Street Report

Same Ol’ Same Ol’ Start the sweeps Seattle! Even after Mayor Katie Wilson promised to handle the homeless drug crisis differently, the city is quietly clearing out drug encampments and it’s still a game of Whack-a-mole. The vast majority of people at Wednesday morning’s sweep along Martin Luther King Jr Way rejected shelter options and headed right down the block to set up tents. That’s because they wanted to do their drugs. Difference is, far-left activist group Stop The Sweeps Seattle is surprisingly quiet about the encampment removals under the mayor. Double Standard? Wilson used to lead the Transit Riders Union. This activist group is heavily aligned with Stop the Sweeps. Which is likely why they are going easy on Read More ›

The Bellevue City Council is raising massive safety concerns about the Plymouth Housing/PorchLight homeless campus. Led by CM Jared Nieuwenhuis, the councilmembers are now telling city staff to come up with a better plan to keep neighbors and businesses safe. And they are demanding a baseline standard to measure success. Regardless, it appears this problematic facility isn’t going anywhere as it continues to trigger the most 911 calls in the city. Jare Neiuwenhuis CM Jared Nieuwenhuis on Plymouth Housing/PorchLight. Naren Briar CM Naren Briar on Plymouth Housing/PorchLight. Vishal Bhargava CM Vishal Bhargava on Plymouth Housing/PorchLight. Claire Sumadiwirya CM Claire Sumadiwirya on Plymouth Housing/PorchLight. Mo Malakoutian Mayor Mo Malakoutian on Plymouth Housing/PorchLight. Deputy Mayor Hamilton Deputy Mayor Dave Hamilton on Plymouth Read More ›

Canceled Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson abruptly canceled the first major encampment sweep of the year. It was scheduled for Wednesday morning in Ballard. Neighbors are furious and some in the outreach community are questioning this decision. But Wilson’s risky call could be a long-term blessing in disguise. Other Sweeps Continue Wilson’s spokesperson sent me a statement saying this is a one-off and that the mayor “believes a better resolution is possible at that location.” We are still waiting on those details. Meanwhile other encampment sweeps are still happening across the city. Blessing in Disguise? As for how this could be a blessing in disguise, Mayor Wilson could set a new precedent by personally going to this encampment and meeting the Read More ›

Tackling the Root Causes HUD Secretary Scott Turner takes direct aim at America’s “homeless industrial complex” and says the the days of “warehousing people” are over. The Trump administration is reallocating federal dollars to tackle the root causes of homelessness like drug addiction and mental illness. This plan could cripple so called Housing First programs that do not require people to find jobs or enter drug treatment. Many of these understaffed facilities under Housing First also trigger the most 911 calls in cities, allow drug use behind closed doors, and attract an inordinate amount of crime to neighborhoods. California and WA are ranked in the top three for overall homelessness in the nation. But elected officials in these states are Read More ›

From QFC to the Black Market Here we go again. Bellevue crime watch volunteers say repeat offenders love the QFC in Crossroads. Late Monday evening, these alleged crooks stole multiple items but got away. They are apparently a notorious couple that operates between Seattle’s Chinatown-ID and various parts of Bellevue. Have You Seen Them? Be on the look out for these alleged Bellevue bandits. Targeting Bellevue Once again, the criminals love Bellevue because residents have a false sense of security living here. Compared to Seattle, it is safer. But the crooks know many people let their guard down. So this affluent Eastside city will remain a target until cops make more busts and parade these idiots in public.

Under Siege Bellevue is under siege. A steady flow of criminals from outside the city are targeting local stores. In many instances homeless drug addicts get around using the bus, ransack businesses, then sell the items for pennies on the dollar in Seattle to purchase fentanyl. This has been going on for years. But community watch members now say it’s getting worse. Here is one of several incidents Monday evening at the QFC grocery store in the Crossroads neighborhood. Good Samaritans stepped in and forced an alleged crook to return stolen items. After being confronted, this Black woman kept saying, “I’m a n*gger. I’m a n*igger.” Some may call this vigilante justice. But there is limited security and not enough Read More ›

Brutal Attack Bellevue cop Sean Winebrenner is out of the hospital after being brutally attacked by a deranged homeless man at the Transit Center last week. Mohamed Morray Bangura faces multiple assault charges and is also accused of making a false 911 report to ambush officers. Assailant Shot, Remains in Hospital Aside from a 6-inch gash to his face, Winebrenner also suffered a broken clavicle and dislocated shoulder in this attack. Bangura remains in the hospital after being shot by officer Guilherme Spagnolo who was responding to the call with Winebrenner. Facing Charges 38-year-old Bangura is facing First and Second Degree assault charges, not attempted murder. But prosecutors say it could be upped to something more serious depending on what Read More ›

Cops on the Scene Bellevue cops are on the scene at the QFC supermarket in the Crossroads neighborhood. Witnesses say a drunk Hispanic male wearing a black jacket caused a disturbance Wednesday evening and tried to steal a case of beer. Cops just arrested him on the spot. Store workers say they deal with thefts every single day and most of the suspects do not live in the city. There are also reports of many illegals living in this part of Bellevue. I have no doubt @EROSeattle already knows about this.

Taking Matters into Their Own Hands Bellevue resident Quintin Chi and concerned neighbors have started a community watch at local grocery stores in the city. They say places like Walgreens, Fred Meyer, and QFC supermarkets are being ransacked every night by homeless drug addicts. Chi says the crooks then board a bus to Seattle and sell the stolen items at the notorious 12th Ave & Jackson St. drug den in Chinatown-ID. While store workers commend these good samaritans, Chi says he’s frustrated because Bellevue PD calls them vigilantes and recently advised them not to get involved in criminal apprehensions.

“There’s a Big Drug Dealer Down Here” After dozens of neighbor complaints about homeless drug addicts destroying Seattle’s Dr. Jose Rizal Park, the fencing is back up and major renovations are about to get started. But We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez says the dealers and addicts are now moving further into wooded areas in Beacon Hill and the city is barely enforcing public camping laws in this area. Suarez is also calling out Seattle Parks Superintendent AP Diaz for being MIA.