From: Lindsay, Scott Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2015 7:40 PM To: Murray, Ed B; Gregorich, Chris Cc: Joncas, Kate; O'Toole, Kathleen Subject: RE: Street Crime and Disorder Importance: High Mayor, The analysis and plan that is staged for discussion at our public safety retreat on Saturday, February 7 will precisely attack the issues that CM Burgess raises � street disorder that is fraying the City and the downtown/Cap Hill community. That disorder is, in my view, principally driven by an ecosystem of drug addiction fueled by crimes of opportunity � shoplifting, car prowls, aggressive panhandling, and street robbery. The increase in street disorder is largely a function of the fact that heroin, crack, and meth possession has largely been legalized in the city over the past several years as the County Prosecutor significantly raised the bar to prosecuting drug possession (arrests and prosecutions have dropped off a cliff as a result). The unintended consequence of that social policy effort has been to make Seattle a much more attractive place to buy and sell hard core drugs. With drugs and drug addiction comes property crimes and street disorder. Here is a heat map of all crime in the center of the City in 2014. And here is a heat map of misdemeanor assaults in 2014: It is no coincidence that these maps are centered on Seattle�s major open air drug markets: the Blade (3rd Pike/Pine), Occidental Park, Broadway/Pike, and Victor Steinbrueck. The other next hottest spot is on the Ave, another open air drug market. But disrupting these open air drug markets has proven quite difficult over the years. SPD has conducted thousands of buy/busts and directed patrols at these locations without any lasting impact. Which is why we are bringing you a much bigger, more ambitious approach incorporating a wholeof-government effort combined with greater coordination (and accountability) for prosecutors and the courts. I have had numerous conversations with the City Attorney�s Office and the King County Prosecutor�s Office, as has Chief O�Toole. I have their assurance that if you lead, they will follow. And if they don�t follow, then we have the opportunity to call them out. Both you and CM Burgess are right, we are significantly behind. Which means we will want to launch quickly after getting your input, direction, and approvals. And other elements of the effort, like the Neighborhood Response Team (street outreach squad), are already in place and getting traction. Kate, the Chief, and I met today to continue getting new elements of the plan ready to go as soon as you press the button. Scott From: Murray, Ed B Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2015 9:19 AM To: Gregorich, Chris Cc: Joncas, Kate; Lindsay, Scott; O'Toole, Kathleen Subject: Re: Street Crime and Disorder We have to step up telling the story of why and our comprehensive response. We are significantly behind in putting together a response. Sent from my iPhone On Jan 28, 2015, at 9:16 AM, Gregorich, Chris wrote: Sent from my Windows Phone From: Burgess, Tim Sent: ?1/?28/?2015 9:15 AM To: Murray, Ed; O'Toole, Kathleen Cc: Joncas, Kate; Gregorich, Chris; Holmes, Peter; Sims, Craig; Van Duzer, Nate; Lundberg, Debi; Day, Seferiana Subject: Street Crime and Disorder Mayor Murray and Chief O�Toole, I�m writing to express my continued deep concern about street crime and disorder in some of our city�s neighborhoods, particularly the University District, the PikePineBroadway area of Capitol Hill, downtown near the Pike Place Market and east to the Convention Center, and some specific sections of Rainier Valley. The attached letter, received January 20, 2015, from employees of the Mayflower Park Hotel is representative of the repeated concerns I hear from residents, business owners and visitors. I�ve also attached a chapter from The Oxford Handbook of Crime Prevention where Wesley Skogan, one of American�s leading social scientists, discusses disorder and crime. Here is Skogan�s concluding paragraph: �Disorder, independently but always in tandem with other conventional crime, plays a role in undermining the stability of urban neighborhoods, undercutting natural processes of informal social control, discouraging investments, and stimulating fear of crime. This, plus perhaps its independent role in generating conventional crime, amply justified the attention that policymakers around the world have given to social and physical disorder reduction.� Another words, this stuff matters! Finally, here is an article by William Bratton and George Kelling titled, Why We Need Broken Windows Policing. I�m a strong proponent of this style of policing because the evidence shows it works. It�s constitutional. It�s fair. It�s effective. And the people who live in areas where street crime and disorder flourish love it. Here�s an excerpt from Bratton and Kelling, making reference to seminal research Skogan pioneered many years ago on how people perceive street crime and disorder: �In a survey of 13,000 residents of 40 neighborhoods in six large cities, Skogan found not only a direct link between disorder and serious crime but also a broad consensus in communities�regardless of race, ethnicity, or class�about what constituted disorderly conditions and behavior. Topping the list were drunken and loitering youth, street harassment and panhandling, street prostitution, abandoned houses, graffiti, and other behaviors and conditions (which can include drug dealing, excessive noise, reckless driving). Far from being a divisive issue, concern about disorder brings people with different backgrounds together. They know what disorderly behavior and conditions are, and they want something done about them. �The belief that disorder produces merely �victimless� crimes is also largely illusory. While no specific victim may exist in many cases, most qualify-of-life crimes hurt communities and neighborhoods as a whole, taking a serious toll on neighborhood life and changing the way people feel about their homes, their safety, and their general well-being. Disorder doesn�t take people�s money, but it does rob them of their peace of mind.� As Bratton and Kelling argue in their article, a continuum of response is needed to address street crime and disorder. It is hard work. It takes diligence and focus. It requires an integrated approach from the police to social service agencies and the city and county prosecutors. This issue has plagued us for years and we don�t seem to make much progress. Many people believe it has gotten worse over the past year or so. I�m as frustrated as the employees of the Mayflower Park Hotel. When will we provide the help these employees are pleading for? Councilmember Tim Burgess President, Seattle City Council Chair, Education and Governance Committee 206-684-8806 tim.burgess@seattle.gov Follow me on: Sign up to receive Tim's FREE E-Newsletter by clicking on City View above. <2015 01 15 Mayflower Park Hotel Ltr.tif>