US EditionSeattle police union clashes with city leaders over drug arrest policy
- On Jan. 1, an internal email from Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes instructed that all drug possession charges be diverted to the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program, prompting warnings from the Seattle Police Officers' Guild.
- LEAD, a long-running diversion program, is supported by Seattle in 2026 with up to 25% of a sales tax increase allocated to addiction treatment, including Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion.
- Monday, Erika Evans, Seattle City Attorney, denied a non-arrest directive, saying `That is not correct at all`; the Seattle Police Department confirmed officers retain arrest discretion and Bob Kettle, Seattle City Councilmember, noted refusal to join LEAD may lead to charges.
- Outside agencies reacted, with Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank inviting Seattle officers to transfer amid backlash against Mayor Katie Wilson, while Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle said the strategy aims to direct individuals to resources and acknowledged community frustration.
- Amid a severe fentanyl crisis, King County recorded more than 1,000 overdose deaths in 2023 and nearly 800 last year, while Seattle aligns policy with Ordinance 126896 and post-Blake legal shifts.
16 Articles
16 Articles
The Daily Caller
Conservative ReviewSocialist Blue City Mayor, Police Guild Butt Heads Over Whether Arresting Drug Users Is A Good Thing
Democratic Mayor Katie Wilson of Seattle is denying she ordered police to no longer arrest drug users after the police union claimed she issued a directive.
Police in This Dem City Are Being Told Not to Arrest Drug Abusers.
PULSE POINTSWHAT HAPPENED: Seattle’s new mayor faces backlash after an internal police email revealed most drug possession and public use cases are being diverted to programs rather than prosecuted.WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mayor Katie Wilson (D), Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes, Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan, and nonprofit executive Andrea Suarez.WHEN & WHERE: January 2026 in Seattle, Washington.KEY QUOTE: “The recent naive, ignor…
Seattle’s Socialist New Mayor Orders Police to Stop Prosecuting Open Drug Use
Seattle’s radical new mayor is facing growing scrutiny over her administration’s approach to public safety after an internal police email revealed that most low-level drug possession and public-use cases are being routed into diversion programs rather than prosecution. The post Seattle’s Socialist New Mayor Orders Police to Stop Prosecuting Open Drug Use appeared first on Slay News.
Seattle mayor clarifies no policy change on drug arrests
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson faced backlash for an alleged directive from her administration to not arrest people for drug possession or public drug use, and instead divert them to treatment. Wilson clarified, on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio, that there has been no policy change regarding the arrest of drug users. ‘This whole episode has taught me even more than I already learned during the campaign about the power of a rumor. So I hav…
Seattle’s New Communist Mayor Katie Wilson Orders Police to Stand Down on Open Drug Use | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hᴏft
Seattle’s newly installed Communist Mayor Katie Wilson has effectively ordered the police to stand down on open drug use, turning the once-vibrant Emerald City into a dystopian nightmare of needles, overdoses, and unchecked criminality.
Seattle police union condemns new socialist mayor's drug enforcement approach as 'suicidal empathy'
The president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild issued a statement on Sunday slamming the newly elected self-described democratic socialist Mayor Katie Wilson's approach to drug enforcement as "suicidal empathy.""The recent naive, ignorant political decision to not arrest offenders for open drug use in the City of Seattle is horrifically dangerous and will create more death and societal decay," the Seattle Police Officers Guild President, Mik…
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