Public Safety

Public safety is at the core of strong communities that are great places to raise a family, own a business and build an economy that works for everyone. The top priority of government is the protection of its people. If people don’t feel safe in their communities, businesses or walking to school, nothing else matters. 

In the wake of the 2020 riots in downtown Seattle and elsewhere across the nation, there have been policies put in place that have eroded public safety. Some have been reversed, such as drug possession laws and police pursuits, but the fallout has let repeat offenders continue to victimize residents and businesses in communities across the state. In addition, the “defund the police” movement has created a climate in which recruitment for police officers is getting increasingly difficult. Seattle, for example, is attempting to recruit 400 officers, which is proving to be a monumental task even with bonuses, and smaller communities cannot compete for law enforcement officers at the pay scale now required.

We can solve the issues in rural and urban communities by:

1. Creating an atmosphere of collaboration with law enforcement, not demonization. They serve our communities in times of great need.
2. Giving smaller communities options to raise revenue to compete for law enforcement talent.
3. Addressing Organized Retail Crime, a growing trend that is not confined to urban areas.
4. Instituting policies like Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison’s High Utilizer Initiative, which focuses on repeat criminals that commit the highest number of crimes.
5. Engage the community with law enforcement.

We cannot build strong neighborhoods without safety as our top priority. Local and state elected officials have the ability to address safety through common sense policies, following laws already on the books and collaborating with stakeholders to ensure accountability and safety in every community.