We’re taking a new approach to 12th & Jackson.
Community groups and business owners in the Little Saigon neighborhood have been struggling for years with chronic safety issues near 12th & Jackson and now North Beacon Hill. The community has worked together to do what they can, but city leaders have failed to act with the necessary focus and determination to sustain a meaningful change in everyday conditions. We must disrupt the drug dealing, public disorder, and other illegal activity that has destabilized this community.
After months of deep listening, my administration is taking a new path forward in close partnership with community leaders, the Seattle Police Department, and service providers.
We will no longer tolerate open-air drug sale and use and vending stolen goods. We are expanding police personnel in the area to engage directly with individuals participating in these activities, explain that the behavior is no longer tolerated, and help ensure that the sidewalk and transit stops are safe and accessible for all. If individuals persist in these behaviors, they will either be booked into jail or enrolled in the LEAD diversion program. Originally developed in Seattle, the LEAD program is a national model for its proven track record of improving outcomes for people with complex needs related to addiction and behavioral health.
I’m committed to ending the perception that illegal activity in Little Saigon and North Beacon Hill is acceptable. I’m also committed to making sure that people can get the treatment and support they need to change their lives. This is a data-driven, evidence-based approach that fulfills both of these goals.
While increased police presence is one part of this new approach, we know we can’t arrest our way out of these problems. That’s why we’re also deploying $1.1 million of one-time funding to immediately support additional services in the neighborhood, including a neighborhood outreach staff to support service navigation, mobile overdose treatment and prevention teams, community activations to support neighbors and businesses, and more.
Changing conditions here will take time, but I believe these steps will finally start moving us in the right direction. I look forward to continued partnership with community leaders, neighborhood businesses, residents, workers as we work together to improve public safety and community wellbeing in Seattle’s Little Saigon and North Beacon Hill neighborhoods.
What people are saying:
“For too long, the Little Saigon community has demanded clear and decisive leadership from our governments to address the root causes and impacts of the activity at 12th & Jackson. Little Saigon has endured significant damage to our economic and cultural vitality as a result of the public safety issues in the neighborhood. Friends of Little Sài Gòn is appreciative of Mayor Wilson’s nuanced understanding of the complex issues facing our community and her administration’s vision for improving the conditions in Little Saigon. We look forward to continuing to partner with the City to ensure accountability and coordination of investments being made in Little Saigon.”
—Valerie Tran, Interim Executive Director, Friends of Little Saigon
“This focused effort to provide relief to the neighborhood and reduce flagrantly unlawful activity is the result of extensive consultation among diverse stakeholders, including community members, businesses, safety teams, service providers, and police. With a coordinated approach, we believe that we can make a meaningful change to street-level conditions, allow for people to adapt to public expectations about use of public space, and do so without unnecessary arrests. For situations where arrests are necessary, LEAD “warm hand-offs” from SPD officers to skilled case managers will be immediately available — but that is not the primary objective. The primary objective is to deter problematic activity through clear communication about expectations regarding use of public space, in the interests of all.”
— Sam Wolff, Seattle & King County Policy Director, PDA
“The suffering and chaos we see in our streets has been tolerated too long and I’m glad that Mayor Wilson’s office is giving these neighborhoods the attention they deserve. Seniors, families, and small business owners in the CID and North Beacon Hill are scared to walk around their neighborhood, struggling to access sidewalks and transit, and understandably frustrated by the lack of progress at all levels of government. Drug dealers and other criminal elements are taking advantage of and profiting from the suffering of our most vulnerable, and that cannot stand. It should be easier to get healthcare, housing, and treatment than it is to get illegal drugs. I welcome Mayor Wilson’s new approach to Little Saigon and North Beacon Hill, focusing on noticeable improvements in safety, a surge in treatment, and better access for residents and visitors to these beautiful, historic neighborhoods.”
— Councilmember Eddie Lin (District 2)
“The conditions at 12th & Jackson are complex and systemic. We appreciate Mayor Wilson’s multifaceted approach to continue supporting the Little Saigon community, and we hope this strategy is just the beginning of the local government’s commitment to our neighborhood. We look forward to additional meaningful engagement as we continue to support a vibrant Chinatown International District.”
—Jamie Lee and Jared Jonson, Co-Executive Directors, Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority