From left: David Della, Tony Au, Dr. Ming Xiao and Anna Hau
Former Seattle City Councilman David Della
Tony Au, President, Gee How Oak Tin Family Association
Dr. Ming Xiao, Small Business Owner, Chinatown-ID
Anna Hau, Small Business Owner and Seniors in Action, Chinatown – ID
Chinatown International District (CID) is a historic and culturally rich neighborhood with many small businesses and residents, many of us immigrants, low-income earners and seniors. Sadly, our community has been besieged by a dramatic escalation of violence and property crime for the past two years, and we fear for the safety of our most vulnerable people and the viability of the small businesses and cultural spaces that serve them. That’s why we urge the City Council to support Assemblyman Sara Nelson’s resolution calling for a staffing incentive program to expedite recruiting of new officers and lay the groundwork for releasing unspent funds in the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) 2022 budget to pay for it.
Deaths, assaults, drug dealing and looting related to the now cleared 12th and Jackson’s camp in Little Saigon have been widely reported, but such activities remain widespread and ongoing throughout the community. Citywide, year-to-date (YTD) homicides increased 70% with 17 deaths compared to 10 YTD last year, and shootings increased 138% with 62 YTD compared to 26 YTD in 2021 rise.
Due to the severe staffing shortage in Seattle SPD, there are not enough officers on the streets to address our public safety crisis. Since January 2022, the SPD has lost nearly 400 deployable officers, representing a 28 percent reduction in its active force. All other jurisdictions in our region have implemented some form of recruiting or retention program that Seattle must do to compete for limited applicants.
Assemblyman Nelson’s Resolution 32050 establishes policy direction to strengthen consideration of her proposed Assembly bill authorizing the use of up to $4.5 million in surplus funds for incentives such as relocation costs, recruiting bonuses and professional development. For department officials already considering leaving Seattle, passage of this resolution will show that the city values them and their services.
Last summer, more than 200 CID community leaders and small business owners signed a letter to the City Council expressing our support for improving police accountability and opposing further cuts to the SPD’s budget. We stand together again now to support Assemblyman Sara Nelson’s legislation to incentivize the recruitment of enough officers to keep small businesses and residents in our community and across Seattle safe.
Assemblyman Nelson’s resolution is scheduled for a May 10 vote on the Committee on Public Safety and Human Services.You can email your support to Council@seattle.gov.
