By James Tabafunda
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Residents of Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID) sought solutions to rising crime during a public forum on Sept. 11, challenging city officials to address persistent issues that have left many feeling vulnerable in their own neighborhood.
The two-hour meeting, hosted by City Councilmember Tanya Woo and co-sponsored by the Chong Wa Benevolent Association, highlighted growing frustration with what residents described as inadequate responses to critical public safety problems.
From left: Seattle City Council Public Safety Chair Bob Kettle, Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson, Seattle City Councilmember Tanya Woo, Seattle Public Safety Director Natalie Walton-Anderson, CARE Department Chief Amy Barden, and Interim Seattle Police Department Chief Sue Rahr (Photo by James Tabafunda)
“This forum is a great opportunity to learn about what the City of Seattle officials and this council is doing to improve public safety in our neighborhoods,” Woo said. “We love to get them out and listen to community members, make that connection, and also see the community. I think that’s really important to show we are here to care. We want to help. But more importantly, it’s an opportunity for us to hear from our neighborhood stakeholders. There’s so much work that needs to be done to improve public safety, and we can’t afford to take a step back.”
About 140 people gathered at the historic Chong Wa Benevolent Association building in the CID. Emcee Enrique Cerna kicked off the event in the second-floor auditorium. The forum, organized in three segments, featured presentations on public safety concerns, followed by a Q&A session and an open discussion. Organizers offered Cantonese interpretation services to ensure broader community participation.
Woo joined key council members and public safety officials, including City Council Public Safety Chair Bob Kettle, City Council President Sara Nelson, Seattle Public Safety Director Natalie Walton-Anderson, Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department Chief Amy Barden, and Interim Seattle Police Department (SPD) Chief Sue Rahr.
Mayor Bruce Harrell unveiled a $1.7 million proposal in general fund spending last July, focusing on police recruitment and demolishing vacant buildings. The proposal, part of a mid-year supplemental budget package, comes as the SPD faces significant staffing shortages. Recent reports indicate the city of nearly 760,000 residents has only about 750 deployable and active police officers.
In a separate initiative, he proposed allocating $1.9 million to add 21 new positions to the CARE Department. This expansion aims to deploy behavioral health responders seven days a week, addressing non-violent crisis situations that may not require police intervention.
The CID continues to deal with crime, drug use, and open-air drug markets. A fatal shooting in June left a 35-year-old man dead, while another incident one month later resulted in two men being hospitalized with gunshot wounds.
A 32-year-old man was shot in the lower back on Aug. 28 near 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street following an altercation, the SPD said. The incident remains under investigation.
Interim SPD Chief Sue Rahr described the area as a “complex problem.” She said, “Twelfth and Jackson is a complex problem because it’s not just one thing. We have a lot of people suffering from the severe disease of addiction who are vulnerable to people who are selling drugs, and there are people who are selling stolen property that take advantage of this audience that is there on the street.”
“Our system doesn’t work for the present reality of public safety. There needs to be something else instead of jail, and we don’t have a robust enough system in place to provide people the treatment that they need,” she said.
City Council President Sara Nelson emphasized the need for improved public safety in the CID. Nelson, who chairs the Economic Development Committee, stressed that addressing public safety is crucial for the neighborhood’s wellbeing.
“The most important change we can make is improving public safety,” Nelson said, underscoring issues affecting vulnerable senior residents, including trash accumulation, graffiti, and infrastructure problems.
During the forum’s Q&A session, many CID senior residents spoke in Cantonese about their safety concerns, including being followed inside their residence buildings and avoiding neighborhood parks due to fear.
“It’s hard because people follow someone inside, but being an elder, you can’t do anything because of fear of retaliation, which is a really tough situation,” Woo said.
The CID’s public safety issues have gained national attention. In May of 2023, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the district to its annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, marking the first Washington state site on the list since its 1988 creation.
City Councilmember Bob Kettle, chair of the public safety committee, outlined a new framework aimed at addressing CID’s concerns. The plan includes six pillars, with the first focusing on police efforts to counter what he described as a “permissive environment” in which things are allowed.
“And that creates an environment where other things are allowed, and it cascades. It gets to the point where our public safety posture is where it is today,” Kettle said.
The city’s efforts include improving relations between the council and the SPD, implementing new technologies like automatic license plate readers, and addressing issues with vacant properties.
Nelson prioritizes a multi-faceted approach to public safety in the CID. “So my first year, I passed a resolution calling for police (hiring) bonuses because the single most important thing we can do is increase the number of officers,” she said.
She also emphasized the need for accessible addiction treatment. Her strategy focuses on addressing the fentanyl crisis and increasing police staffing, one that reflects her commitment to long-term solutions to the underlying causes of crime and homelessness in the CID.
“I share your frustration that things aren’t better yet,” Nelson said. “But we are trying, and we have to take a big dose of humility and recognize that we’ve got a long way to go.”
Seattle’s Director of Public Safety Natalie Walton-Anderson stressed the importance of listening and taking action. In her first three months on the job, she has conducted three walk-throughs and one ride-along in the district.
“We need to do more,” Walton-Anderson said. The SPD is proposing closed-circuit television camera systems to help detect criminal activity in the CID. She said, “When the council makes a decision on that, [the CID] would be named one of the pilot projects.”
In addition to supporting police recruiting, she said, “The mayor’s office has asked them for a more active presence to support and enforce the drug ordinance, specifically on 12th and Jackson and 12th and King.” She stressed the commitment by the mayor’s office to continue financial support in the CID, calling it “still one of the most beautiful and special places.”
The city is also expanding its social services. The CARE department now dispatches social health professionals to cover non-criminal 911 calls, addressing issues like mental health crises and overdoses.
“I can add 24 social workers who are masters-level. They’re skilled. They can triage and hopefully get someone into services,” said CARE Department Chief Amy Barden, a city official. “About 40% of the time in the first 800 calls, we’ve transported somebody somewhere.”
The city is focusing on breaking the cycle of repeated crisis interventions by investing in proper diagnosis and treatment, particularly for fentanyl-related cases. However, challenges remain in meeting the high demand for detox and rehabilitation services. City leaders believe this comprehensive approach will ultimately improve public safety and community wellbeing in the district.
Community leaders also emphasized the importance of personal safety measures. Woo said, “When we were doing senior defense classes, we taught people situational awareness. Look around, look people in the eye, be aware of your surroundings, which is really important. There weren’t a lot of (911) calls in certain parts of the CID so we couldn’t expand those (drug-free) zones there. We really implore people to please say something. This is something. Say something.”
“The first step is to talk about these issues out in public,” Woo said, highlighting the significance of community forums in addressing safety concerns. “I’m thankful that many people came out to talk about what they’re seeing because I think there’s that fear of speaking out and being singled out in Chinese culture. We don’t want to create any waves so I think people are really brave when they’re able to talk about what they’re seeing.”
“My goal was to make sure this community is being heard,” she said.
To watch the Public Safety Forum video, go to seattlechannel.org/mayor-and-council/city-council/council-events?videoid=x159475.
James Tabafunda can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.
Seattle is very lucky to have leadership that genuinely cares about the safety of it’s residents. Thank you Councilmembers Kettle, Nelson, and Woo for standing up for what’s right. Thank you for having a plan and for doing the hard work, even when the small but loud voices come against you. You are doing what is right and we love you for it.