SWATTING crackheads?

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https://komonews.com/news/local/mayor-bruce-harrell-to-lay-out-public-safety-plans-amid-downtown-seattle-crime-surge

SEATTLE – It has been one month since Mayor Bruce Harrell took office, leaving residents and business owners asking what is being done with the rising crime rates.

Mayor Harrell, along with Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins and his deputy mayors, broke down exactly what they have done so far.

He started detailing the crime rates in the city.

“The increase started in 2020 and continues today in 2021 to give you stats, aggravated assault increased 24 percent over 2020, shootings and shots fired increased 40 percent to an all-time high,” Harrell said.

Overall, the violent crime rate is 20 percent higher than we’ve seen in 24 years.

Harrell says they have directed Chief Diaz to focus on ‘hot spots’ where crime is concentrated. He said so far, efforts are going well.

“In Seattle today, we will not tolerate violent crimes of targeting our most vulnerable,” Harrell said, speaking of the immigrants, homeless, children and elderly.

He says they are going to crack down on car break-ins, open-air drug markets and crimes in camps.

“We will all see an increase in our efforts to bring unsheltered people inside and ensure our parks and our sidewalks are open and safe for everyone to enjoy,” Harrell said.

The city plans to announce further plans for the unhoused in February with Dow Constantine.

He’s also focusing on getting more officers into uniforms and on patrol.

“We welcome good work,” Harrell said, revealing they are down about 350 officers. “We want to help you prevent crime from happening and when it does we want you to investigate and bring [forward] those responsible.”

The Seattle crime rate was up 10 percent last year, saying nearly every month was higher than the year before in shots fired and shooting calls.

Homeless-related shootings increased by more than 100 percent.

It has not been easier for the fire department, which made 94,000 calls in 2021, about 14,000 more than the year before.

Of those, 12,600 were homeless camp fires.

“When we respond often times these fires get into buildings, connect to brush on the freeways and different things like that,” Scoggins said.

The fire department responded to five homeless fires in January and 33 calls to homeless camps for aide.

However, deputy mayor Monisha Harrell said the city isn’t just pouring resources into the police and fire departments.

“This will also include mental health and substance abuse support,” Harrell said. “The one thing that should be very clear with this team is we understand the holistic approach of what it’s going to take to bring public safety to the city of Seattle.”

Deputy mayor Harrell said they are looking at resources and how to use them, but the plan would be to have a team able to direct people to the proper response they need, whether it’s the police, fire, mental health help or more.

“Our vision for public safety goes beyond those two departments,” Harrell said.

The community will have input into these services, which city leaders said will be sent to you in-person or virtually.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5024100&forum_id=2#43907770)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5024100&forum_id=2#43907953)

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(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5024100&forum_id=2#43908078)