Beacon Hill

Jonathan Choe recently teamed up with YouTuber and independent journalist Tyler Oliveira to report on the drug addiction crisis on Seattle’s streets. The pair visited Chinatown, Ballard, and Beacon Hill — neighborhoods that have all been afflicted by open-air drug addiction, chronic homelessness, and unfettered crime. Along the way, they spoke with local residents and business owners about how city leaders continue to ignore these deteriorating conditions.

Zero Enforcement Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson lied to the people of Chinatown-ID. Just last week Wilson said, “We will no longer tolerate open-air drug sale and use and vending stolen goods.” But late Friday evening, dozens of homeless drug addicts returned to 12th Ave & Jackson St. They’ve turned this corner into a drug den. No police enforcement. The mayor is accused of using this Asian-American neighborhood as a human dumping ground and containment zone for the city. Whatever it takes to protect World Cup fans. Mayor’s Statement Here is her entire statement to the CID and North Beacon Hill neighbors. It’s all on the record.

Will She Follow Through? After Discovery Institute’s report on Seattle’s ongoing street crisis, Mayor Katie Wilson is finally admitting open-air fentanyl use and the black market of stolen goods in Chinatown-ID and North Beacon Hill are off the charts. Wilson now says arrests will be an option and lawless behavior will no longer be tolerated. We’ll have to wait and see. But I applaud Wilson if she follows through. This could save lives.

T-4 Days Until World Cup Comes to Seattle Just days before the FIFA World Cup in Seattle, someone is firing steel BB’s at homeless drug addicts near Dr. Jose Rizal Park. This area is just minutes from the stadium where soccer matches will be played. Neighbors say they are seeing a cluster of new tents after Wilson aggressively swept encampments near the downtown tourist corridor. The mayor is accused of trying to mask the city’s drug crisis by pushing addicts to other parts of the city like Beacon Hill, Chinatown-ID, and now the East Duwamish Greenbelt. As long as fans do not see the urban decay and human suffering, the Wilson administration likely believes that’s a win.

No Outreach In Sight We are just weeks away from the FIFA World Cup Games in Seattle. Mayor Katie Wilson is furiously trying to sweep homeless drug addicts out of the downtown core. But the mess is ending up in nearby Chinatown-ID and Beacon Hill. I spent several hours overnight in these hoods and it is worse than ever. Dozens of people are in the streets and public parks smoking fetty and starting fires to stay warm. No cops or outreach workers in sight. It is a lawless playground. Why is Wilson allowing these communities to devolve into a human dumping ground?

Disaster Area Why is Seattle’s Lewis Park still open? It is a full blown drug den and playground for addicts, fentanyl dealers, and sex traffickers. It’s also home to many missing people. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez and I went looking for Benjamin George Petry this week. Sadly, we did not find him. But we saw so many problems on full display like the inflow crisis. Most of the people slinging meth and fetty aren’t even from this area. We also met a baby faced 19-year-old addicted to all kinds of drugs. Meanwhile, elected officials are paralyzed by this issue and the city has turned into a lawless playground.

Missing Person Seattle’s Lewis Park is a crime magnet and drug hell hole. Late Saturday evening, a dad reached out to me and said he was looking for his daughter named “Candace.” For privacy reasons, I am not putting out her photo. At least for now. But I was told she was last seen with drug addicts in this Beacon Hill park. So I decided to go in and look. The moment I walked in, a group of Honduran drug dealers offered me fentanyl. It was one of the riskier missions I’ve been on since it was pitch black. The area is very narrow and the escape routes are minimal in the event I am attacked. I couldn’t stay long Read More ›

Mega Sweep Thursday morning, Seattle city crews went on a MEGA SWEEP and cleared out multiple drug encampments at Daejeon Park, Sturgus Park, Lewis Park, and even removed tents at Dr. Jose Rizal Park. This is all happening in the Beacon Hill hood. With the impending sweep, I visited some of the homies last night to find out what they were up to. One guy said he already had a tiny house and was just chilling at the encampment. Another fella said he wouldn’t take a tiny house since illegal drug use is allegedly banned. But we all know that’s not the case.

Out of Control Seattle Councilmember Eddie Lin says he might call for the temporary closure of Lewis Park in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. He admits the illegal camping and open-air-drug use is out of control. I went there late Wednesday evening and saw it for myself. Lin overwhelmingly won the District 2 election. But he inherited a hot mess which also includes the crime and chaos of Rainier Valley along with the black market of stolen goods on 12th Ave & Jackson St in Chinatown-ID.

“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.