‘I’ll announce a policy change’: Seattle mayor responds to backlash over apparent policy to not arrest drug users

Newly elected Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is facing sharp criticism from police and community groups following allegations that her administration is directing officers not to arrest people for drug possession or public drug use, instead diverting all such cases into treatment programs.

The allegations stem from internal emails sent last week to Seattle police officers, including one from Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes outlining a change in how drug-related cases will be handled. Multiple sources told KIRO Newsradio they have reviewed emails from Wilson’s administration and Barnes confirming the policy shift.

In one email, Barnes told officers, effective immediately, all cases involving drug possession or drug use would be diverted to the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program rather than referred for prosecution, according to Seattle Red.

“All charges related to drug possession and/or drug use will be diverted from prosecution to the LEAD program,” Barnes wrote.

LEAD is designed to redirect low-level offenders away from jail and into treatment, housing assistance, and other support services.

Barnes added that if individuals fail to comply with the program, prosecutors could re-engage. He also emphasized that officers are still expected to make arrests when probable cause exists, particularly in cases of public drug use.

Wilson responds to claims of policy change

When asked if she had changed the city’s policy regarding arrests and the prosecution of drug users, Wilson responded, “You’ll know when I announce a policy change, because I’ll announce a policy change.”

The mayor outlined her vision for public safety, which emphasized her commitment to the issue.

Wilson added in her statement, “I remain committed to that vision. Our work now is to carry it out, including enforcement of the possession and public use ordinance in priority situations and ensuring that the LEAD framework and other effective responses to neighborhood hot spots are implemented with an appropriate level of urgency, sufficient resources, and a commitment to results.”

SPOG president calls approach ‘naive and ignorant’

The Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), which represents rank-and-file officers, strongly criticized the apparent policy shift. SPOG President Mike Solan called the approach “naive and ignorant” and warned it would lead to more crime and deaths.

“The recent 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,” Solan said in a statement, referring to the policy as “suicidal empathy.”

Solan also claimed many officers do not refer cases to LEAD because they believe it is ineffective.

“Most cops know the program supports this ideology, and they don’t want to refer cases. It is a waste of time,” he said.

Executive director of We Heart Seattle echoes SPOG president

Andrea Suarez, executive director of We Heart Seattle, a nonprofit that works with people experiencing homelessness and addiction, echoed those concerns.

“This is enablement in its worst kind, and people will die at a faster rate by allowing them to use illicit, illegal narcotics on our sidewalks, in our parks, under our bridges,” Suarez said. “It’s horrific what’s happening and the direction the city is going in over the next five years.”

Suarez said enforcement plays a critical role in pushing people toward treatment, arguing that without consequences, addiction worsens. She criticized some treatment environments, saying they fail to disrupt drug use.

She claims many of the addicts she’s worked with over the years say being locked up inside the King County Jail was the most effective way to get off drugs.

“It was sick and tired, or being sick and tired of going through withdrawals, not being able to score dope because we had a culture where it was very hard to get dope,” Suarez explained.

Suarez was also critical of the LEAD program, “which is actually a nice air-conditioned hotel room with smoking gazebos in the courtyard, fentanyl oil and methamphetamine pipes are actually handed out to use drugs.”

Supporters of diversion programs argue that treatment-focused approaches reduce incarceration, improve long-term outcomes, and address addiction as a public health issue rather than solely a criminal matter. Seattle and King County have used LEAD for years as an alternative to jail for certain low-level offenses.

Critics countered that without meaningful enforcement, open drug use and associated crime increase, discouraging recovery and straining neighborhoods already affected by homelessness and addiction.

The controversy comes as Wilson begins her first term as mayor, with public safety and drug use among the most divisive issues facing the city.

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