95 arrests in Seattle’s new fight against downtown crime
Apr 23, 2015, 12:11 PM | Updated: 1:11 pm
Police have made at least 95 arrests since Wednesday as part of a new effort to crack down on crime in downtown Seattle.
Rather than sending them to prison, some of the suspected drug dealers are being connected to a diversion program that Seattle police called “promising and pioneering.”
Related: Crime crackdown planned for downtown Seattle
In a news conference Thursday morning, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, along with local and federal law enforcement, said Operation Crosstown Traffic will continue.
The Seattle Police Department has received 10,000 calls of service in the area surrounding the 1500 block of Pine Street in the last year. There are frequent reports of drug dealing and property crimes, as well as violent brawls, shootings, and stabbings.
“Seattle residents and visitors should not be forced to navigate a dangerous open-air drug market between the downtown retail core and Pike Place Market,” Murray said.
