Belltown

Taking Matters into Their Own Hands Seattle leaders have failed Belltown business owners, allowing drug addicts to take over sidewalks for years. Councilmember Bob Kettle is MIA, Mayor Katie Wilson has no immediate solutions, and City Attorney Erika Evans says she won’t prosecute open-air drug use. So now the owner of Club Dogfish on 3rd Ave is taking matters into his own hands, setting up plants and trees in his vestibule to keep out the fentanyl users. But this move could be a violation of a city ordinance to keep public spaces clear. So now the showdown begins. Will the city give small business owners a break or will they selectively enforce the law? I wonder if this will be Read More ›

Out of Control As Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson prepares to deliver her first State of the City address, parts of downtown remain a drug infested disaster. Especially the Belltown neighborhood near 2nd Ave and Blanchard St. Sunday evening, I watched dozens of addicts come and go, selling fentanyl in front of children with no cops in sight. Ironically they are using the vestibule of REACH, one of the largest homeless outreach providers funded with taxpayer dollars from the city. Yet REACH leaders can’t even get the situation under control in front of their own HQ. It’s time the Wilson administration do a full audit of these failing organizations. REACH REACH is a division of Evergreen Treatment Services. A couple years Read More ›

Social Services Row Crime, chaos, and death sums up what’s happening in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. The cross streets near social service providers like Plymouth Housing and REACH continue to be the root of all drug-related problems. They are both notorious pushers of the failed “harm reduction” and Housing First policies that have led to even higher rates of homelessness and drug overdose deaths in the region. Making matters worse, the Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) ordinance has been a total flop since it’s barely being enforced.

People who live in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood say this homeless man goes on nightly rampages through their alleyways. Senior citizens living in nearby apartments say they can’t sleep because of all the commotion. Who is this guy? He needs an intervention.

Another Encampment Shooting Late Monday evening, multiple witnesses in Belltown sent me video showing officers responding to a shooting at 2nd Ave & Blanchard St. My sources on the ground say the victim was targeted and “had it coming to them.” What led up to all this remains unclear. Victim’s condition is unknown and so far no arrests. This is a well known stretch for 911 calls, open air drug use, and tent encampments in the city. Earlier this month, street preacher Matthew Meinecke and I searched for Kaylee Gordon at this location. It’s also right around the corner from REACH, Plymouth housing, and other social service agencies. CM Andrew Lewis’ (@cmandrewjlewis) district remains a war zone.

It’s a War Zone Authorities say another shooting in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood leaves one man dead. Incident happened early Thursday morning on the 2100 block of 3rd Ave. “Officers attempted life-saving measures until Seattle Fire Department personnel arrived. Despite all life-saving efforts, the victim was pronounced dead. The circumstances that led up to the shooting are unknown at this time.” No word yet if anyone has been arrested. The violence continues in the heart of the city. This is just a few minutes away from the Space Needle and shopping district. Confidence in public safety is plummeting in Councilmember Andrew Lewis’ (@CMAndrewJLewis) district. Crime is spiraling out of control.

Pastor Brice Sanders and volunteers from Coastline Church Northwest were renovating their new building at the corner of 3rd Avenue and Lenora in Downtown Seattle when they heard six gun shots from just a block away. Sanders tells me they had to scramble for cover, get inside, and lock the doors. According to Police, a shooting happened Tuesday morning on 4th Avenue, a busy part of Belltown near CVS, Cinerama, and Amazon headquarters. Sanders says the shots were fired at a Tesla. “The Tesla had bullet holes in it,” he tells me. The Seattle Police Department confirmed late on Wednesday afternoon that a pregnant woman inside the car and her unborn child died. A male victim in the car is Read More ›