINUES TO
BUILD A MUCH NEEDED COORDINATION
SYSTEM BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND LEAD.
-- THANK YOU
-- LAST PUBLIC COMMENT. CRAIG
THOMPSON.
-- HI, MY NAME IS CRAIG
THOMPSON. I LIVE ON NORTH BEACON
HILL. THREE MONTHS AGO WE HAD A
VERY LARGE MEETING FOR PUBLIC
SAFETY CONCERNS IN MY
NEIGHBORHOOD.
-- CAN YOU SPEAK CLOSER TO THE
MIC, PLEASE?
-- WE'RE NOW THREE MONTHS BEHIND
WHERE WE SHOULD BE. THERE'S
BEEN LITTLE OFFICIAL FOLLOW
THROUGH. PEOPLE ARE CALLED BY
SOME BY SOME PEOPLE IN
GOVERNMENT. WE RESPOND. NO
ANSWERS COME. THERE NEEDS TO BE
A REAL SENSE OF COMMUNICATION,
BUT ALSO THERE NEEDS TO BE
COORDINATION. I KNOW FROM THE
WORK THAT I DID WITH THE NICHOLS
AND MCGINN ADMINISTRATIONS THAT
A SINGLE POINT OF PROGRAM
MANAGEMENT IS NEEDED TO HAVE A
LARGE PUBLIC SAFETY AND SOCIAL
OUTREACH PROGRAM, WORK. TODAY.
WE HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL
NEIGHBORHOODS. SO IT'S NOT JUST
MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND LITTLE
SAIGON AND THE JUNGLE. IT'S THE
DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR. IT'S
BELLTOWN, AND IT'S NORTH SEATTLE
ALONG AURORA. WE NEED TO HAVE
INDIVIDUAL POINTS OF REFERENCE
FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES WHO ARE
ACCOUNTABLE NOT ONLY TO THIS
COUNCIL, BUT THE BUREAUCRACY AS
A WHOLE. AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
IT IS. THAT MODEL HAS WORKED IN
THE PAST. THAT MODEL IS WHAT
WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN. BUT THE
TIME TO STUDY SOLUTIONS HAS TO
COME TO AN END, AND WE NEED TO
BEGIN IMPLEMENTING THESE
PROGRAMS WITH SINGLE POINT
MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY TO HAVE
ACCOUNTABILITY TO CHANGE WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU OKAY. WE HAVE NO
ADDITIONAL REGISTERED SPEAKERS,
AND WE'LL PROCEED TO OUR ITEMS
OF BUSINESS. THE 60 MINUTE. THE
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD HAS
EXPIRED. I WANT TO THANK
EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. FOR
THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
SPEAKING IN TERMS OF THEIR
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, WHETHER
WITH ADDICTION OR WITH THEIR
NEIGHBORHOODS, I'M REALLY HAPPY
TO HAVE BELLTOWN DOWNTOWN, THIRD
PIKE AND NORTH AURORA, PIONEER
SQUARE LITTLE SAIGON. THESE
NEIGHBORHOODS BEING REPRESENTED
TODAY AND HAVING THEIR VOICE
HEARD VERY IMPORTANT POINTS WERE
MADE AS A BIT OF A TRANSITION TO
THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS. THE
IDEA OF 24 HOURS, YOU KNOW, I
THINK OF SAN FRANCISCO'S RESET
CENTER, RAPID ENFORCEMENT
SUPPORT, EVALUATION AND TRIAGE,
WHICH COULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO
SOME OF THE THE POINTS THAT WERE
MADE TODAY OR MY OWN EXPERIENCE
IN NORTH PRECINCT, WHERE THERE
WAS A WOMAN, YOU KNOW, AND THE
THOSE THAT WERE ORGANIZATIONS
WOULD NOT BE THERE DURING SECOND
AND THIRD WATCH. IT'S CLEAR THAT
WE HAVE TO HAVE COVERAGE IN
SECOND AND THIRD WATCH. I REALLY
HAPPY THAT DEVIN WAS HERE. KEY
WORD IS HOPE. WE ALWAYS HAVE TO
REMEMBER THAT AND HOW TO PROVIDE
THAT. I JUST WANTED TO NOTE TO
MR. KUNSTLER, TALKED ABOUT THIS,
REPORTS ABOUT DRONES. AS I SAID
AT THE BEGINNING, I WAS ON ON
SCENE THERE AT THE COMMAND
CENTER, ON SEATTLE CENTER, AND
WHEN THE KING COUNTY SHERIFF WAS
THERE, WE DO NOT HAVE DRONES IN
OUR CITY. WITH THE SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT, THERE IS A
PILOT WITH A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
BUT. SO OUR DRONE COVERAGE, LIKE
DURING FIFA WORLD CUP, WAS
COVERED BY KING COUNTY SHERIFF
TO INCLUDE COUNTER DRONES WORK
AS WELL. AND BUT I JUST WANTED
TO NOTE KING COUNTY SHERIFF WAS
ON STATION SUNDAY NIGHT AND I
ACTUALLY SAW A DRONE MYSELF. SO
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THOSE REPORTS
ARE COMING FROM. I PHYSICALLY
SAW A DRONE. I RECOGNIZE TO THE
POINT REGARDING THE CHALLENGES
OF DIVERSION, GOLD STANDARD AND
ALL THAT TALK. WELL, RECOGNIZING
THOSE CHALLENGES, WHY WE'RE HERE
TODAY. THIS IS WHY WE'RE
UPDATING THIS BILL. THIS IS THE
REASON WHY THIS COMMITTEE GOT
THE PDA, THE PURPOSE AND DIGNITY
IN ACTION CONTRACT SHIFTED FROM
FROM HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
TO THE CARE DEPARTMENT. SO NOW
IT FALLS UNDER OUR COMMITTEE.
THIS IS A STEP BY STEP PROCESS.
IT'S NOT BY ACCIDENT. AND IT
KIND OF GOES TO THE IDEA THAT WE
SHOULD BE ALWAYS STRIVING FOR
THAT GOLD STANDARD AND TO
CONSTANTLY BE LOOKING TO IMPROVE
IT, AND TO INCLUDE SOME OF THE
POINTS THAT THAT I NOTED
ALREADY. AND ONE LAST THING I'LL
SAY TOO, BECAUSE I SAID IT
YESTERDAY IN INTERVIEWS THAT I
HAD, I DO SUPPORT CHIEF BARNES.
I THINK CHIEF BARNES IS A GREAT
POLICE CHIEF FOR OUR CITY AND
FOR THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF OUR
CITY. AND THE FACT THAT HE WAS
IN TEXAS SUPPORTING TWO PEOPLE
FROM COMMUNITY, GETTING AWARDS
FROM A NATIONAL BLACK LAW
ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATION GROUP
SHOWS HIS LEADERSHIP. SO I
RECOGNIZE THAT AS A TOPIC TODAY.
BUT AS CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY, I
DO SUPPORT CHIEF BARNES, AND
I'VE SAID SO IN INTERVIEWS
TODAY. AND NO DOUBT IN THE
INTERVIEWS I HAVE THIS
AFTERNOON, I'LL BE SAYING THE
SAME THING AGAIN. SO THANK YOU
FOR EVERYONE FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
I LISTEN AND I WROTE DOWN
STARRED MANY TO TO INCLUDE
DEVIN, JULIA, JOE AND OTHERS AS
WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE
COMMENTS AND REMEMBER, THE
PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO EITHER
SUBMIT WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT ON
THE SIGN UP CARDS AVAILABLE AT
THE PODIUM, OR EMAIL US AT
COUNCIL@SEATTLE.GOV. RECOMMEND
USING YOUR OWN PERSONAL ONE, NOT
SOME OF THESE AGGREGATOR GROUPS.
OKAY, WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR
FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS. WILL THE
CLERK PLEASE READ AGENDA ITEM
ONE INTO THE RECORD.
-- COUNCIL BILL ONE, TWO, 1248.
AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES. UPDATING
CITY POLICY FOR THE ENFORCEMENT
OF CRIMES OF THE CRIMES OF
KNOWING POSSESSION AND THE USE
OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.
AMENDING SECTION 3.28.14, ONE OF
THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE AND
REPEALING SECTION FOUR OF
ORDINANCE 126896.
-- I'D LIKE TO INVITE MR. DOSS
FROM CENTRAL STAFF TO COME UP,
BUT NOT JUST HIM. I WOULD LIKE
TO ALSO INVITE CAPTAIN GARTH
GREEN FROM WEST PRECINCT AND
MISS SMITH FROM SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT. ASSISTANT CHIEF
BROWN, YOU'RE ALSO WELCOME TO
JOIN. AND LASTLY FROM PDA, MR.
WOLF. SAM WOLF, PLEASE JOIN US.
COLLEAGUES, WE'RE GOING TO GO
INTO DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE
BILL FROM THE PDA PERSPECTIVE,
SPD AND SO FORTH. BUT AHEAD OF
THAT, I DO WANT TO LOOK TO MOVE
THIS BILL. SO I WANTED TO SAY I
MOVED TO RECOMMEND PASSAGE OF
COUNCIL BILL ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO,
FOUR, EIGHT. IS THERE A SECOND.
-- SECOND, SECOND?
-- IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED TO
RECOMMEND PASSAGE OF THE BILL.
SO WE'LL START A DISCUSSION OF
THE BILL OVERALL, AND THEN WE'LL
GO INTO OUR THREE AMENDMENTS.
OKAY. MR. DOSS, CAN YOU JUST DO
A QUICK UPDATE ON THE BILL AND
PROBABLY SAVE MOST OF YOUR
ADDRESSING TO THE AMENDMENTS IN
MORE DETAIL. BUT SINCE YOU SPOKE
TO IT LAST TIME, LIKE JUST A
QUICK REFRESHER AND THEN WE'LL
JUST WORK OURSELVES DOWN THE
LINE FROM YOU, MR. WOLF. AND
THEN SPD.
-- THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. FOR THE
RECORD, GREG DOSS COUNCIL
CENTRAL STAFF, WE'LL BE
DISCUSSING TODAY COUNCIL BILL
ONE TWO, ONE, TWO, FOUR, EIGHT
AND THREE POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS
TO THE BILL. AND I WILL SAVE
FURTHER EXPLANATION FOR LATER.
-- THANK YOU
-- YES.
-- HELLO, COUNCIL. SAM WOLF WITH
PURPOSE. DIGNITY, ACTION. MY
ROLE AS THE SEATTLE KING COUNTY
POLICY DIRECTOR. THANKS FOR
HAVING ME.
-- THANK YOU
-- I'M MARK GERSTEIN, I'M THE
WEST PRECINCT CAPTAIN.
-- HELLO, I'M SARAH SMITH,
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT CHIEF
OPERATING OFFICER. AND I HELP
WITH OUR LEGISLATION.
-- THANK YOU.
-- I AM ROB BROWN. I'M THE CHIEF
OF PATROL OPERATIONS FOR SEATTLE
POLICE.
-- THANK YOU, CHIEF BROWN. OKAY,
WHY DON'T WE START? SINCE WE
KIND OF CAME THIS WAY, LET'S
START WITH PDA AND SPEAK TO THE
BILL. SPEAK TO THE ISSUES AS YOU
SEE IT FROM PDA. AND REALLY, YOU
KNOW, LOOK TO ADDRESS ALSO ANY
POINTS THAT WERE MADE DURING
PUBLIC COMMENT THAT COULD BE
HELPFUL TO AND COLLEAGUES, WE'LL
DO THE PDA PIECE FIRST. AND THEN
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS RELATED
TO PDA, WE'LL START THERE MR.
WOLF.
-- OKAY. WELL, I MEAN, I THINK
IN A BROAD SENSE, ECHOING SOME
OF WHAT SOME OF THE PUBLIC
COMMENTS SAID, JUST THAT, YOU
KNOW, SUPPORTING THIS BILL AS I
THINK A MUCH NEEDED, LIKE
CONTINUED CONSTRUCTION OF THE
COORDINATION BETWEEN SPD LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND DIVERSION
SERVICES. YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED
A FEW TIMES ABOUT LEAD THIS YEAR
IN COUNCIL. AND I THINK ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT I'VE HOPED HAS
COME ACROSS IS JUST THE THE WAY
THAT THIS MODEL FOR CASE
MANAGEMENT IS CRITICAL FOR
INDIVIDUALS TO, YOU KNOW, FIND A
PATH TO STABILITY, WHATEVER
THEIR NEEDS ARE. THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT CAN MEET A WIDE
VARIETY OF INDIVIDUAL NEEDS.
WORK WITH THEM. AND WE DID SEE
AGAIN IN OUR APRIL PRESENTATION,
A STRONG CORRELATION BETWEEN
EXPOSURE TO LONG TERM CASE
MANAGEMENT AND RECOVERY AND
OTHER OUTCOMES. THAT IS, OF
COURSE, NOT THE ENTIRE PICTURE
OF PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES IN OUR
CITY. SO GRATEFUL TO THE WORK
BEING DONE HERE TO BUILD THAT
COORDINATION BETWEEN LAW
ENFORCEMENT, WHO'S DOING
ANOTHER VERY CRITICAL PIECE OF
THAT WORK. YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE
EXAMPLE BEING IN THE THE PROJECT
HAPPENING IN LITTLE SAIGON RIGHT
NOW, KIND OF TWO SIDES OF THE
SAME COIN, CARE FOR A PLACE AND
CARE FOR A PERSON. AND WHEN WE
ARE ABLE TO BUILD THESE TWO
SYSTEMS TO BE HIGHLY INTEGRATED,
WE CAN SEE THOSE WORK HAND IN
HAND. SO YEAH, HAPPY TO ANSWER
ANY QUESTIONS BUT I GUESS WE'LL
PASS IT TO.
-- WELL, ACTUALLY WE'LL START
WE'LL LEAVE CARE FOR PLACE AND
CARE FOR PERSON.
-- SORRY, COULD YOU SAY THAT
AGAIN?
-- CARE FOR PLACE AND CARE FOR A
PERSON? YEAH. IT'S ALMOST LIKE
LOOK OUT FOR OUR NEIGHBORS AND
ALSO IN CRISIS AND OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS IN CRISIS. AND,
AND JUST FOR CLARITY, BECAUSE
ALL THESE PROJECTS SEEM TO HAVE
MULTIPLE NAMES, THIS IS ALSO THE
COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS PROJECT, IN
PART.
-- LEAD IS, IS SUPPORTING THE
COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS PROJECT, THE
COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS PROJECT IS A
LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY
FOCUSED ON PEOPLE EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS, WHICH IS OF COURSE
HAS A HUGE OVERLAP WITH OUR
POPULATION. BUT THE WORK THAT
LEAD DOES WITH SPD IS VERY
DIRECTLY. PEOPLE WHO HAVE
CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM EXPOSURE,
INVOLVEMENT STEMMING FROM
EXTREME POVERTY OR UNADDRESSED
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES,
EXTREMELY HIGH CORRELATION OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED. WHEN
REFERRED TO LEAD NOT A
REQUIREMENT. OUR GOAL IS
BASICALLY TO WORK WITH FOLKS
THAT ARE REPEATEDLY COMING UP ON
SBS'S RADAR, WHO ARE GENERATING
911 CALLS, AGAIN STEMMING FROM
EXTREME POVERTY OR UNADDRESSED
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS. AND
WORKING WITH THOSE FOLKS TOWARDS
BEHAVIOR CHANGE.
-- OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. I
USUALLY START WITH MY VICE
CHAIR, BUT THE CARE FOR PLACE
CARE FOR PERSON CAUGHT MY
ATTENTION. SO I GO TO MY VICE
CHAIR. NOW, VICE CHAIR SAKA.
-- THANK YOU, THANK YOU, CHAIR,
NO QUESTIONS. COMMENTS AT THIS
TIME.
-- APPRECIATE IT. OKAY.
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ.
-- THANK YOU, MR. WOLF. YOU
HEARD PUBLIC COMMENT HERE TODAY.
WE'VE HEARD THIS FOR A WHILE.
I'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 2015 AND
THE CREATION OF NOT ONLY OUR
ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY
PARTNERS, BUT THE ISSUE OF, OF
LEAD AND COLEAD AND STARTED OUT
AS THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE,
WHICH I USED TO BE A PART OF. SO
HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND TO WHAT
ANDREA SUAREZ SAID?
-- YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK WHAT
ANDREA SUAREZ IDENTIFIED IN HER
PUBLIC COMMENT WAS A PRETTY
IRREGULAR SITUATION. IT WAS NOT
A IT WAS NOT A TYPICAL HANDLING
OF A DIVERSION SITUATION.
WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MANY
DETAILS OF THE PERSON. BUT I
MEAN, OUR RESPONSE FOR THAT
SITUATION IS GOING TO BE THE
SAME AS OTHER CLIENTS OF WORKING
WITH THAT PERSON TOWARDS WHAT
THEY WILL ACCEPT IN THE MOMENT
INCLUDING RESOURCES THAT I THINK
SHE BROUGHT HERE TODAY. THOSE
ARE ALL ON THE TABLE. OUR GOAL
IS TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH
THAT PERSON, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
THEIR NEEDS ARE, TO CREATE AN
INDIVIDUALIZED PLAN FOR THEM.
THAT PLAN, YOU KNOW, MAY END UP
GOING TO SOME OF THE OTHER
PUBLIC COMMENTERS. IF, YOU KNOW,
IF BATTLEFIELD ADDICTION IS
SOMETHING THAT THAT PERSON FINDS
APPROPRIATE AND WANTS TO WORK
WITH, BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY
THE OUTCOMES, WE WILL WORK WITH
THAT PERSON TOWARDS ADDRESSING
THEIR NEEDS.
-- THANK YOU.
-- COLLEAGUES. ANY QUESTIONS?
-- COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA THANK
YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU ALL FOR
BEING HERE. I THINK, TO BE
HONEST WITH YOU, PART OF THE THE
ISSUE HERE SOMETIMES IS WE'RE
JUST NOT DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB
PRESENTING THE DATA TO FOLKS. SO
I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I
LOOK AT THE QUARTERLY REPORTS
THAT LEAD IS CURRENTLY SENDING
US, WE'RE JUST NOT GETTING
ENOUGH INFORMATION ON THOSE
REPORTS TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE
990 PEOPLE ON YOUR DOCKET. I'M
GOING TO CALL IT A DOCKET. I
DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO.
APOLOGIZE FOR. THE REFERENCE,
BUT ON YOUR LIST. BUT THEN NOT
KNOWING HOW MANY OF THOSE FOLKS
ARE IN TREATMENT, HOW MANY LIKE
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH FOLKS.
AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD, WELL, YOU
KNOW, THERE ARE YOU KNOW, WE
HAVE THERE'S A CERTAIN LEVEL OF
CONFIDENTIALITY WITH INFORMATION
THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS ABLE TO
SHARE. BUT THERE IS SOMETHING
BETWEEN JUST KNOWING YOU HAVE
990 PEOPLE AND I DON'T NEED TO
KNOW FOLKS NAMES TO KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED TO THESE FOLKS AND HOW
MANY ARE IN TREATMENT. AND YOU
KNOW, WHAT EXTRA DO THEY NEED?
OR SO THERE'S A LEVEL OF A LACK
OF INFORMATION THAT WE GET THAT
YOU MAY HAVE BECAUSE YOU'RE
DOING THE WORK, BUT BUT THE
PUBLIC WRIT LARGE AND WE MIGHT
NOT KNOW. AND SO I THINK AND AS
FAR AS WE SHOULD BE HAVING
DATABASES OR MORE ROBUST
INFORMATION THAT WE CAN SHARE,
THAT REALLY SHOWS WHERE PEOPLE
ARE, WHERE THOSE 900 PEOPLE ARE
IN THE SYSTEM. AND THEN AND
ADDING TO THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S
JUST A MOMENT IN TIME, I THINK
THAT WOULD BE NOT JUST VALUABLE,
BUT CRITICAL. AND SO I'M GOING
TO CONTINUE TO BRING THIS UP
BECAUSE, SAM, YOU AND I HAVE HAD
MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS.
I'VE TALKED TO LISA ABOUT THIS.
I, I JUST AND, AND IF WE CAN'T
GET THAT INFO, PAINT, NOT
PAINTING A BETTER PICTURE
BECAUSE PAINTING A PICTURE MEANS
LIKE, WE'RE MAKING THINGS UP. I
DON'T WANT US TO BE MAKING
THINGS UP, BUT IN AS FAR AS WE
CAN GET, YOU KNOW, CRITICAL
INFORMATION OUT THERE TO REALLY
SHOW WHAT IS HAPPENING TO
INDIVIDUALS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO
GET FOLKS TO COME TO CHAMBERS OR
EMAILS, ET CETERA., TO SAY LIKE,
WHAT IS LEAD DO? HOW ARE WE
HELPING THESE INDIVIDUALS? AND I
UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DID A
PRESENTATION BEFORE IN CHAMBERS
A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT I JUST
STILL DIDN'T GET THAT LEVEL OF
INFORMATION THAT I THINK IS
NEEDED. I NEED TO KNOW, ARE
PEOPLE GETTING TREATMENT? ARE WE
ACTUALLY HELPING PEOPLE? LIKE
NOT JUST DIVERTING PEOPLE, BUT
ACTUALLY HELPING THEM? I MEAN,
DIVERTING THEM TO ACTUAL HELP
THAT THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING
THAT THEY'RE PLUGGED INTO
TREATMENT, THAT THEY HAVE
HOUSING, THAT THEY HAVE JOBS.
LIKE, I DO NOT KNOW ANY OF THIS
INFORMATION. AND SO I'M JUST
GOING TO KEEP LIFTING UP THIS
REQUEST BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S
REALLY ESSENTIAL. IT'S CRITICAL.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO
CONTINUE TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS, WE
JUST NEED THIS LEVEL OF, OF
DETAIL AND INFORMATION. AND
AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT
HAPPENING. I'M JUST SAYING WE'RE
NOT GETTING THAT LEVEL OF
INFORMATION. SO THANK YOU,
CHAIR.
-- THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER
RIVERA, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU
BEING HERE, MR. WOLF. AND LEAD,
AS YOU KNOW, I DO BELIEVE IN
DIVERSION, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT
IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS. AND
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DRIVES
THIS IS THAT AS I LOOK AT
WHAT'S HAPPENING ON OUR STREETS
AND WITH THE PUBLIC DRUG MARKETS
AND SO FORTH, AND I INTERACT
WITH POLICE OFFICERS AND SO
FORTH, THERE'S TWO MAIN ISSUES
THAT WE HAVE. ONE IS THEIR
CONFIDENCE IN THE DIVERSION
PROGRAM, AND TWO, MEDICAL
DECLINES AND THEIR LACK OF
CONFIDENCE IN KCJ HEALTH. SO
THESE ARE THE REASONS WHY I'M
TACKLING THIS. YOU KNOW, IN
TERMS OF OUR ROLE AS OVERSIGHT
AND THE COMMUNITY. SO WITH THE
BELIEF IN DIVERSIONS, LIKE, SO
HOW CAN WE DO THINGS BETTER? AND
FOR, FOR EVERYONE OUT THERE?
THAT'S THE REASON WHY THIS BILL
HAS A LOT OF DATA COLLECTS. WE
STARTED THIS OFF AGAIN,
NOTHING'S BY ACCIDENT IN
JANUARY, FEBRUARY WITH OIG. AND
THEY COULDN'T REALLY PRESENT ON
THEIR REVIEW BECAUSE THERE WAS
NO DATA. THEY HAD SOME
INTERVIEWS, WHICH WAS HELPFUL.
AND THAT KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES BECAUSE
AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVERYBODY
SHOULD BE GOING BE DIVERTED OR
TO JAIL. AND SOMETIMES JAIL
HELPS IN DIVERSION. YOU KNOW, AS
NOTED IN SOME OF THE PUBLIC
COMMENT. SO THESE ARE THE THE
RATIONALE AND THE PUSH THAT
WE'RE DOING FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE
WITH PDA. AND THIS IS THE
ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE THAT I DON'T THINK WAS
REALLY BEING DONE BEFORE, BUT
IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE
DONE NOW IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY
SIDE OF THINGS, BECAUSE OF THE
SEEM TO COME BACK TO THAT.
THAT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR SPD. I
GUESS, MISS SMITH, TO START, YOU
KNOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS
REGARDING THE BILL, YOU CAN JUST
YOU CAN COMMENT ON WHAT I JUST
SAID OR ANYTHING ELSE, BUT JUST
SOME INTRODUCTORY POINTS. OH,
OH, SORRY. BEFORE YOU DO THAT,
CAN COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ A QUICK
FOLLOW UP.
-- I APOLOGIZE. I HAD MY LITTLE
HAND UP. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW
IT, BUT THAT'S OKAY. THANK YOU
FOR BEING HERE AND FOR THE
INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED. I JUST
WANT THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND
THAT. AND I'M NOT I'M A BIT
SKEPTICAL OF THIS ENFIELD
DIVERSION, QUITE FRANKLY. I KNOW
THAT THERE'S IN COURT DIVERSION,
AND I KNOW THAT ONCE PEOPLE ARE
ARRESTED AND THEY'RE IN JAIL
AND THEY GET SOBER AND THEY'RE
OF THEIR RIGHT MIND. AND BEING A
FORMER JUDGE, THAT PEOPLE ARE
MORE LIKELY TO WANT TO COURT
SAYS WHEN YOU COME OUT AND
DIVERT, WHEN YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN
THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM, TO ME,
AND AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN A
WHILE. AND TO COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA'S POINT, WITHOUT SOME
DATA, I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE IS
MORE SUCCESSFUL. IF IT'S IN
COURT OR IN FIELD, I DON'T I
STILL AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH
THIS WARM HANDOFF THING, BECAUSE
I THINK THAT'S A MADE UP TERM.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT
MEANS WHEN YOU REALLY THINK
ABOUT IT, ESPECIALLY WHAT WE'VE
SEEN POST 2020. SO YOU'RE
TALKING TO SOMEBODY WHO WAS
AROUND WHERE, WHEN WE THOUGHT WE
WERE GETTING A NORTH PRECINCT IN
2015, AND THEY DID BLOCK THE
BUNKER AND THEN THEY SAID, STOP
THE SWEEPS AND DEFUND THE POLICE
AND ALL THIS STUFF THAT JUST
WENT ON. SO THE ACCUMULATION OF
ALL THAT IS WHERE WE'RE AT
TODAY. AND SO I WAS HERE WHEN WE
WHEN I WATCHED THE LEAD PROGRAM
BEGIN AND DOUBLED THEIR BUDGET,
TRIPLED THEIR BUDGET, ADDED ON
COLEAD SATELLITE OFFICES. WHEN
WE CREATED CHIEF BARDEN POSITION
AND OF COURSE, WAS THERE WHEN WE
HIRED AND WAS ON THE HIRING TEAM
FOR THE OIG, THE OFFICE OF
INSPECTOR GENERAL. SO YOU'RE
TALKING TO SOMEBODY THAT'S KIND
OF BEEN AROUND AND GETTING BACK
TO COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA POINT. I
DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE A
DASHBOARD, ANYTHING IN FRONT OF
ME THAT SAYS, HERE'S THE DATA
THAT WE USE TO SHOW THAT WHEN WE
DO DIVERSION THROUGH PDA, I'M
STILL GOING TO CALL IT PDA, NOT
WHAT YOU GUYS CALL IT. NOW THAT
TO TELL ME WHAT COMES IN AND
WHAT GOES OUT AND IF THAT'S
SUCCESSFUL, BECAUSE EVERY BUDGET
CYCLE, YOU COME BACK FOR MORE
MONEY. AND EVERY TIME WE ASK
THESE THINGS AND WE DON'T GET
THEM. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE
HEARD OVER AND OVER AND OVER,
AND I'VE SEEN IT IN MY FAMILY
AND EVERYWHERE, PARTICULARLY IN
INDIAN COUNTRY, PEOPLE WHO ARE
IN ADDICTION, IN SOBRIETY AND
FIGHT FOR THAT. SO I UNDERSTAND
THAT COMPONENT, BUT I ALSO
UNDERSTAND SOMETHING THAT I'VE
BEEN TAUGHT AND WATCHED, AND
I'M GLAD IT WAS ARTICULATED
HERE MANY TIMES. YES, YOU SHOULD
HAVE EMPATHY, BUT IT SHOULD BE
AN EQUAL PARTS ACCOUNTABILITY.
ASKING PEOPLE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE
DOESN'T MAKE YOU RACIST,
DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU DON'T
CARE. YOU'RE TELLING ME THOSE
SHOULD BE AN EQUAL PARTS
EMPATHY. YES. ACCOUNTABILITY.
YES. BECAUSE THAT'S HOW PEOPLE
WHO YOU LOVE ARE AROUND HOW THEY
GET WELL. SO I AM NOT, YOU KNOW,
MAYBE I'M NOT PROGRESSIVE
ENOUGH. I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE
I'M JUST OLD AND I'VE JUST
BEEN AROUND. SO I'M REALLY
STRUGGLING WITH THIS. ENFIELD
DIVERSION AS AN ALTERNATIVE. AND
SOMEHOW AN OFFICER IS GOING TO
BE ABLE TO DO THIS IN THAT
TRANSITION PERIOD. I JUST DON'T
KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK.
AND I'LL BE REALLY FRANK WITH
YOU, CHAIR AND I O. AND CHAIR,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHEN WE
HAD OUR MEETING ON JULY 14th.
AND WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE
BILL AND WE WENT THROUGH THE
QUESTIONS, I REALLY APPRECIATED
YOUR LEADERSHIP THERE. AND OF
COURSE, CRAIG, PROVIDING US WITH
A SUMMARY AND FISCAL NOTE AND
ALL THE MEMORANDUMS THAT WE
RECEIVED AND GOING THROUGH WHAT,
YOU KNOW, THE ENFIELD DIVERSION
MEANS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO BE
STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH YOU WITH
THAT. SO THANK YOU, CHAIR.
-- THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER
JUAREZ MR. ROFF, YOU DO HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO. WELL, WE'LL
SHIFT TO. MR. WOLF, DO YOU WANT
TO ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE.
-- TO SAY? YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK
A COUPLE OF THINGS THERE. ONE
REGARDING DATA, YOU KNOW, THE
INTENT OF OUR PRESENTATION BACK
IN APRIL. I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT
OF A LOT OF DATA WE TALKED ABOUT
IN THAT PRESENTATION, BUT
SPECIFICALLY WITH THE LEAD
CLIENT OUTCOME DATA WAS TO SHOW
A LITTLE BIT OF A HERE'S WHAT WE
CAN SEE BETWEEN THE RELATIONSHIP
OF EXPOSURE TO LONG TERM CASE
MANAGEMENT AND THOSE OUTCOMES,
WHICH AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE
INCLUDE THOSE IN OUR CONTRACT
REPORTING. BUT I THINK DON'T
HAVE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME.
BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE COHORT
THAT WAS HAD EXPOSURE TO LONG
TERM CASE MANAGEMENT FOR 24
MONTHS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRACKING
THINGS SINCE THE PUBLIC USE
ORDINANCE WAS ORIGINALLY SIGNED
INTO LAW, YOU KNOW, 70, 70% OR
SO MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS
HAPPENING TO RECOVERY SERVICES
OF A BROAD VARIETY. I KNOW YOU
HAD SOME QUESTIONS AS WELL ABOUT
WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE. WE'D BE
MORE THAN HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT
THOSE AGAIN WHAT WORKS FOR THE
PERSON IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO
CONNECT THEM TO, WHETHER THAT'S
INPATIENT OR OUTPATIENT, YOU
KNOW, METHADONE, SUBOXONE,
FIGURING OUT WHAT'S GOING TO
WORK FOR THE PERSON THAT THEY
WILL AYE VOLUNTARILY ACCEPT AND
BE, WILL BE PART OF A
SUSTAINABLE RECOVERY PLAN. WE
HOST THOSE, YOU KNOW, THE
QUARTERLY REPORT THAT WE
PUBLISH. WE'LL HOST THAT
INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE AS
WELL, BUT WOULD BE MORE THAN
HAPPY TO WORK WITH, YOU KNOW,
THE COUNCILMEMBERS ON WHAT KIND
OF DATA YOU'RE LOOKING TO SEE
AND HOW WE CAN SHOW THAT BETTER.
-- MR. DOSS.
-- YEAH, THANK YOU. IF I, IF I
MIGHT ADD, I WAS TRYING TO
DISCRETELY POINT OUT A SECTION
OF THE BILL. SO THERE IS A BILL,
A SECTION THAT, THAT SAYS THAT
ANY DIVERSION STRATEGIES IN
WHICH SPD PARTICIPATES, WHICH IS
OBVIOUSLY LEAD, MUST BE
STRUCTURED IN A WAY THAT ASSURES
THERE IS DATA COLLECTED ON
REFERRALS, PARTICIPATION IN
TREATMENT AND OUTCOMES, AND
PARTICIPANT INFORMATION, AND
THAT THAT DATA MUST BE READILY
ACCESSIBLE TO CITY DEPARTMENTS
AND POLICYMAKERS. SO THE BILL
REQUIRES THE COLLECTION OF THE
KIND OF DATA YOU'RE YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT COUNCILMEMBERS,
AND IT'S JUST A MATTER THEN OF,
OF, OF LEAD SOME OF TAKING THAT
DATA AND, AND ENSURING THAT
IT'S GETTING TO YOU IN THE
RIGHT FORM.
-- WHERE.
-- WHERE IS THAT IN THE.
-- SECTION THAT IS IN SECTION
ONE, IT'S SUBPART FOUR OF OF J
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. IT'S ON
PAGE SHOULD BE ON PAGE FIVE.
-- AND THIS THIS IS A CLEAR
LESSONS LEARNED THAT'S BEING
INCORPORATED HERE. AND I
APPRECIATE THE POINTS RAISED BY
MY COLLEAGUES TO MY LEFT. AND I
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I DON'T
KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'VE BEEN ON
THE STREET WITH GROUPS TO
INCLUDE LEAD REPRESENTATIVES,
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND
OF ENGAGEMENT, ENGAGEMENT HERE
IN OUR OFFICES WOULD BE HELPFUL
AS WELL. IN ADDITION TO SHOWING
UP IN CHAMBERS, COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA.
-- THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK
CHAIR, FOR YOUR. YOU KNOW, DUE
DILIGENCE ON THIS. AND I KNOW
THAT YOU CARE ABOUT THE THE
CHAIR RIVERA DUE DILIGENCE. YOU
CARE ABOUT THE DATA AS MUCH AS
AS COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ. AND I
MAINLY BECAUSE WE DO SUPPORT
PEOPLE AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET
BETTER. AND SOMEONE SAID THAT IN
CHAMBERS, MANY PEOPLE SAID THAT
IN CHAMBERS BEAUTIFULLY IS, YOU
KNOW, WE CAN HAVE COMPASSION AND
WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITY TO. I
WILL SAY, I'D LOVE TO ALSO KNOW
HOW LEAD INTERACTS WITH OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS IN TOWN THAT ARE
ALSO PROVIDING SERVICES TO
FOLKS, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE SEE
IN CHAMBERS SOMEHOW, LIKE
THERE'S A, WE COULD DO LEAD OR
WE COULD DO THAT, OR WE COULD DO
THE OTHER THING REALLY, THERE
ARE MANY TOOLS TO HELP PEOPLE,
AND WE SHOULD. ALL OF THE
SERVICES THAT WE FUND AND EVEN
THOSE THAT WE DON'T FUND
DIRECTLY AS A CITY SHOULD BE
WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT
WE'RE WE ARE ROBUSTLY HELPING
PEOPLE. AND TO THE POINT ABOUT
THE. ABOUT 990 FOLKS THAT ARE ON
LEEDS LIST, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY
THOSE ARE THE SAME FOLKS OVER
AND OVER. SO DO WE NEED TO BE
DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT? I
KNOW YOU KNOW, I KNOW FROM
FAMILY EXPERIENCE THAT, YOU
KNOW, FOLKS NEED MULTIPLE TIMES
OF TREATMENT IN ORDER FOR, FOR,
FOR IT TO SOMETIMES WORK
SOBRIETY, TO WORK. ARE THESE THE
SAME FOLKS? AND EVEN WITH
MULTIPLE TREATMENT. POINTS ARE
THOSE FOLKS STILL NOT MANAGING
TO STAY SOBER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE
A JOB AND STAY HOUSED? IF
THAT'S THE CASE, WHAT ELSE DO
WE NEED TO BE DOING? SO I DON'T
GET THIS INFORMATION FROM WHAT
IS PRESENTED. AND I ALSO FEEL
LIKE THERE MIGHT BE SOME OTHER
THINGS OUT THERE. WE'RE NOT
TRYING THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD TO
HELP PEOPLE. I FEEL THAT WAY IN
THE GUN VIOLENCE SPACE, WHICH IS
WHY, CHAIR, AS YOU KNOW, I'M
LOOKING AT THE NATIONAL NETWORK
FOR SAFE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE
THAT IS A MODEL WE HAVEN'T
TRIED HERE THAT CAN WORK
SIMILARLY, I'D LOVE TO KNOW, IS
THERE A DIFFERENT AND ADDITIONAL
BECAUSE IT'S NOT ADDITIONAL
MODEL THAT WE CAN WORK FOR FOLKS
THAT ARE COMING THROUGH THE SAME
INDIVIDUAL MULTIPLE TIMES OR
THAT ARE PART OF THE, THE FOLKS
ON YOUR CURRENT LIST THAT JUST
CONTINUE TO BE ON. BECAUSE
REALLY THE GOAL IS THAT WE HELP
PEOPLE, THEY GET HOUSED, THEY
GET JOBS, AND THEN WE MOVE ON,
NOT MOVE ON. LIKE WE'RE NOT
HEARING, BUT THAT THEY'RE BEING
HELPED. AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO
HELP OTHERS AS WELL. BUT IF
IT'S THE SAME INDIVIDUALS OVER
AND OVER, I'VE GOT TO BELIEVE
THEN SOMETHING'S NOT WORKING
WELL. AND IT CAN'T BE AS
SIMPLISTIC AS THEY JUST NEED
MORE TREATMENT MULTIPLE TIMES.
YES, I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND THAT
IS TRUE. AND FOR THOSE
INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE THOSE
MULTIPLE TREATMENT POINTS, WHAT
WHAT ELSE CAN WE BE DOING? AND I
DON'T KNOW ANY OF THIS. SO AND
I THINK THIS HAS TO BE A PART OF
IT. AND ALSO HOW LEAD INTERACTS
WITH SOME OF THESE OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PROVIDING
SERVICES AS WELL, BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW, IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK.
THANK YOU CHAIR.
-- THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA. YEAH, I THINK SOMEWHAT,
MR. DOSS'S POINT KIND OF
ANSWERS THIS, BUT THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE
WORKED ON. OF COURSE, ANYTHING
BRIEFLY YOU WANT TO ADD TO?
-- YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO SAY I
REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND I
THINK ONE OF THE KEY DESIGN
ELEMENTS OF THIS PROGRAM IS THAT
IT'S NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE TO
OTHER APPROACHES. YOU KNOW,
THERE'S LIKE A COUPLE OF
EXAMPLES. ONE, SOMETHING LIKE
DRUG COURT MIGHT NOT WORK FOR
EVERY INDIVIDUAL. SOME LEAD
CLIENTS DO GO THROUGH DRUG COURT
AND IN MANY CASES, THEIR LEAD
CASE MANAGERS ARE A KEY PART OF
HELPING THEM MAINTAIN THAT
PROGRAM. YOU KNOW, SEPARATELY, I
THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE
TALKING ABOUT WHAT ARE LIKE THE
BIG BOTTLENECKS TO PEOPLE REALLY
GETTING BETTER. I THINK SORT OF
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS
SHELTER AND HOUSING AND THE
LIMITATIONS IN OUR SORT OF
REGIONAL STOCK FOR BOTH OF THOSE
RESOURCES. SO, YOU KNOW,
THINKING THROUGH SO LEAD CASE
MANAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, LONG TERM
CARE IN COLEAD, WHICH IS PART OF
THE, THE PART OF THE CONTRACT
THAT THE CITY SIGNED FOR 2026,
IT'S BASICALLY LEAD PLUS
LODGING, HIGH SUPPORT SHELTER.
SO, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT
THAT PLUS THE OTHER HIGH SUPPORT
SHELTERS THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
AND THE CITY ARE BRINGING ON
LINE THIS YEAR. HOPEFULLY, IT IS
A SITUATION WHERE WE SEE LEAD
CASE MANAGEMENT, WHEN PAIRED
WITH THAT, IS A WHAT THAT MEANS
IS THAT PERSON HAS A SAFE PLACE
FROM WHICH TO LIKE MAKE LIFE
PLANS. THEIR CASE MANAGER CAN
MORE CONSISTENTLY FIND THEM. AND
WE DO SEE RECOVERY AND
STABILIZATION SPEED UP VERY
RAPIDLY. SO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF
REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE RESOURCE
SITUATION IS, LEAD CASE
MANAGEMENT CAN AUGMENT THAT AND
BUILD ON IT. AGAIN, NOT MUTUALLY
EXCLUSIVE. SO WE'D LOVE TO HAVE
MORE OF THAT CONVERSATION WITH
YOU ABOUT WHAT THIS POPULATION
REALLY NEEDS AND HOW WE CAN
BUILD THAT.
-- THANK YOU. OKAY. WE'RE GOING
TO MOVE TO MISS SMITH AND WE'RE
GOING TO SHIFT TO SPD. THANK YOU
-- WELL, THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBERS AND COUNCIL.
THANK YOU SAM. THANK YOU, GREG,
FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK HERE.
I'M GOING TO BE VERY HIGH LEVEL
WITH MY COMMENTS, AND THEN I'M
GOING TO ALLOW MY COLLEAGUES TO
ACTUALLY ACTUALLY OFFER REAL
INSIGHT, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE
ONES WHO ARE DOING THE WORK ON
THE STREETS, AND THEY KNOW HOW
THIS ALL OPERATES. BUT AT A HIGH
LEVEL, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER
RIVERA, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS
IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND IT'S
ABOUT PROTECTING OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS AND MAKING SURE
THAT IT'S REALLY CLEAR WHAT OUR
GOAL IS, WHICH IS TO KEEP PEOPLE
SAFE, TO KEEP BUSINESSES SAFE
AND MAKE OUR CITY A WELCOMING
PLACE FOR ALL. AND THAT NEEDS TO
BE SOMETHING THAT DRIVES US. I
WILL SAY IT TAKES ALL THE TOOLS
NECESSARY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN
THAT IT CANNOT JUST BE LAW
ENFORCEMENT. WE HAVE TO HAVE A
WHOLE GOVERNMENT APPROACH IN
MORE TOOLS. IT'S GOING TO HELP
US ADDRESS THIS NUANCED ISSUE. I
WILL ALSO SAY, AS WE ALL KNOW,
ADDICTION IS NUANCED AND WE NEED
TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE
INITIATIVE AND STRATEGY WITH
PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
ACTUALLY ADDRESSING THAT IN THE
RIGHT WAY. WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
WE HAVE TO HAVE OTHERS THERE. SO
I JUST WANT TO GROUND US IN WHAT
OUR OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS, AND
THAT IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST THE
LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE. IT TAKES
MORE THAN JUST THE DIVERSION
SIDE. IT TAKES US COMING
TOGETHER AND WORKING TOGETHER
CHIEF BROWN.
-- THANK YOU, MISS SMITH.
-- YES, ACTUALLY, I'D LIKE TO
HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE STORIES
THAT WE HEARD EARLIER. AND
UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T REMEMBER
THE NAME OF THE GENTLEMAN, BUT I
THINK THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF
HOW LEAD CAN BE SUCCESSFUL, A
SUCCESS SUCCESS STORY. YOU HAD A
PERSON WHO MENTIONED THAT IN
2015 THEY WERE REFERRED TO LEAD,
AND THEY CONTINUED TO BE ENGAGED
BY LEAD, EVEN THOUGH IN THEIR
OWN WORDS, I BELIEVE THEY THEY
CHARACTERIZED IT AS NOT REALLY
HAVING EFFECTIVE ENGAGEMENT TO
MOVE FORWARD FROM THEMSELVES. IT
WASN'T UNTIL 2021 THAT THEY
REACHED A POINT AFTER HAVING
BEEN ARRESTED AND BOOKED INTO
JAIL, THAT LEAD ENGAGED WITH
THEM, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO THEN
USE THAT TO MOVE FORWARD AND GET
TO A BETTER PLACE, MOVING BEYOND
THEIR ADDICTION, MOVING INTO A
PLACE WHERE THEY'RE HOUSED AND
NO LONGER INVOLVED IN THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AS THEY
HAD BEEN. SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE.
AND THE LAST THING I WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT FROM THAT IS, AND I'VE
SAID THIS BEFORE HERE, BUT LEAD
IS NOT AN EITHER OR. IT'S A ONE
TIME ARREST DIVERSION FOR, YOU
KNOW, TYPICALLY FOR DRUG
POSSESSION OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT. AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, IF
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
ACCOUNTABILITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT
IS STILL THERE FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY, FOR CRIMINAL
ACTIVITY. AND IF THEY'RE
ARRESTED FOR A CRIME, THEY'RE
GOING TO BE BOOKED AS THEY WOULD
OTHERWISE. WHETHER OR NOT
THEY'RE A LEAD CLIENT. THE
DIFFERENCE IS THAT WE'RE
COMMUNICATING. WE, THE POLICE,
ARE COMMUNICATING WITH THE LEAD
COUNSELORS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEY'RE THERE TO TO MEET
WITH THEM AT THE JAIL, TO MEET
WITH THEM WHEN THEY GET RELEASED
FROM THE JAIL, AND TRY TO
PROVIDE THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT
THAT CLIENT CAN UTILIZE TO GET
TO A BETTER PLACE WHERE THEY'RE
NO LONGER ENGAGED, CRIMINALLY,
NO LONGER ENGAGED IN SUBSTANCE
ABUSE, AND HOUSED.
-- AND BECAUSE YOU GAVE US FREE
REIGN WITH MICROPHONES, I'M
GOING TO ADD TO THAT AS WELL. SO
APOLOGIES FOR THAT. BUT THINKING
THROUGH WHAT YOU JUST SAID,
CHIEF, AND SOMETHING YOU
MENTIONED, SAM, THE WORK IN
LITTLE SAIGON IS A REALLY A
GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS WORK
CAN ACTUALLY HAPPEN. SO STARTING
ON JUNE 3rd, WE HAD A TEAM OF
OFFICERS ACTIVELY PATROLLING IN
LITTLE SAIGON, WORKING TOGETHER
AND DIVERTING FOLKS TO LEAD. CAN
YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THAT? CAPTAIN GARTH GREEN,
BECAUSE I THINK IT IS A GOOD
STRATEGY THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT
TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS.
-- ABSOLUTELY. SO WHAT WE DID IS
WE DEDICATE ONE SERGEANT AND
FOUR OFFICERS TO WORK IN THAT
AREA. AND WITH THAT, WE'RE
WORKING WITH REACH, LEAD, COLEAD
TO DIVERT FOLKS THAT ARE MEET
THE DIVERSION CRITERIA AND THAT
WE BELIEVE WOULD BE GOOD
CANDIDATES FOR THE PROGRAM. NOT
EVERYBODY THAT'S ARRESTED GETS
PUT INTO LEAD, NOT EVERYBODY
THAT'S LEAD ELIGIBLE GOES TO
LEAD. THERE IS A DISCRETION BY
THE OFFICERS DONE AT THAT TIME,
BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS
WORK WITH LEAD AND THE OTHER
OUTREACH IN THAT AREA. WE'VE HAD
THEM DO RIDE ALONGS WITH US TO
KIND OF SEE WHAT WE'RE SEEING
FROM OUR SIDE, AND THEN HAVE THE
ABILITY TO CALL ON THEM, DO
IN-FIELD DIVERSION, OR MOSTLY
WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS IF WE, IN
EFFECT, AN ARREST, WE WILL TAKE
THAT PERSON BACK TO THE
PRECINCT. WE WILL USE WHAT WE
CALL THE GREEN LIGHT PHONE. WE
CALL A CASE MANAGER. AND, AND WE
DO A WARM HANDOFF TO
COUNCILMEMBERS, WHERE WE
PHYSICALLY HAND THE PERSON OVER.
WE JUST DON'T LET THEM GO AND
ASK THEM. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT
THAT IS TO TO THEM. SO THEY CAN
TAKE CUSTODY OF THAT PERSON,
TAKE THEM BACK TO THEIR OFFICE
OR SOMEWHERE ELSE, AND HAVE THAT
SPEECH AND DO THE PAPERWORK THAT
THEY NEED TO DO ON THAT END WITH
IT. WE DO SOME IN THE FIELD. A
LOT OF TIMES, IF SOMEBODY MIGHT
BE IN A WHEELCHAIR OR SOMETHING
WHERE IT'S REALLY PROHIBITIVE
FOR US TO AND INCONVENIENT FOR
THEM, FOR US TO PUT THEM IN AN
AMBULANCE, DRIVE THEM TO THE
PRECINCT AND PUT THEM IN AN
AMBULANCE TO GET THEM BACK
SOMEWHERE ELSE. WE WILL SEE IF
WE CAN MEET IN THE FIELD WITH
FOLKS AND THEN DIVERT THEM THAT
WAY. I THINK THERE IS A
MISCONCEPTION OF LEAD THAT LEAD
IS IMMEDIATE AND LEAD IS NOT
IMMEDIATE, AND I THINK MR. WOLF
WOULD SAY THE SAME THING. IT IS
PROGRESSIVE. IT TAKES TIME. SO
WHEN WE LOOK AT LEAD AND SAY,
WELL, IF SOMEBODY IS ARRESTED
AND THEY'RE DIVERTED INTO LEAD,
WE WON'T SEE THEM OUT ON THE
STREET TOMORROW. THAT'S NOT THE
CASE. IT IS A LONG TERM PROGRAM.
IT HAS FRUITFUL ENDINGS. BUT IN
THAT INTERIM, IT'S NOT GOING TO
CHANGE THAT IMMEDIATE ACTION ON
THE STREET. FOR THE MOST PEOPLE,
WE MIGHT HAVE A SELECT FEW THAT
IT DOES, BUT FOR THE MOST. SO I
THINK THAT IS A MISCONCEPTION.
SOMETIMES WITH THE PUBLIC AS
WELL, IS THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT
THE MOMENT WE ARREST THEM,
THEY'RE GONE, THEY'RE INTO
TREATMENT, THEY'RE INTO
HOUSING, AND WE'RE DONE. AND
THAT'S NOT THE PROCESS. SO.
-- THANK YOU. ALTHOUGH THAT
PRESENTS ANOTHER CHALLENGE WHEN
CONSTITUENTS SEE THE ARRESTS AND
THEN THEY SEE THAT PERSON THE
NEXT DAY. SO THERE'S SOME OF
THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE
THERE. I APPRECIATE MISS SMITH
GOING IN. SO BASICALLY WE'VE
HAD THE THE INTRODUCTION, BY THE
WAY, IT WAS DEVIN WHO WAS THE
PERSON FROM 2015. HE'S THE ONE
ALSO WHO SAID HOPE, WHICH I
REFERENCED AS WELL.
COUNCILMEMBER, I ALWAYS GO TO MY
VICE CHAIR, COUNCILMEMBER SAKA
OR OTHERWISE, I'M GOING TO.
COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
-- NO FURTHER COMMENTS.
QUESTIONS. APPRECIATE THE
CONVERSATION THOUGH. THANK YOU.
-- COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
-- THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND I JUST
WANT TO SAY THANKS TO EVERYONE
THAT SHOWED UP TO COMMENT TODAY,
INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT.
AND THANK YOU TO OUR PRESENTERS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS THIS IS A
WE'RE DEALING WITH COMPLEX
HUMAN ISSUES, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
DEALING WITH SUBSTANCE USE,
MENTAL HEALTH. AND I'M NOT SURE
THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ONE
SIZE FITS ALL EASY SOLUTIONS. I
THINK, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WERE,
WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. BUT
ONE PIECE OF THE, THE PUZZLE AND
I'LL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, A
COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO, WE HEARD
A LOT OF VERY COMPELLING
TESTIMONY FROM FROM LEAD FOLKS,
FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD PARTICIPATED
AND IT CHANGED THEIR LIVES. WE
HEARD FROM SOMEBODY TODAY WHO
SAID IT DID NOT WORK FOR HIM.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE
ARE. AND WE HEARD, YOU KNOW,
FROM A LOT OF FOLKS TODAY OR
FROM BATTLEFIELD AND THAT THAT
WAS CHANGING THEIR LIFE. AND I
THINK WE'VE SEEN SORT OF
DIFFERENT PROGRAMS WORK FOR
DIFFERENT PEOPLE. YOU HEAR FROM
PEOPLE WHO SAY, YOU KNOW, GOING
TO JAIL WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY
IMPORTANT. AND MAYBE THE BEST
THING THAT SAVED MY LIFE. AND
THEN WE HEAR STORIES FROM OTHERS
WHO, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT
ABOUT THIS CONSTITUENT WHO, WHO
HER BROTHER WAS JAILED AND, AND
LEFT JAIL WITH NO RESOURCES AND
OVERDOSED AS HE WAS RELEASED ON
A FRIDAY NIGHT, WENT RIGHT BACK
TO, YOU KNOW, BEING UNHOUSED AND
USING. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S
CERTAINLY A LOT OF STATISTICS
WHERE PEOPLE LEAVING JAIL ARE
MORE LIKELY TO DIE FROM AN
OVERDOSE. AND SO THAT
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ I, I FULLY
AGREE THAT IT IS BOTH. IT IS
EMPATHY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. AND,
YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE,
THE WORST THINGS WE CAN DO IS
NOT TO HAVE ANY ACCOUNTABILITY,
TO HAVE LOW EXPECTATIONS. I
MEAN, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
RACISM, I THINK IT IS EXTREMELY
RACIST. IF WE DO NOT HAVE
EXPECTATIONS FOR FOLKS, WE
THINK, OH, THIS IS THE BEST THAT
WE COULD, YOU KNOW, GIVING UP
HOPE. I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE
WORST THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. AND
I SO I GUESS THE QUESTION, YOU
KNOW, OFTENTIMES IS WHAT DOES
ACCOUNTABILITY LOOK LIKE? HOW DO
WE WHAT IS THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT
IS THE DATA INFORMED PROGRAM
THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, LEAN
INTO? AND SO I GUESS PART OF
THIS LONG INTRODUCTORY QUESTION
IS ABOUT OUR, OUR CRIMINAL
SYSTEM, OUR JAILS, AND WHAT ARE
THE OUTCOMES THAT WE ARE GETTING
FROM OUR JAIL SYSTEM. AND, YOU
KNOW, I THINK PART OF THE REASON
WE ARE LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVES
IS BECAUSE WE OFTENTIMES ARE NOT
GETTING GREAT OUTCOMES WHEN
PEOPLE ARE LEAVING JAIL. AND
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT. I MEAN,
I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF
THINGS THAT WE CAN DO BETTER IN
OUR CRIMINAL SYSTEM AND OUR JAIL
SYSTEM SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE
LEAVE, THEY ARE NOT RIGHT BACK
TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, OR MAYBE
WORSE OFF THAN WHEN THEY WERE
ARRESTED. AND I THINK THAT
THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN,
SORT OF THE ORIGINS OF THIS LEAD
PROGRAM STARTED WAS THAT
OFFICERS WOULD ARREST AND PEOPLE
WOULD BE RIGHT BACK TO WHERE
THEY WERE. AND, AND SO I JUST, I
WANT TO I MEAN, PERHAPS THAT'S
THE DISCUSSION OF A FUTURE
MEETING, BUT I THINK THAT
THAT'S A CRITICAL PIECE OF THE
PUZZLE AS WELL IS LIKE, HOW DO
WE GET BETTER OUTCOMES? YOU
KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE DO NEED
TO BE ARRESTED AND SOMETIMES
THEY NEED TO BE JAILED. AND BUT
LIKE, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT
THOSE OUTCOMES ARE ALSO AND I
KNOW THAT THERE'S PROGRAMS IN
PLACE TO, AS PEOPLE LEAVE JAIL
OR PRISON TO, TO TRY TO GET
THOSE BETTER OUTCOMES. BUT AS WE
TALK ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, AS WE
TALK ABOUT DATA INFORMED SORT OF
PROGRAMING, I JUST THINK THAT
THAT'S A BIG PIECE OF THE
PUZZLE THAT WE ALSO NEED TO KEEP
IN MIND.
-- THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER LIN
YES, EMPATHY. ACCOUNTABILITY. I
ALSO SAY RIGHTS AND
RESPONSIBILITY AS ONE OF OUR
PUBLIC COMMENTERS SAID, TWO
SIDES OF THE SAME COIN ON THE
ISSUE OF PEOPLE LEAVING KCJ OR
ANY OTHER JAIL. THIS IS WHERE
WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH
CARE. AND COULD THEY FILL A ROLE
BECAUSE TO THE POINT, AND I
DOUBT THIS ON THE STREET TO SOME
OF YOU WAS RELEASED, THEY HAD
NOWHERE TO GO. AND IT WAS A VERY
DIFFICULT SITUATION. AND I ALSO
HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, THE OUT OF
THIS IN YOUR QUESTION IS THE
IDEA OF THE RESET LIKE WE HAVE
IN SAN FRANCISCO. AND I
UNDERSTAND ON THE ADDICTION
SIDE, IT'S ONE THING WE
DEFINITELY NEED THAT SECOND,
THIRD WATCH TOUCH POINT WHEN IT
COMES TO THE MINORS ON NORTH
AURORA, WE CAN'T JUST SAY,
OKAY, IT'S GOING TO TAKE THIS
MANY TIMES. SO SO THAT'S MY
POINT TOO, THAT WE'RE LOOKING
AT THE DIFFERENCES, DARE I SAY
IT, BETWEEN SOAP AND SODA, FOR
EXAMPLE, COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ, I
SEE YOUR HAND UP, NEW HAND.
-- THANK YOU. FIRST.
COUNCILMEMBER LIN. THANK YOU FOR
ARTICULATING THAT POINT. I THINK
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE VIEWING
PUBLIC THAT WE DO UNDERSTAND THE
ORIGINS OF LEAD AND COLEAD AND
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE CONSENT
DECREE THAT WE ARE UNDER IN THE
UNCONSTITUTIONAL POLICING. AND
AS A FORMER PUBLIC DEFENDER, I
KNOW THAT I WANT TO THANK THE
CAPTAINS FOR BEING HERE. AND
THANK YOU, MISS SMITH, FOR BEING
HERE AS WELL. LET ME JUST MAKE A
FEW COMMENTS AND THEN I'LL LET
THIS GO. MR. CHAIR, I APPRECIATE
THAT LEAD IS A LONG TERM, A LONG
TERM PROGRAM. I DON'T EXPECT IT
TO BE A ONE TIME THING.
DIVERSION. EVERYBODY'S FINE. THE
WORLD JUST DOESN'T WORK LIKE
THAT. AS IS RECOVERY. AND PART
OF RECOVERY IS RELAPSE. AND WE
KNOW THAT. AND THAT'S JUST PART
OF THE PROGRAM. BEING A FORMER
JUDGE, YOU SEE THE SAME FOLKS IN
FRONT OF YOU. I WAS ONE OF THE
VERY FIRST JUDGES THAT DID DRUG
COURT 20 IN THE LATE 80s. I'M
DATING MYSELF HERE WHERE THEY
WEREN'T DOING DRUG COURT THEN.
AND PART OF THAT WAS RECOVERY,
RELAPSE, ACCOUNTABILITY,
TREATMENT, AND DOING THE THINGS
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THAT
THE COURT STAYED ON YOU AND YOU
HAD A SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT WAS
THERE TO HELP, TO HOLD YOU
ACCOUNTABLE. AND IT WORKED IN
FACT, JUDGE MARTINEZ WAS A JUDGE
AS WELL. AND NOW HE'S A FEDERAL
COURT JUDGE. SO I'M NOT HERE TO
SAY THAT IT SHOULD BE ONE OR THE
OTHER. I KNOW IT'S AND OR AND
REPEAT, I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I
WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT
TOO, BECAUSE I THINK THEY THINK
BECAUSE THERE'S LEAD AND COLEAD
THAT SOMEHOW THERE'S IT'S A ONE
TIME SILVER BULLET. IT'S GOING
TO WORK AND WE'RE DONE. AND I
KNOW THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND
I DO APPRECIATE THIS LONG WALK
OR THIS JOURNEY THAT YOU HAVE
THAT PDA BRINGS TO YOUR CLIENTS.
THERE'S NO DOUBT THE COMMITMENT
THAT YOU BRING TO YOUR CLIENTS
TO WALK THEM THROUGH THE SYSTEM
FROM ARREST TO JAIL TO AFTER
JAIL TO IN COURT, TO DIVERSION,
TO TREATMENT, TO ACCOUNTABILITY,
TO RELAPSE, TO BACK. THEY
VIOLATED THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR
RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN THEY WERE
SUPPOSED TO BE BACK IN
COMMUNITY. I UNDERSTAND THAT
THAT THAT CYCLE AND IT IS, IT IS
HIGH TIME THAT WHEN THE COURT
STARTED LOOKING AT, LOOK, PART
OF RECOVERY IS RELAPSE. YOU
CAN'T KEEP SMACKING PEOPLE DOWN
EVERY TIME. IT'S IT'S A
DISEASE AND WE NEED TO TREAT IT
LIKE THAT. IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE
IN A COURTROOM. SO I UNDERSTAND
THAT PIECE. AND LOOKING AT THE
WHOLE BILL. AND AGAIN, MY ONLY
SKEPTICISM IS, IS I DO WANT YOU
TO SUCCEED. I, I'M NOT HERE TO
BE A NAYSAYER. I'M HERE TO SAY,
I HOPE IT WORKS. I HOPE WE GET
THE DATA. THANK YOU, GREG, FOR
POINTING OUT WHERE IN THE BILL I
ACTUALLY KIND OF SAW THAT I
ACTUALLY NEEDED TO SEE IT AGAIN
IN IN BLACK AND WHITE. ON THE
REPORTING REQUIREMENT. SO I
THINK THAT'S WHAT COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA WAS GETTING AT AS WELL.
AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM IF
SOME OF THESE FOLKS ARE THEY'VE
COME BACK, THEY'VE BEEN COUNTED
TWICE. THEY SHOULD BE BECAUSE
SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE
SUCCESSFUL. AND IF WE CAN SAVE
MANY LIVES THROUGH THAT OR FEW
LIVES THROUGH THAT, THEN WE'VE
DONE THE RIGHT THING. THAT'S
THAT'S JUST WHERE I COME FROM,
IS AS A LEGISLATOR. SO I DON'T
WANT YOU TO LEAVE HERE THINKING
THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M ANTI LEAD
AND COLEAD, THOUGH I STILL THINK
IT SHOULD BE THE PUBLIC
DEFENDER. I STILL HAVE MY
T-SHIRT THAT SAYS THAT AND I'M
HOLDING ON TO MY HOODIE. I
SHOULD SHOW IT TO YOU. IT'S OLD
SCHOOL. YEAH. SO I WAS VERY
PROUD OF THAT AS A PUBLIC
DEFENDER FOR FIVE YEARS. I SPENT
FOUR YEARS IN FELONIES. SO I
KIND OF HAVE A FEELING OF HOW
THE SYSTEM WORKS. SO I JUST WANT
YOU TO KNOW THAT I'M HOPING THAT
THIS WORKS. AND I'M PROPOSED.
I'M I'M SUPPORTING THE CHAIR.
I KNOW THAT HE'S WORKED HARD ON
THIS, AND GREG'S DONE SOME
REALLY GOOD WORK FOR US. AND IN
ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS AND
DOING THE SUMMARY AND FISCAL
NOTE SO WE CAN COME BACK AND SEE
HOW THIS HOW THIS, HOW THIS
LOOKS OUT IN THE FIELD WITH YOUR
YOUR NEW TERM NOW IN FIELD
DIVERSION WHILE YOU'RE DOING A
WARM HANDOFF.
-- THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER.
JUAREZ. THIS WILL BE A CONTINUAL
WORK IN PROGRESS. COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA.
-- THANK YOU CHAIR, I
WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE.
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ. I DO WANT
IT TO SUCCEED. WE WANT TO HELP
PEOPLE. THAT'S THE THING. WE'RE
ALL ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT THAT.
IT'S HOW TO BEST TO DO THAT.
AND HOW DO YOU SHOW YOUR WORK?
HOW DOES LEAD SHOW ITS WORK TO
SHOW THAT IT IS WORKING? I THINK
IT'S IT'S CHALLENGING. AND
I'M JUST SUGGESTING WE NEED
MORE INFORMATION. THAT'S WHY
THERE'S MORE DATA COLLECTION IN
THE BILL TO SHOW HOW THIS REALLY
IS WORKING. AND TO THE POINT
ABOUT PEOPLE NEEDING MULTIPLE
TREATMENT MULTIPLE TIMES, I KNOW
THAT I'M OKAY WITH FOLKS. YOU
KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE
GOING TO DOUBLE COUNT FOLKS. ALL
I'M SAYING IS THAT LEVEL OF
DATA ALSO LETS US KNOW MAYBE WE
NEED TO BE DOING SOMETHING
DIFFERENT WITH THAT, WITH THAT
SUBSET OF FOLKS, IS THERE
SOMETHING EVEN ADDITIONAL WE CAN
PROVIDE THEM TO HELP SET THEM UP
FOR SUCCESS? BECAUSE AT THE END
OF THE DAY, WE WANT THESE FOLKS
TO SET UP FOR SUCCESS. SO WE
WANT THE PROGRAM TO BE SET UP
FOR SUCCESS. THERE ARE OTHER
PROGRAMS THAT ARE HELPING SET
PEOPLE UP FOR SUCCESS. LET'S
MAKE SURE WE'RE COORDINATING AND
WORKING TOGETHER, AND
ULTIMATELY, WE WANT
NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR RESIDENTS
WRIT LARGE TO BE SET UP FOR
SUCCESS. THANK YOU CHAIR.
-- THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA. OKAY, JUST TO CLOSE THIS
SECTION, A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORS IN CRISIS,
BUT WE ALSO HAVE OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS IN CRISIS. AND
THIS COMES TO THE DRUG MARKETS
THEMSELVES. WHAT CAN WE DO TO
ADDRESS THIS IN TERMS OF THE
ACTIVE DRUG MARKETS? I CAN GO,
AS YOU ALL KNOW, I KNOW WHERE
ALL THESE LOCATIONS ARE AND
IT'S CHRONIC. WHAT CAN WE DO TO
SHRINK THEM? WHAT CAN WE DO TO
ATTACK THEM? WHAT CAN WE? GOING
BACK TO MY ORIGINAL POINT, A BIG
CHALLENGE IS, YOU KNOW, FAITH IN
THE DIVERSION PROGRAM. AND ALSO
KCJ KING COUNTY JAIL. THESE
PIECES. SO WHAT CAN WE DO ON TO
ATTACK THE DRUG MARKETS THAT ARE
DESTROYING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS?
AND CAN I ADD, ADDING TO THAT
QUESTION, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU DO
THAT? I'LL SAY IT RIGHT NOW.
SODA I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO
SODA. IT'S A TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX
AND WE DON'T USE IT, WHICH IS A
PROBLEM. SO THAT'S LIKE RSTNLNN
ON ON WHEEL OF FORTUNE. I'LL
THROW THAT ONE OUT AS A GIVEN.
ANYTHING ELSE?
-- SO I WOULD SAY THE NUMBER ONE
THING THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
COMBATING THE OPEN STREET
DISORDER IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS
IS CONTINUE THE HIRING OF
SEATTLE POLICE OFFICERS. WE HAVE
BEEN AT AN EXTREME DEFICIT,
WHICH HAS MADE IT VERY
CHALLENGING TO FIELD PROACTIVE
OFFICERS. I'M GOING TO REPEAT
SOMETHING I SAID BEFORE IN FRONT
OF COUNCIL. WE HAVE A PHENOMENON
THAT STARTED AROUND 2020, 2021,
WHICH I CALLED DEFIANT OPEN
CONSUMPTION, WHERE PEOPLE FEEL
THEY CAN BRAZENLY BREAK THE LAW
IN A PUBLIC PLACE LIKE A
SIDEWALK WITH DISREGARD FOR
CITIZENS FOR EVEN OFFICERS
WALKING THE BLOCK. THOSE FOLKS
NEED TO HAVE A BEHAVIOR CHANGE.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT EVERYTHING
IS LEAD WITH PUTTING PEOPLE IN
JAIL, BUT THEY NEED TO BE
UNCERTAIN THAT THEY MIGHT BE
ARRESTED FOR OPENLY CONSUMING
FENTANYL ON THE SIDEWALK. AND SO
THEY BETTER GO SKEDADDLING THE
OTHER WAY AND NOT DOING IT IN
THE PUBLIC VIEW, WE'RE TRYING TO
ESTABLISH THAT BEHAVIOR CHANGE.
WE WE ARE MAKING GREAT HEADWAY
IN DOING THAT. WE'VE HAD A
PROACTIVE TEAM. I TALKED ABOUT
NEEDING THE STAFFING SO THAT WE
CAN FEEL THESE PROACTIVE TEAMS.
WE HAVE PROACTIVE TEAM AT 12th
AND JACKSON, LITTLE SAIGON, A
SERGEANT AND FOUR OFFICERS THAT
HAVE BEEN LEADING THE CHARGE TO
GET THAT BEHAVIOR CHANGE SO
PEOPLE DON'T FEEL THAT THEY CAN
BREAK THE LAW IN PUBLIC. WE'RE
DOING THE SAME AT THIRD AND
PINE. WE NOW HAVE A TEAM OUT
THERE OF A SERGEANT AND FOUR
OFFICERS THAT IS DOING THE SAME
THING. SO IN THE END, AGAIN,
CONTINUE AS WE GET MORE
OFFICERS, WE CAN FIELD MORE
PROACTIVE UNITS AND THAT HELPS
US, YOU KNOW, FOCUS OUR EFFORTS
IN THESE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE
BEEN IMPACTED. THANK YOU.
-- AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO
THAT THAT IT TAKES CONSISTENCY.
WE HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT IN
HIRING. WHEN WE HAVE A ROLLER
COASTER UP AND DOWN, WHEN WE
HAVE A ROLLER COASTER OF
CAPACITY WITHIN OUR CASE
MANAGEMENT, WITHIN HOUSING, THAT
ALL AFFECTS IT. AND SO, YOU
KNOW, COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE YOU
MENTIONED OR ACTUALLY
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE AND
COUNCILMEMBER LIN, YOU MENTIONED
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. WE
ALSO HAVE TO HAVE CONSISTENCY IN
OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. SO
MAKING SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND
WHEN THINGS ARE BEING DEFERRED,
WHEN THEY'RE BEING DIVERTED,
MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE IN
LOCKSTEP WITH OUR JUDGES, OUR
PROSECUTORS, OUR JAILS, OUR
COUNCILMEMBERS. I THINK THAT'S
GOING TO BE REALLY CRITICAL FOR
US MOVING FORWARD TO REALLY
TACKLE THIS. AND SO BEING
CONSISTENT, CONTINUING TO HIRE
OFFICERS SO WE CAN BE PROACTIVE.
THAT NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE
OFFICER PROGRAM IN MAGNUSON, IN
LITTLE SAIGON CAN WORK. WE NEED
MORE OFFICERS TO BE ABLE TO DO
IT LONG TERM. THE LITTLE SAIGON
EFFORT IS WORKING, BUT IT IS NOT
24/7. IT IS NOT AT NIGHT AND
IT'S NOT ON THE WEEKENDS. IF WE
HAD MORE OFFICERS, WE WOULD BE
ABLE TO DO MORE. THE OFFICERS
CAN'T DO MORE UNTIL THEY HAVE
SOMEONE TO REPLACE IT. OTHERWISE
WE HAVE A CAPTAIN WORKING THIRD
WATCH WHEN HE'S LOW STAFFED, SO
MORE HIRING, MORE CONSISTENCY
WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
-- OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU.
CAPTAIN KATHRYN. ANYTHING YOU
WANT TO ADD OR ARE YOU GOOD?
-- SURE. I WOULD JUST SAY THAT,
YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT.
-- ORDINANCES AND LEGISLATION
THAT ADDRESS SOME OF THE DRIVERS
OF THE NARCOTICS SALES OUT
THERE, LIKE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A
LOT OF ILLEGAL VENDING THAT IS
INCORPORATED IN DRIVING THAT
MARKET WITH EBT FRAUD, THINGS
ALONG THOSE LINES. SO ADDRESSING
THOSE ISSUES THROUGH ORDINANCE
OR LEGISLATION AS WELL, IT'S NOT
JUST NARCOTICS, IT'S THE THINGS
THAT ARE SURROUNDING THEM AS
WELL.
-- STREET MARKETS. THANK YOU.
AND BY THE WAY, I'M ALSO SAYING
ON A REGULAR BASIS, WE HAVE TO
REACH OUR GOAL. 1258 OFFICERS.
AND WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE
MOMENTUM. OKAY. THAT COLLEAGUES,
WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO OUR
AMENDMENTS. AND I'M GOING TO
START. SINCE I HAVE AMENDMENT
NUMBER ONE, I MOVE TO AMEND
COUNCIL BILL ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO,
FOUR, EIGHT, AS PRESENTED IN
AMENDMENT ONE. AND YOU'RE
WELCOME TO STAY. IT'S BEEN.
-- SECOND.
-- HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED
TO AMEND THE BILL AS PRESENTED
AN AMENDMENT ONE CENTRAL STAFF.
MR. DOSS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO YOU
RECOGNIZE DESCRIBE AMENDMENT
ONE.
-- YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU,
MR. CHAIR.
-- THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
COMING.
-- AND RIGHT BEFORE I READ
AMENDMENT ONE, IF I MIGHT JUST
GIVE LIKE ONE PARAGRAPH OF OF
SUMMARY ON THE BILL, I SAY THAT
AS AS COUNCIL IS AWARE, THIS
WOULD THIS BILL WOULD CHANGE THE
CITY ORDINANCE TO PRIORITIZE THE
USE OF INFIELD PRE-BOOKING,
DIVERSION STRATEGIES THROUGH A
WARM HAND TO AN INDIVIDUAL OF AN
INDIVIDUAL TO LEAD OUTREACH
PERSONNEL ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE
THAT THIS CHANGE WOULD NOT
PRECLUDE OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO
BOOKING, SUCH AS A CHARGE BY
OFFICER OR ARREST AND RELEASE,
NOR WOULD IT PROHIBIT BOOKING.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE SET TO
THE OFFICER DISCRETION AND COULD
BE IMPLEMENTED REALLY WHENEVER
THE OFFICER THINKS IT'S THINKS
IT'S APPROPRIATE. THIS BILL
WOULD SIMPLY SET A PREFERENCE
FOR A DIRECT HANDOFF TO RECOVERY
SERVICES WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE.
SO WITH THAT AS BACKGROUND, I'LL
GO AHEAD AND AND GET INTO THE
FIRST AMENDMENT. THE AMENDMENT
AMENDMENT ONE WOULD MAKE SEVERAL
TECHNICAL AND CLARIFYING
CHANGES. FIRST, IT WOULD SPECIFY
THAT A FIELD BASED DIVERSION CAN
INCLUDE A DIRECT IN-PERSON
HANDOFF THAT OCCURS AT A POLICE
PRECINCT. THIS IS A CHANGE THAT
COUNCILMEMBER LIN SUGGESTED IN
THE LAST MEETING OF THIS
COMMITTEE. SECOND, IT WOULD
SPECIFY THAT THE CITY'S
PREFERENCE FOR A FIELD BASED
DIVERSION IS MADE BY A RECOVERY
SERVICE PROVIDER, WHO UTILIZES
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVERSION
FRAMEWORK, WHICH UNDER THIS
AMENDMENT WOULD BE DEFINED TO
INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO
THE ELEMENTS IN THE RCW. FOR A
LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTED
DIVERSION PROGRAM, AND THAT CAN
BE FOUND IN RCW 71.24.589 SUB
FOUR. THIS WAS A CHANGE THAT
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA SUGGESTED IN
THE LAST COMMITTEE MEETING AS
WELL. THIRD, IT WOULD CLARIFY
THAT THE DATA AND EVALUATIVE
REQUIREMENTS IN SUBSECTION
328141 J FOUR APPLY TO RECOVERY
SERVICE PROVIDERS. THIS
SUBSECTION, AS WE DISCUSSED
EARLIER, REQUIRES A SERVICE
PROVIDERS TO COLLECT AND
MAINTAIN DATA ON REFERRALS,
PARTICIPATION, OUTCOME, AND
CLIENT DEMOGRAPHICS. THIS CHANGE
WAS SUGGESTED BY SPD SO THAT IT
WOULD BE CLEAR THAT IT WOULD BE
THE LEAD PROGRAM THAT WOULD BE
CAPTURING THAT DATA. LASTLY, IT
WOULD CLARIFY THAT AN OFFICER
DOES NOT NEED TO INCLUDE AN
ARREST REPORT. INFORMATION
REGARDING THE THREAT OF HARM
ASSESSMENT. THIS IS A TECHNICAL
CORRECTION TO REFLECT THE FACT
THAT OFFICERS ARE NOT REQUIRED
TO DO A THREAT OF HARM
ASSESSMENT, AND THEREFORE, IF
THEY DO NOT COMPLETE A THREAT OF
HARM ASSESSMENT, THEY CAN'T PUT
ANYTHING IN THE ARREST REPORT.
SO THIS IS JUST SYNCING UP A
TECHNICAL ISSUE ALONG WITH
ANOTHER CHANGE THAT WAS MADE IN
328141 K RECOMMENDED BY THE LAW
DEPARTMENT. SO WITH THAT AS A
SUMMARY I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY
QUESTIONS AND WHATEVER YOU NEED.
-- ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR.
DOSS. AS THE SPONSOR OF THIS, I
SHOULD REALLY SAY THAT I'M THE
SPONSOR OF IT BECAUSE AS YOU
NOTED, AND AS WALKING THROUGH,
WE HAVE INPUTS HERE IN THIS
AMENDMENT FROM COUNCILMEMBER LIN
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA SPD AND, AND
THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THERE WAS A QUESTION FROM THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE, ALTHOUGH THAT
WAS TOO LATE, COULDN'T GET A
LAW REVIEW. THAT WAS, AGAIN,
PRETTY SMALL, STRAIGHTFORWARD
PIECE. BUT SO AGAIN, THESE THIS
AMENDMENT IS A, YOU KNOW,
SPONSORED WITH INPUTS FROM
ACROSS THE BOARD. AND I THANK
COUNCILMEMBER LIN FOR YOUR
INPUT. COUNCILMEMBER SAKA VICE
CHAIR SAKA. SPD. AND ALSO THE
CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR THEIR
SUPPORT. IN ADDITION, OF COURSE.
CENTRAL STAFF COLLEAGUES, ANY
QUESTIONS OR CAN WE PROCEED TO A
VOTE? OKAY. THANK YOU. CLERK
WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON
THE ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT NUMBER
ONE?
-- COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ AYE.
-- COUNCILMEMBER LIN I
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA I
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA. AYE. CHAIR
KETTLE AYE, THEY'RE FIVE IN
FAVOR.
-- OKAY. AMENDMENT ONE IS
ADOPTED. COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOVE YOUR
AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO?
-- THANK YOU. CHAIR. I MOVE TO
AMEND COUNCIL BILL ONE TWO, 1248
AS PRESENTED ON AMENDMENT TWO.
-- SECOND. OKAY, IT'S MOVED AND
SECONDED AS PRESENTED. AMENDMENT
TWO CENTRAL STAFF IS RECOGNIZED
TO DESCRIBE AMENDMENT NUMBER
TWO.
-- THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND I
APOLOGIZE FOR FAILING EARLIER TO
RECOGNIZE YOU ARE THE SPONSOR OF
AMENDMENT ONE AND COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA, THE SPONSOR. AMENDMENT
TWO. THANK YOU. AND FOR
AMENDMENT TWO, THIS AMENDMENT
WOULD REQUIRE SPD OFFICERS AND
DIVERSION SERVICE PROVIDERS TO
REPORT INSTANCES WHEN AN OFFICER
REQUESTED A FIELD BASED
DIVERSION, AND THE NUMBER OF
TIMES THAT A DIVERSION SERVICE
PROVIDER RESPONDED TIMELY TO
THAT REQUEST. ONE THING TO NOTE
WITH THIS AMENDMENT IS THAT SPD
WOULD NEED TO DEFINE IN ITS
POLICY WHAT TIMELY MEANS, AND
-- IT IS THE CASE THAT CENTRAL
STAFF HAVE ASKED THEM HOW THEY
WOULD DO THAT. IT IS. IT IS THE
CASE ALSO THAT THAT WHEN LEAD IS
TRAINING SPD OFFICERS, THEY SAY
THAT THEY WILL RESPOND WITHIN 30
MINUTES AND THAT SPD HAS BEEN
USING THAT PROTOCOL. OF COURSE,
THERE WOULD NEED TO BE
EXCEPTIONS POTENTIALLY FOR HIGH
EMERGENT CALLS, HIGH PRIORITY
PRIORITY ONE EMERGENT CALLS. AND
SO THAT'S SOME LANGUAGE THAT
THAT SPD IS WORKING ON. AND, AND
I CAN PROVIDE TO YOU BEFORE THE
FINAL VOTE. AND IT WILL BE UP TO
YOU ALL AS TO WHETHER YOU WANT
TO PUT THAT INTO THE BILL OR
HAVE SPD PUT IT INTO ITS
POLICIES, AS THEY WOULD DO UNDER
NORMAL COURSE.
-- OKAY.
-- THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK
TO YOUR.
-- UNLESS ANYONE HAS ANY
QUESTIONS, I THINK. THANK YOU.
GREG DID AN EXCELLENT JOB AT
EXPLAINING MORE DATA BY WHICH,
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BETTER
PICTURE.
-- OKAY, WELL, WITH THAT, I
DON'T SEE ANY HANDS. CLARK,
WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON
ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT NUMBER
TWO?
-- COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ. I
COUNCILMEMBER LIN. I
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. I
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA. AYE. CHAIR
KETTLE I FIVE IN FAVOR. NONE
OPPOSED.
-- OKAY. AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO IS
ADOPTED. COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOVE YOUR
AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE?
-- THANK YOU. CHAIR. I MOVE TO
TO AMEND COUNCIL BILL ONE TWO,
ONE, TWO, FOUR EIGHT AS
PRESENTED ON AMENDMENT THREE.
-- SECOND.
-- THANK YOU. IT IS MOVED. AND
SECOND, AS PRESENTED ON
AMENDMENT THREE CENTRAL STAFF,
YOU'RE RECOGNIZED TO DESCRIBE
AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE.
-- THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
AMENDMENT THREE, ALSO SPONSORED
BY COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. THIS
AMENDMENT WOULD RECOGNIZE AN
OFFICER'S ABILITY TO TAKE INTO
CUSTODY. CUSTODY INDIVIDUALS IN
SEVERE CRISIS DUE TO SUBSTANCE
ABUSE. BY WAY OF BACKGROUND. RCW
71051532. AUTHORIZES OFFICERS TO
TRANSPORT AN INDIVIDUAL TO A
SECURE WITHDRAWAL AND
STABILIZATION FACILITY FOR
EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY
STABILIZATION AND OR EVALUATION
BY DESIGNATED CRISIS RESPONDER.
THE AMENDMENT NOTES THAT THE
STATE PASSED A LAW TO ALLOW FOR
INVOLUNTARY TREATMENT OF
INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING SEVERE
SUBSTANCE ABUSE WHEN THEY ARE NO
LONGER ABLE TO MAKE SAFE
DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES. SPD
HAS INDICATED THAT A TREATMENT
BED IS NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE
UNDER RICKY'S LAW, BUT THAT
OFFICERS WOULD STILL USE 7105153
TO TAKE AN INDIVIDUAL INTO
CUSTODY, DELIVER THEM TO A
HOSPITAL AND ENSURE THAT THEY
ARE CARED FOR IF THEY BECOME
GRAVELY DISABLED DUE TO THEIR
DRUG USE. FROM THERE, IT WOULD
BE UP TO A DESIGNATED CRISIS
RESPONDER TO DETERMINE HOW THAT
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVES FURTHER
TREATMENT. SO THIS AMENDMENT, IN
SHORT, WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT
OFFICERS HAVE THIS ABILITY AND
UNDER THE THREAT OF HARM TO SELF
SECTION OF THE BILL, IT WOULD
PUT IN THAT WHEN IT'S
APPROPRIATE THAT OFFICERS SHOULD
SHOULD USE THIS. THIS METHOD.
-- THANK YOU, MR. DOS
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. ANY.
-- NO. UNLESS SOMEONE HAS ANY
QUESTIONS. I THINK GREG DID A
GREAT JOB EXPLAINING THIS,
SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY
AVAILABLE. SO AND THIS PIECE OF
THE LEGISLATION, IT JUST MADE
SENSE TO ME TO DO THE REMINDER
THAT THIS IS ANOTHER THING THAT
IS AVAILABLE TO FOLKS,
ESPECIALLY IN AN EMERGENCY.
THANK YOU.
-- QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
-- YEAH, SO JUST TO CLARIFY,
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OFFICERS
ALREADY HAVE THE KIND OF
AUTHORITY TO DO. WE JUST DON'T
WANT TO SEND THE MESSAGE THAT
SOMEHOW THIS LEGISLATION WOULD
PRECLUDE THEM FROM DOING IT. SO
THIS JUST ALLOWS THEM TO
CONTINUE. OKAY. THANK YOU.
-- CORRECT.
-- COUNCILMEMBER LIN JUST KIND
OF RAISING THE FLAG,
HIGHLIGHTING IF YOU WANT.
-- ESPECIALLY AGAIN, IN CASE OF
EMERGENCIES. THIS IS ANOTHER
TOOL TO HELP FOLKS.
-- OKAY. NOT SEEING ANY
INDICATION OF QUESTIONS AND
COMMENTS. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL ON ADOPTION OF
AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE?
-- COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ
COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
-- YES.
-- COUNCIL MEMBER RIVERA. AYE.
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA.
-- AYE.
-- CHAIR KETTLE. AYE. FIVE IN
FAVOR. NONE OPPOSED.
-- AMENDMENT THREE IS ADOPTED.
OKAY. COLLEAGUES. WILL THE CLERK
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON THE
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION TO
ADOPT COUNCIL BILL ONE 21248, AS
AMENDED.
-- COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ
-- I COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
-- YES.
-- COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. I
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA. I CHAIR
KETTLE. AYE FIVE IN FAVOR? NONE
OPPOSED.
-- OKAY. THE MOTION CARRIES AND
THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
THAT THE COUNCIL BILL BE ADOPTED
WILL BE SENT TO THE AUGUST 4th
CITY COUNCIL MEETING. OKAY,
COLLEAGUES, VERY BIG MEETING,
LONG MEETING COMING ON THE HEELS
OF THIS WEEKEND. I WANT TO AGAIN
THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME. MOST
HAVE LEFT. BUT THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE AND GIVING COMMENTS.
AND WE'VE LOOKED TO INCORPORATE
THAT THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF
THE MEETING, WHICH IS ALL MY
COLLEAGUES HAVE DONE. SO THANK
YOU. WE HAVE REACHED THE END OF
TODAY'S MEETING AGENDA. IS
THERE ANY FURTHER BUSINESS TO
COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE BEFORE
WE ADJOURN? I DON'T THINK SO.
OKAY. HEARING NO FURTHER
BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE,