Nothing Has Changed
I spent hours in downtown #Seattle on Saturday to see the illicit activity ebb and flow. This is the first weekend since Mayor Bruce Harrell (@mayorofseattle) announced his Downtown Activation Plan to clean up this mess. Most of the action is still concentrated at 3rd Ave & Pike St. near the Ross Store (@Ross_Stores.) But police emphasis patrols are now scattering drug addicts and dealers to other streets. The vestibules of empty store fronts remain popular spots to do fentanyl. Folks continue to use public transportation (@SoundTransit, @KingCountyMetro) to move stolen merchandise back and forth on to the streets. The black market is thriving and it’s a free for all. I also witnessed two men being saved from drug overdoses which is now a daily occurrence in the city. But the most jarring thing I saw was an infant in a crib/stroller, right next to a guy smoking meth. The dad was just standing there with his kid in all this insanity until I approached him.
Otherwise, the windows at the former Starbucks (@starbucks) in West Lake Center are now plastered with #Kraken Stanley Cup Playoff run posters. Fans were taking selfies with addicts sitting in the background smoking “blues.” Not enough police to keep up with enforcement on the weekends. So who’s up for coming out with me on Sunday night to walk the streets? Bring your camera. CM Andrew Lewis (@CMAndrewJLewis) has a standing offer to come along. Still no response. LOL. His district is a disaster. Once again, nothing has changed in this part of the Emerald City. We are now learning to live this harsh reality. It’s being normalized. I’ll have another update coming up from 3rd Ave. and Cherry St near City Hall and Little Saigon in the #Chinatown-ID. It’s a mess on those streets as well. @downtownseattle @GovInslee @kcexec @seattlecouncil @KCCouncil @KC_RHA @CMSaraNelson @CMTMosqueda @D5Juarez