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Black Markets and Drug Dens Take Over Seattle’s Chinatown

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Worse Than Ever

Despite progress being made to improve other parts of Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell’s (@MayorofSeattle) administration just can’t figure out the 12th Ave & Jackson St. disaster in Chinatown-ID. This is a FULL BLOWN take over by street thugs, drug addicts, dealers, and even Asian grandmas buying stolen goods in the black market. They also blast loud music at all hours of the day and the trash situation is out of control. Go there right now and see for yourself.

In the three and a half years covering this crime corner, I have reported on shootings, stabbings, fights, drug dealing, thefts, graffiti vandalism, small biz leaving, sales of stolen goods, etc. But I have also seen efforts to clean the place up with graffiti abatement plans, bus shelter removals, and more police foot patrols. None of it is working. And constituents in D2 have lost all faith in Councilmember Tammy Morales (@CMTammyMorales) who remains MIA. Bottom line, it’s all being fueled by the fentanyl crisis.

Making matters worse, it will take at least a few more months until Seattle can even prosecute drug possession/public drug use charges. That’s because the City Council delayed a vote on a revised drug enforcement bill, and it still has to pass. Thank you Councilmember Andrew Lewis (@CMAndrewJLewis) for allowing it to get to this point.

Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth and Poverty
Jonathan Choe is a journalist and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center on Wealth and Poverty, covering homelessness issues for its Fix Homelessness initiative. Prior to joining Discovery, Choe spent several years as one of the lead reporters at KOMO-TV, consistently the top rated television station in Seattle. His in depth stories on crime and deep dive investigations into the homeless crisis led to measurable results in the community, including changes in public policy. Choe has more than two decades of experience in television news behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Tribune. He has also been nominated and honored with multiple industry awards including an Emmy. Choe spent several years teaching classes on emerging media and entrepreneurship to under privileged youth in inner city Chicago. As an independent journalist, Choe also contributes regularly to the Mill Creek View and Lynnwood Times and has reported on exclusive stories in the past year for Daily Wire and The Postmillennial.