A new directive from mayor Katie Wilson orders the Seattle Police Department to stop arresting people for open drug use, instead directing them to resources such as the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program.
The LEAD program adopts a strategy to respond to low level illegal behavior that involves police, prosecutors, case managers, and community leaders to help those with mental health challenges and income instability; a more dignified approach than jail and prosecution.
After an email was sent out to officers, the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild responded on X.
“SPOG President, Mike Solan: ‘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. It embodies an enormous flaw in those in our community who think that meeting people where they are who are in the throes of addiction, is the correct path to lift them up. This is wrong and is commonly referred to as “Suicidal Empathy.” Most cops know that the LEAD program supports this ideology and they don’t want to refer cases. It is a waste of time. We’ve all seen how our streets can be filled with death, decay, blight and crime when ideology like this infects our city. Now with this resurrected insane direction, death, destruction and more human suffering will be supercharged’”.
Katie Wilson’s office has not commented or responded to inquiries yet.