SPD presence in Little Saigon (Photo by John Liu)
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell made an impromptu visit to the Chinatown-International District (CID) on Feb. 19.
When asked about his visit, he told the Northwest Asian Weekly, “It is my personal and professional commitment to make sure we have sustainable change in Seattle such that our community is safe and clean. I want people housed and treated and Seattle to be prideful of the conditions of its residents and neighborhoods.”
Harrell’s visit comes a day after the Seattle Police Department (SPD) set up a mobile precinct at 12th Avenue and South Jackson Street in Little Saigon.
A storefront near the intersection of 12th and Jackson is now clean and clear of garbage. (Photo by John Liu)
Business owners and residents have long complained about this intersection—rife with crime, drugs, and stolen merchandise. Several shootings have also been reported at the intersection.
Police Chief Adrian Diaz said, “Since the beginning of 2022, the SPD has run many operations, resulting in the arrests of multiple people who have been preying on the community surrounding 12th and South Jackson for months. Since last week, SPD officers have provided a very visible presence that will continue for the foreseeable future. We understand how detrimental the on-going criminal activity has been to residents, businesses, and community leaders in that neighborhood, and the SPD commits to continue its work with city partners to help keep this area safe.”
SPD presence spotted along 12th Avenue (Photo by John Liu)
King County Metro has also moved a bus stop from 12th and Jackson to a different location across the street to increase safety.
The Little Saigon neighborhood is hosting a monthly community clean-up, with one happening on March 5. Event coordinators anticipate 50 to 100 participants each month.
It’s about time. It’s plain and simple racism that kept this problem going on so badly for so long. People expect “Chinatown” to be full of shady businesses and dirty, so they left this problem to fester, while other neighborhoods were getting cleaned up.