Data shows Kshama Sawant may be the one who is out of touch

Not long after the proposal to build a new precinct in North Seattle was shelved by city leaders, city Council Member Kshama Sawant stressed that there are more important issues facing the city than policing — specifically, housing.

Sawant included, among other things, affordable housing and “skyrocketing rent” as issues that trump the need for a new police precinct. On the Jason and Burns Show, Sawant said only people “out of touch with reality” would think otherwise.

Sawant, housing and crime data

That caught the attention of Seattle Times Columnist Danny Westneat, who pointed out that Sawant might be off-base when she says people who support police are out of touch. Why might a person who has supported the idea of stopping the city from building a $149 million precinct disagree with the Sawant? Just take a look at the statistics Westneat presents.

“Rape in Seattle is up an alarming 55 percent this year,” according to Westneat.

The number of rapes increased from 82 through Sept. 10 of last year to 127 this year, Westneat writes.

“We’ve already exceeded the yearly total for each of the past 10 years,” according to Westneat.

Domestic violence calls are also up by 11 percent in the City of Seattle. Local police seized more than 900 illegal guns in 2015, according to Westneat.

At the same time, groups such as Block the Bunker are promoting the idea of giving police less power. Though past police action justifies a more watchful eye on police, Westneat says this is a reason to “improve policing, not cripple it.”

If the police department begins to lose the support of city leaders, the question becomes: how will officers do their jobs effectively? What happens when a suspicious package actually turns out to be a threat, instead of just a suitcase?

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