Photo by Tanya Woo
Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID) will benefit from more than $1 million in funding aimed at improving public safety. The Senate passed an appropriations package that allocates $1,039,000 to Purpose Dignity Action (PDA) for a community safety team focused on addressing open-air criminal activity and enhancing neighborhood safety.
“Funding will go to deploy a team to de-escalate disruptions and conflict in the neighborhood on a daily basis. They will be trained to de-escalate conflicts, connect individuals to housing and behavioral health services and coordinate with the Seattle Police Department and other emergency services as needed.”
This funding is part of a larger $6,316,000 community project package that is expected to receive presidential approval soon.
PDA said in a statement, “For years, CID community leaders have been attempting to generate a community-based public safety response that addresses issues with complex origins, including income inequality, inadequate resources to care for people with profound mental illness, mass homelessness, the residual effects of pandemic closures, and the fentanyl epidemic. We appreciate Representative (Adam) Smith’s office for supporting a project that will enable such a response.”