By Staff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
The City of Seattle said in a community news release that it has heard from Chinatown-International District (CID) community members that they would appreciate some good news. The following is what the City sent out to keep community members up-to-date on CID goings-on between 2024 and early 2025.
2024
- The City first highlighted what it called its “place-based approach” in Little Sài Gòn, and said it had “seen some success in the high visibility directed patrols and narcotics operations that have led to interrupting the criminal behavior in that area.”
The City pointed to SPD’s operation on Dec. 18, 2024, which resulted in 14 arrests and the recovery of nearly 90 grams of narcotics, including 14.6 grams of methamphetamine and 73.3 grams of fentanyl.
The City said that officers would continue with increased patrols in the area. Officers can now book misdemeanor offenses in King County Jail, due to a new agreement with King County, enacted Ordinance 126896, which relates to use of illegal drugs in a public space. - The Downtown Activation Team (DAT) started its work in Little Saigon in November, and has continued cleaning the area three times daily. The restoration work will continue into 2025.
- The City has begun coordinating efforts with contracted outreach service providers, such as Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), REACH, We Deliver Care, and Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE), to begin offering case management and referrals to people who are interested in them.
- Seattle Police Department (SPD) parking enforcement has begun to have a presence at 8th Avenue South and South Lane Street in the early hours of the weekend. “We heard from the community that this has decreased the congregation of crowds and activity that linger at that time,” the City said.
The City also said that the Mayor’s Office, the Seattle City Attorney’s Office (SCAO), SPD, the Liquor Control Board, and the Code Compliance Team are working to create a more long-term solution for the area.
The City also provided 2024 statistics from the various teams dispatched to the area.
Unified Care Team (UCT) December 2024 Statistics
Completed UCT Cleanings: 40
Resolutions/Removals:27
Pounds of Debris: 6,680
Outreach
Total offers: 35
Accepted: 2
Park Ranger Data Tracking – 2024 Hing Hay Park Summary
266 park ranger visits to the park
3,473 people contacted at the park
239 customer services provided on Education of the Park Code, Engagement, and Directions
233 positive responses from the public
19 negative responses from the Public
105 verbal warnings
Animals running at large/off-leash
Liquor offense
Smoking in the park
Unapproved fires in the park
Camping in the park
Amplified sounds
Littering in the park
Urinating in the park
24 interactions with an individual which de-escalated a situation and reduced a call to 911 for SPD assistance
Park Ranger Data Tracking – 2024 Hoa Mai Park Summary
70 park ranger visit to the park
500 people contacted at the park
48 customer services provided on Education of the Park Code, Engagement, and Directions
36 positive responses from the public
11 negative responses from the Public
21 verbal Warnings
Animals running at large/off-leash
Liquor offense
Smoking in the park
Unapproved fires in the park
Camping in the park
Amplified sounds
Littering in the park
Urinating in the park
4 interactions with an individual which de-escalated a situation and reduced a call to 911 for SPD assistance
SDOT (Seattle Department of Transportation) – 2024 Summary
SDOT pruned the trees along Jackson from 12th Avenue to Rainier Avenue S., at 12th & King along Victorian Row, at Maynard Avenue & King Street, and around Hing Hay Park.
12th Avenue South.
2025
- On Jan. 15, Mayor Bruce Harrell and the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with SPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and other agencies, had indicted 5 Seattle-area men on drug trafficking charges in homeless encampments in the Chinatown-International District and “The Jungle.”
- In collaboration with the Mayor’s Office, the Office of Economic Development (OED), Seattle’s Parks Department, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Seattle City Light (SCL), and the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Association (CIDBIA), have installed 4 blocks’ worth of decorative, color-changing tree lights around Hing Hay Park, along 6th Avenue, 7th Avenue, and Maynard Street.
In addition, the City has also installed zig-zagging catenary lights between the Tai Tung restaurant building and the Kau Kau building.
Seattle City Light will electrify these lights in time for Lunar New Year. The lights are a permanent installation. - The City has continued work with the Friends of Little Saigon on the Phố Đẹp, Beautiful Neighborhood project, an initiative that focuses on community-led environmental design improvements to prevent crime. The project is still seeking funding for phase 2 implementation.
- The City has continued its launched a partnership with Uplift Northwest for graffiti removal and abatement on public and private property in the neighborhood.
- The Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) has also continued to work with the Small Business Relief Team, which includes the Chinatown International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA), Friends of Little Saigon, and the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation Authority (SCIDpda).
As part of that, the City funds placemaking and place-keeping initiatives in the CID, including cleaning, public realm improvements, and year-round economic development and small business assistance.
The City has created a general fund to support a city’s version of the Storefront Repair Fund that ended in 2024 for broken windows or vandalism. There will be more information forthcoming. - The City gave a special shoutout to @Yongkang Zhou and his team for his fast response to save the artwork at Nihonmachi Alley from graffiti over the weekend.
- The Mayor’s Office, along with SPD and Seattle City Light, conducted a lighting assessment and identified needed upgrades for wattages of lights, and broken lights along King St and Weller Street. These work orders are estimated to be completed in February.
- The Mayor’s Office, Parks, and OED department are working to find funding to install decorative gates at the North and South side of Hoa Mai Park. The Parks department will open and close the gates daily. The installation is estimated to be completed in February.
- The Navigation Center is in the process of closing. DESC stopped accepting shelter referrals to the facility in November 2024, and staff are working with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) to find other suitable shelter or housing options for the current residents to support a successful closure.
As residents are moved on a rolling basis, the resident population of the Navigation Center will continue to decrease until full closure. This process is expected to be complete by the end of Q1 2025. Once all residents are moved and the Navigation Center closes, the future of the Pearl Warren Building will be determined by its owner, the Seattle Indian Services Commission. - A new technology pilot will deploy tools like CCTV cameras and a Real Time Crime Center. These technologies are meant to prevent and solve crimes in the CID. They are estimated to be installed around the second quarter of 2025. The City is in the procurement and permitting phase for CCTV cameras.
- The City is in discussions regarding how to activate Little Saigon and Hoa Mai Park, as it works to “stabilize” the area.
City highlights efforts around public safety in CID, focusing on community engagement and efficient management of safety measures. Ensuring the well-being of citizens requires effective leadership and planning. For those in public safety management, the Management Training Calendar 2025 in Europe offers training on public safety management, emergency planning, and community outreach.