‘I see progress’: Gyro shop owner lauds safety improvements in Seattle

Just over a week ago, KIRO Newsradio listener and Gyros Place owner Layla Farange spoke to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin, issuing a plea to city leaders to address public safety in downtown Seattle. With the arrival of increased police patrols and a mobile precinct, she says the situation appears to be improving.

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“This is a state of emergency,” she said last week. “I think Governor Jay Inslee and the mayor need to work together and fix it. This is not OK. Public safety right now doesn’t exist.”

Shortly after Farange voiced her complaints, Mayor Bruce Harrell and interim Police Chief Adrian Diaz unveiled a plan to deploy a mobile precinct on Third Avenue and Pine Street, while having six dedicated officers provide additional patrol support.

Since then, she says that she’s seen a marked improvement.

“I see progress,” she told Gee and Ursula on Thursday. “I see the mayor is doing his job — he promises he is going to clean up, he’s cleaning up. Chief Diaz, he promises he’s going to do things around the city, he is doing it, I see it.”

Farange also says she has received an outpouring of support from KIRO Newsradio listeners since her first appearance on the show.

That said, she reported receiving less support from city councilmembers, who she says have been “MIA,” despite Councilmembers Andrew Lewis and Sara Nelson visiting the area Wednesday.

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“They didn’t talk to anybody,” she claimed, while also noting that emails to the council have gone unanswered. “They were just walking around. We are struggling, you need to be here talking to us.”

In the meantime, she remains hopeful that things will continue to improve.

Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.