‘I don’t care what the numbers say’: Gee challenges declining crime stats after deadly Belltown weekend

Three separate shootings in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood over the Labor Day weekend left three people dead and three others injured, and as of Tuesday, no arrests have been made.

KIRO host Gee Scott and KIRO fill-in host Angela Poe Russell both pushed past the headlines to challenge how the city talks about and responds to gun violence.

“I don’t care what the numbers say,” Gee said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “The numbers nationally and in Seattle, homicides are down, violent crime is down. But when you are having these conversations, you don’t have these conversations. Nobody has a spreadsheet when your family has been impacted by crime, and somebody says, ‘Hey, I know you lost a loved one, but just so you know, crime’s actually down.'”

The first shooting erupted just after midnight Sunday, when street racers took over the area directly south of the Space Needle. A fight broke out amid the crowd and led to gunfire. A man was transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition, where he later died. Three others were wounded. A woman was killed in a separate shooting nearby. Late Sunday night, a third shooting near Pier 66 killed a 17-year-old boy and seriously injured a 21-year-old man. Police say the three incidents were unrelated.

On Labor Day, Interim Police Chief Andre Sayles pledged to increase bike patrols, focus on individuals known to be involved in gun violence, and curtail street takeovers.

Gee says ‘crime follows poverty’

Gee, who was in Chicago when the shootings happened, warned that the current lull in crime statistics may not last.

“While crime might be down right now, there is a possibility that crime might shoot back up,” Gee said. “I’m going to always talk about how crime follows poverty, and we might be seeing more poverty in the future. So it’s better to get to the bottom of why this is happening.”

He argued the number itself is beside the point.

“I don’t care if it was 70-something homicides five years ago, and then right now there’s only 30,” Gee said. “Thirty is too much. Get to the bottom of that.”

Angela wasn’t surprised by Belltown shootings

Angela said that when she heard the news the next morning, her reaction wasn’t shock.

“My first response was, I’m not surprised,” Angela said. “I live and travel through the city every day, this amazing, beautiful city, and I am noticing a shift. The energy is different.”

She said her concern is less about any single weekend and more about trajectory.

“All I know is I’m really concerned about the direction we’re trending,” Angela said.

Gee questions elected officials’ motivation

Gee challenged city leaders to examine why they act on public safety, and whether the motivation is genuine.

“What is the motivation to really, really get to the bottom of trying to prevent this crime?” Gee asked. “Because if the motivation is only to take care of things to get elected, or is it to really have an impact on these families? I’d argue a lot of the elected officials have no idea of what it’s like to have some of this crime hit their families.”

He also pushed back on the idea that staffing numbers alone explain the problem.

“Just so we’re all clear, 10 more police officers don’t necessarily prevent crime,” Gee said. “Police officers can be doing an amazing job. If crime goes up, that doesn’t mean police officers weren’t doing their jobs.”

Angela asks: Where are the police?

Angela said she welcomes officers in the community but raised a simple question about visibility.

“Do you think that having a stronger police presence in the city will make a difference?” Angela asked. “As someone who lives here, I don’t see them often.”

Gee compared Seattle to what he saw in Chicago, where officers were concentrated downtown near tourists while the South Side had far less coverage.

“I saw more police officers downtown,” he said. “And guess what happens downtown? That’s where you spend the money.”

The question comes as SPD has just 929 officers available to answer 911 calls and recently scrapped its $50,000 hiring bonuses, citing budget concerns.

What’s next

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said Tuesday that the city will announce a gun violence prevention strategy next week, according to KOMO News.

Angela noted Wilson has been developing the program for months and plans to release it with her upcoming budget proposal.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.