Going Soft on Drugs and Crime Has Turned Seattle Into Another American Wasteland

“Seattle no longer feels the need to stop anyone from doing anything for any reason, at any time. The most stunning city in America is dying, all right.”

So begins “The Fight for the Soul of Seattle,” a 90-minute documentary produced by KOMO News, which for years has reported on Seattle’s pervasive drug problems and associated perils. The local news station, which premiered the feature last weekend, produced a similarly themed broadcast entitled “Seattle is Dying” last year that received more than 10 million views and several regional film awards. . .

Perhaps the most significant demonstration of Seattle’s stark divide was in the city’s response to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, also known as CHAZ or CHOP, a six-block stretch that was overtaken and declared independent by local activists amid this summer’s Black Lives Matter protests. In a move that garnered national attention, the City of Seattle instructed police to cede control of the area, which included a police precinct as well as homes, businesses, and citizens suddenly left to fend for themselves.

City officials outwardly touted the zone as a quaint block party where people sang around bonfires and distributed free kebabs. Mayor Jenny Durkan suggested CHAZ would bring about a “summer of love,” and city councilmembers cheered with celebratory selfies. . .

How did Seattle get here? Look no further than the City Council, which has aided and abetted this rising criminality by crippling the Seattle Police Department. “The institution of policing itself must be dismantled,” Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda said during one meeting earlier this year. Councilmember Lorena Gonzales agreed, saying, “Now is the time to divest from the police department.” (Read more from “Going Soft on Drugs and Crime Has Turned Seattle Into Another American Wasteland” HERE)

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