>>> IT'S 9:32 A.M. JUNE9, 2026.
I'M ROBERT KETTLE. WILL THE
CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLE?
>> COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ?
>> HERE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER LIN IS RUNNING
LATE. COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA?
>> HERE.
>> SAKA?
>> HERE.
>> KETTLE.
>> HERE.
>> FOUR ARE PRESENT.
>> LIN IS EXCUSED UNTIL HE
ARRIVES. I LEARNED THAT LESSON.
FOR TODAY'S CHAIR COMMENTS, JUST
WANTED TO BRIEFLY SAY AND PASS A
WORD OF THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUE,
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA FOR PUTTING
HAD A GREAT MIX OF, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE WORK OF
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION, BUT
ALSO FROM THE COMMUNITY. WE HAD
DIFFERENT COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED, AND,
YOU KNOW, FIRE. WE HAD THE WHOLE
HOST. IT'S HARD TO GET
EVERYBODY IN THERE. I'M SURE WE
COULD GET MORE, BUT WE HAD A
GREAT REPRESENTATION ACROSS THE
BOARD. I WANTED TO THANK HER,
AND ALSO THANK DEPUTY MAYOR, AND
ALSO THE KING COUNTY PROSECUTOR,
THE CITY ATTORNEY EVANS, CHIEF
BARNES, YOU KNOW, FOR SPENDING
THE ENTIRE DAY THERE. IT SHOWS
THE, YOU KNOW, HOW IMPORTANT IT
IS BY THEIR PARTICIPATION. AND I
JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE WILL
LOOK TO BUILD ON THIS WORK THAT
WAS DONE YESTERDAY IN SYMPOSIUM.
I ALREADY TALKED TO CHIEF BARNES
ABOUT HAVING HUNT'S
PRESENTATION PRESENTED TO
COMMITTEE AT SOME POINT OVER THE
COURSE OF THIS COMMITTEE SEASON.
I THINK IT'S THAT IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, IN GOING THROUGH THE
DAY AT THE END, I NOTED A FEW
THINGS. I JUST WANTED TO RELAY
THESE AGAIN. ONE IS, IN ORDER TO
MOVE FORWARD, YOU NEED
LEADERSHIP. AND, YOU KNOW, I
MENTIONED THIS BEFORE RECENTLY
IN CHAIR COMMENT. WITH FOLLOW
THROUGH AND FOLLOWUP, IT MUST BE
DEDICATED AND CANNOT BE AD HOC.
IN TERMS OF THE COMMITTEE AND
COUNCIL, WE NEED TO OUR PIECE,
TOO. THE PROCEDURE AND FRAMEWORK
WHERE WE ADDED A PILLAR OF THIS
BEING GUN VIOLENCE REDUCTION,
PREVENTION, AND COMMUNITY
SAFETY. COMMUNITY SAFETY IS
IMPORTANT. THAT'S PART OF WHAT
WE ARE DOING HERE, ALTERNATIVE
RESPONSE AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL,
AS OPPOSED TO THE LEVEL WITH
CARE AND THE ORGANIZATION
SERVICE PROVIDERS, BUT WORKING
TOGETHER WITH COMMUNITY BECAUSE
AT THE END OF THE DAY, COMMUNITY
IS KEY FOR THIS, FOR US. I
MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A
REGIONAL APPROACH. IT'S
INTERESTING. WE TALK ABOUT
SEATTLE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES,
BUT THEY ARE NOT SEATTLE PUBLIC
SAFETY ISSUES. THESE
INDIVIDUALS, LIKE WITH GUN
VIOLENCE, BY THE WAY, THERE'S
DIFFERENT TYPES GUN VIOLENCE.
BOTH ARE DIFFERENT FROM NORTH
AURORA. OUR GUN VIOLENCE IS NOT
UNIFORM. WHAT IS UNIFORM IS THE
REGIONAL ASPECT OF IT WITH
INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS
AND GROUPS THAT COME IN AND OUT,
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE
HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF AND ALSO
UNDERSCORES THE FACT WE HAVE TO
WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND THE
STATE. I MENTIONED RECENTLY HOW
THE STATE NEEDS TO PASS LAWS
THEY COULD HAVE DONE IN THE LAST
SESSION THAT COULD HAVE HELPED
US. WE ALSO NEED TO WORK
DIRECTLY WITH OTHER
JURISDICTIONS. THE CITIES OF
KENT, WRENTON, TUKWILA, AND NOT
JUST THE COUNTY. I THINK THAT
PARTNERSHIP IS KEY. AND THEN THE
TWO LAST THINGS I NOTED
YESTERDAY, ACTS OF HURT, AS
SOMEBODY MENTIONED, AND COMES
FROM HURT PEOPLE, AND THIS
REALLY GOES TO, YOU KNOW, THIS
IDEA OF ADDRESSING THE SCENE
BETWEEN PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC
HEALTH, HOUSING, AND HUMAN
SERVICES. THE HUMAN SERVICES
PIECE, THE HOUSING, AND PUBLIC
HEALTH PIECE, AND BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH,
THAT'S WHERE HURT PEOPLE ARE.
WE NEED TO BE WORKING THE
CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT AREA AND
PUBLIC SAFETY, OTHERWISE, WE
WILL CONTINUE TO RUN TO
STANDSTILL, AND JUST TO CLOSE, I
SAID THIS YESTERDAY BECAUSE IT
WAS STRIKING TO ME. WE HAD
INDIVIDUALS FROM PHILADELPHIA,
PEOPLE COMING IN FROM SOUTH BEND
AND BALTIMORE, AND IT WAS REALLY
A GREAT THING, AND AS A VETERAN,
IT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION THAT THEY
SAID ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY
HAVE MORE EXPOSURE TO VIOLENCE
AND TRAUMA THAN ACTIVE DUTY
MILITARY PERSONNEL. WE SHOULD
THINK ON THAT AND REFLECT UPON
IT. AS I SAID TO THE GROUP AND
SAID IN NORTH SEATTLE OVER THE
WEEKEND, IT'S NOT RIGHT, AND
IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE. WE NEED TO
MOVE ON. I JUST WANT TO TAKE TWO
MINUTES TO SAY THANK YOU TO
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA FOR HER
WORK WITH THE SYMPOSIUM. SO,
THANK YOU. YES?
>> MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> YOUR COMMENT ADDENDUM.
>> I APPRECIATE THE CHAIR
BRINGING THIS UP AND ALLOWING ME
A FEW MINUTES OR A FEW SECONDS
TO ADDRESS IT. I CORRECTED
MYSELF, SECONDS. JUST SO PEOPLE
ARE AWARE WHAT THIS WAS, --
EXCUSE ME, IT WAS TO TALK ABOUT
AN APPROACH WE ARE NOT DOING IN
SEATTLE, BUT ONE CITIES LIKE
PHILADELPHIA AND BALTIMORE AND
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, WHO
PARTICIPATED IN THE SYMPOSIUM
YESTERDAY ARE DOING. WHICH IS
THIS FOCUSED DETERRENCE
APPROACH, AND WHAT IT IS, REALLY
IDENTIFYING IN THE CITY THE
FOLKS WHO ARE CAUSING THE MOST
HARM IN TERMS OF GUN VIOLENCE,
AND THEN TELLING THOSE FOLKS
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO STOP DOING
WHAT YOU'RE DOING? AND
PROVIDING RESOURCES, IF THEY
NEED THAT, AND THEN, IF THEY
REFUSE TO ACCEPT RESOURCES, THEN
THEY -- THEN THEY GET A
CONSEQUENCE. I MEAN, IN A
NUTSHELL, THAT'S WHAT THE
APPROACH IS. WE ARE NOT REALLY
DOING THAT IN SEATTLE RIGHT NOW.
WE DO DO A LOT ON THE PREVENTION
AND INTERVENTION SIDE, SO I WANT
TO APPRECIATE THE
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
THAT WERE HERE YESTERDAY, BUT WE
DON'T DO THIS FOCUSED
DETERRENCE APPROACH, AND IT WAS
ONE DEVELOPED BY DAVID KENNEDY,
OUT OF THE JOHN JAY COLLEGE IN
NEW YORK. I THOUGHT IT WAS
IMPORTANT FOR US IN SEATTLE TO
LEARN ABOUT THIS APPROACH, AND
THEN HEAR FROM OTHER CITIES. AND
THE REASON THE OTHER CITIES WERE
HERE, I FELT REALLY STRONGLY
THAT WE SHOULD ACTUALLY HEAR
FROM THE FOLKS THAT HAVE
IMPLEMENTED THIS APPROACH. AND
ALSO SO THAT WE COULD HAVE A
DIALOGUE BETWEEN ALL OF THE
PARTNERS, OUR PARTNERS TO THE
CITY, WHO ARE WORKING AS
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE SAID, WITH
THESE ISSUES ON THE GROUND, LIKE
THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY, OUR
CITY ATTORNEY, ERICA EVANS WAS
THERE AS WELL, AND THE U.S., THE
ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY WAS
THERE, AND MANY OTHER FOLKS WHO
ARE ACTUALLY WORKING IN THE
SPACE, AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY
WERE HEARING THE APPROACH AND
ALSO HEARING FROM THE CITIES WHO
HAVE HAD THE GUN VIOLENCE ISSUES
FOR EVEN LONGER THAN WE HAD.
THIS APPROACH HAS LED TO 40, 50,
60% DECREASE IN GUN VIOLENCE IN
THOSE CITIES, AND TO ME, THAT
WAS WORTH LEARNING ABOUT AND
HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT. I
DO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE EVERYONE
WHO IS THERE FROM THE PARTIES I
MENTIONED TO THE COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS AND EVERYBODY
STUCK AROUND FOR THE ENTIRE DAY
BECAUSE WE ALL CARE SO DEEPLY
ABOUT THIS, AND THEY ALL DO,
TOO. THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
KETTLE FOR JOINING. I WANTED TO
EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT
THE APPROACH IS AND WHY WE WERE
MEETING AND WHAT WE WERE
LEARNING ABOUT, AND REALLY
APPRECIATE THE FOLKS FROM JOHN
JAY COLLEGE WHO CAME TO SPEAK
WITH US AND TALK TO US ABOUT
THIS APPROACH THAT WE CAN, AND I
THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER IN
SEATTLE. SO THANK YOU, CHAIR.
MORE TO COME ON THAT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY, IF
THERE'S NO OBJECTION, THE
AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED. HEARING,
SEEING NONE, THE AGENDA IS
ADOPTED. WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE
HYBRID PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
COMMENTS SHOULD RELATE TO THE
AGENDA OR IN THE PURVIEW OF THE
COMMITTEE. HOW MANY SPEAKERS DO
WE HAVE?
>> FIVE IN PERSON AND EIGHT
REMOTE SPEAKERS.
>> EACH WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
WE WILL START WITH IN-PERSON
SPEAKERS. CAN YOU FIRST PLEASE
READ PUBLIC COMMENT
INSTRUCTIONS?
>> THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
WILL BE MODERATED IN THE
FOLLOWING MANNER, UP TO 60
MINUTES, CALLED IN THE ORDER
REGISTERED. THEY WILL HEAR A
CHIME AT TEN SECONDS LEFT. THE
MICS WILL BE MUTED IF THEY
DON'T END IN THE ALLOTTED TIME
TO CALL ON THE NEXT SPEAKER. THE
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW
OPEN, AND WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE
FIRST SPEAKER ON THE LIST. THE
FIRST SPEAKER ON THE LIST IS
BECCA, TO BE FOLLOWED BY TAMMY.
>> HI.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> SHOULD I BEGIN?
>> MY DAUGHTER MADE THIS SIGN.
IT SAYS 100 MATTER THE TOO. 100
STREET. WE HAVE LIVED ON 100th
STREET BETWEEN AURORA AND LINDEN
SINCE 2013. AND ALL OF OUR
IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOURS ARE FEELING
REALLY DISENFRANCHISED RIGHT
NOW, AND SO I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON
THEIR BEHALF. SO UM ALL OF MY
THAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
WHEN 98th STREET AND 102nd
STREET WERE BLOCKED OFF, ALL OF
THAT TRAFFIC WAS REROUTED TO
100th . AND SO I AM HERE TO ASK
FOR AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION THAT
TAKES INTO ACCOUNT EVERY STREET
WEST OF AURORA, NOT JUST THE
ONES THAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST
VOCAL. WE HAVE DOZENS OF
CHILDREN ALONG 100th , AND LAST
MONTH THEY FOUND SHELLCASINGS AT
THEIR BUS STOP, AND IN RECENT
MONTHS, THE SHOOTINGS AND
TRAFFICKING HAVE ESCALATED. AND
WE TALK ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME.
MY NEIG HBOR ANGEL, THE
STRONGEST WOMAN I KNOW I WONDER
IF THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE IT. WE
TRY TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AS
BEST AS WE CAN. WE NEED
INTERVENTION FROM THE CITY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. AS A REMINDER WHEN
YOU HEAR THE CHIME, YOU HAVE TEN
SECONDS LEFT. NEXT?
>> YOU CAN USE EITHER MIC.
>> I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN
VALLEY, AND I HAVE LIVED IN
SEATTLE THE LAST TWO YEARS.
ALTHOUGH I LIVE IN CENTRAL
DISTRICT, I FEEL THAT THIS ISSUE
IS MUCH LARGER THAN AURORA
AVENUE. IT COULD BE ANY ONE OF
YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS THIS IS
HAPPENING IN. I HAVE HEARD
EVERYBODY COME UP WITH A LOT OF
TALK REGARDING GUN VIOLENCE, BUT
THE GUN VIOLENCE IS A BY-PRODUCT
OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY GOING ON UP
THERE. THEY ARE SELLING CHILDREN
IN SEX SLAVERY. THERE ARE
CHILDREN BEING BOUGHT AND SOLD
IN THE HOTELS, RIGHT NOW AS WE
SIT HERE, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND
HOW AS A COMMUNITY WE ALLOWED
THIS TO GET SO FAR OUT OF
CONTROL THAT I DON'T SEE HOW
YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO
FIX IT. I THINK THAT THIS IS SO
MUCH BIGGER THAN WHAT THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS
CAPABLE OF HANDLING. THEY SHOULD
-- THEY ARE ALREADY IN DANGER.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE PUT IN DANGER
TRYING TO GO AFTER PIMPS THAT
ARE NOT GOING TO GO AWAY
QUIETLY. BELLEVUE HANDLED THEIRS
LIKE THAT. THAT GUY WAS ARRESTED
WITHIN HOURS, AND IS NOW FACING
$5 MILLION BAIL. WHY ARE THE
PIMPS ON AURORA NOT BEING
SUBJECTED TO THE SAME THING?
THIS IS -- I'M SO FRUSTRATED,
AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I
HAVE EVER BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK
ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS
PUBLICALLY. I AM A COMMUNITY
SOCIAL WORKER, AND IT IS
ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT WE
HAVE MADE THIS COMMON PLACE.
THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT IN THOSE
HOTELS BY CHOICE. IF THEY WERE
IN THERE BY CHOICE, THEY WOULD
NOT BE JUMPING OUT OF WINDOWS
AND RUNNING INTO THE STREET
NAKED, THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR,
AND IT TOOK FOREVER TO CATCH
HIM. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME
SPEAK. PLEASE STAY FOCUSED ON
WHAT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT. IT'S
ABOUT CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING.
THANK YOU. I DO NOT BELIEVE WE
CAN SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. I THINK
WHAT WE CAN DO INSTEAD IS TO
MOVE THIS PROBLEM SOMEPLACE
WHERE NOBODY IS GOING TO CARE
ABOUT IT. AM I HAPPY WITH THIS
PROPOSAL? OF COURSE NOT. IT'S
CALLUS AND INHUMANE AND INJUST
BECAUSE THERE'S BUSINESSES
THERE THAT HAVE A RIGHT TO BE
LEFT ALONE. I DO NOT LIKE TO
THINK OF MYSELF AS A CALLUS AND
INHUMANE PERSON. I LIKE TO THINK
OF MYSELF AS AN ENGINEER. I SEE
WHY PEOPLE CAN BE CONFUSED. THE
ADVANTAGE OF A RED LIGHT
DISTRICT IS IT'S ONLY 5231 FEET
LONG WHERE AS AURORA FROM IS
15,101 FEET LONG. SO HAVING IT
IN THAT COMPRESSED AREA MAKES IT
EASIER TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR
THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE,
THINGS LIKE, WARM DRINKS, CLEAN
SOCKS, CONDOMS, NARCAN, FIRST
AID KID, MAINTAINED TRASH BAGS,
CELL PHONE CHARGING CABLE, AND
MAYBE A PORTABLE TOILET. I
DON'T THINK WE CAN WIN THIS
FIGHT. WINNING IN MY MIND MEANS
NOBODY GOES TO BED HUNGRY.
EVERYBODY HAS HEALTH CARE.
EVERYBODY KNOWS SOMEBODY REALLY
CARES ABOUT THEM, AND DECIDING
GUN VIOLENCE OR ENDING GUN
VIOLENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN
THE SECOND AMENDMENT. I DON'T
THINK WE ARE HERE IN SEATTLE IN
2026, CERTAINLY KING COUNTY
ISN'T, THE STATE ISN'T, AND
GOD HELP THE UNITED STATES
COUNTRY WHERE WE HAVE A
CONVICTED FELON AND SEX OFFENDER
AS PRESIDENT. IT SETS A BAD
EXAMPLE. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> RICK TO BE FOLLOWED BY PETER.
>> RICK?
>> HI. I'M RICK. I WAS BORN AT
SWEDISH HOSPITAL, HAVE LIVED ON
102nd FOR 20 YEARS AND WATCHED
IT GO FROM NOTHING TO WHAT IT IS
NOW. TWO YEARS AGO I WAS HERE.
THEY HAD RECENTLY RELEASED A
VIDEO OF A SHOOTOUT ON 101st,
AND IN THAT VIDEO ARE FOUR
PEOPLE SHOOTING BEHIND A CAR,
OTHER PEOPLE COMING OUT, AND
SHOOTING AT THEM. NOW THERE'S A
NEW VIDEO -- OF SHOOTING ACROSS
AURORA. WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS?
YOU SEE IT ON TV IN WAR. YOU
HAVE A WAR ZONE ON AURORA. WHEN
THAT HAPPENS AND THE CITY DOES
NOT AID IT, PEOPLE PUT UP
BARRIERS BECAUSE THEY ARE FORCED
TO DO THAT. THE OTHER POINT, I
HAVE TALKED TO MANY SEATTLE
POLICE OFFICERS, MOST RECENTLY,
LAST SUMMER, AT THE FREMONT
FESTIVAL. THEY WALK AROUND, AND
I WAS THERE WORKING, AND I ASKED
MANY OF THEM, SEE, HERE'S
103rd. I HAVE A PHOTO OF SEVEN
PROSTITUTES STANDING IN BROAD
DAYLIGHT RIGHT DOWN THERE. I
ASKED THEM, WHY DON'T YOU JUST
DRIVE BY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO
ARREST ANYBODY. YOU DON'T HAVE
TO SAY ANYTHING. JUST DRIVE BY
AND LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU
EXIST. AND THIS IS WHAT HE SAID.
HE WAS A TEN-YEAR VETERAN OF THE
NORTH PRECINCT AND SAID NO
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET
ARRESTED FOR HARASSMENT. THAT IS
THE ENORMITY YOU'RE UP AGAINST.
THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY, I
LIVED AND TAUGHT SCHOOL IN GHANA
FOR TWO YEARS, AND I WENT TO
EVERY SLAVE CASTLE ON THE COAST
AND KNOW MY SLAVERY. WHAT YOU
HAVE UP THERE IS SLAVERY. [
APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU.
>> I'M PETER. A RESIDENT OF
NORTH AURORA SINCE 2010. ON
BEHALF OF NEIGHBORS ON NORTH
AURORA, I WILL BEGIN WITH
GRATITUDE FOR COUNCILMEMBER
JUAREZ FOR PURSUING
AUTHORIZATION TO CLOSE STREETS
FOR PIMP GUNFIRE AND SAYING THE
QUIET PART, GIRLS ON AURORA ARE
REGULARLY RAPED ALOUD, AND TO
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE FOR AREA
SUPPORT LAST SATURDAY AT OUR
MARCH. WHEN ELECTED OFFICIALS
APPLY THE PRESENCE, IT
COMMUNICATIONS THEIR CONCERN AND
AFFIRMATION. THE MAYOR'S
ABSENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES TO MY
NEIGHBORS, BUT I SHOWED UP IN
YOUR PRESENCE TO RETURN THE
FAVOR AND SAY I SEE THE EFFORT
YOU'RE PUTTING IN. THANK YOU.
NOW WHILE BLOCKING RESIDENTIAL
ACCESS TO PIMPS IS ONE COMPONENT
OF PROTECTING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD,
IT RAISES CONCERNS FOR STREETS
LIKE 100, WHERE I PICKED UP 13
BULLET CASINGS IN ONE DAY LAST
MONTH. MORE MUST BE DONE. THIS
BRINGS ME BACK TO THE THEME OF
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PRESENCE.
NEIGHBORS HAVE PROPOSED
EXPANDING POLICE PRESENCE BY
OPENING A SATELLITE PRECINCT.
THE BUILDING OWNER HAS OFFERED
FLEXIBLE LEASE TERMS. I WOULD
LIKE ASSURANCE OF FUNDING FOR
THIS AND MOVEMENT TO SECURE IT.
I'M ALSO AWARE THE MEETING WILL
INCLUDE BUDGETS. I WOULD CALL ON
THE MAYOR TO ENSURE THE POLICE
CAN BE DEDICATED TO AREA DURING
THE WORLD CUP ESPECIALLY. I ALSO
ADVOCATE FUNDING A PROSECUTOR
DEDICATED TO AURORA AVENUE.
THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING THIS
NUANCED AND IMPORTANT
CONVERSATION. THE PRESENCE OF
THIS BULLET CASING FOUND BY MY
11-YEAR-OLD IN OUR ALLEYWAY ON
THE WAY TO SCHOOL WOULD SUGGEST
TO ME THAT WE NEED TO GET
MOVING. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> THE FIRST REMOTE SPEAKER IS
ANDERS. SORRY, I DON'T KNOW
QUITE HOW TO PRONOUNCE THAT.
PLEASE PRESS STAR 6 WHEN YOU
HEAR THE PROMPT THAT YOU HAVE
BEEN UNMUTED.
>> HELLO, HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY
CAN HERE ME.
>> GO AHEAD.
>> I'M A HOMEOWNER JUST OFF OF
AURORA. DESPITE THE MESSAGES
THAT THE CITY HAS REMOVED ALL OF
THE NEIGHBOR-BUILT BARRIERS, MY
STREET IS STILL BLOCKED BY THEM.
BECAUSE OF THE BARRIERS,
SANITATION WORKERS ARE NO LONGER
ABLE TO SERVICE OUR STREET. I
HAVE REACHED OUT ABOUT TEN TIMES
FOR OUR GARBAGE TO BE PICKED UP
A WEEK LATE. THERE'S BEEN NO
RECYCLING SERVICE. THERE'S BEEN
THE NARRATIVE WE ARE ALL SCARED
AND DEMANDING THE STREETS BE
BLOCKED FOR POLICE OR
SURVEILLANCE OR CHOKE ZONES, AND
NOW THE CALL FOR THE NATIONAL
GUARD TO BE CALLED IN. THIS IS
NOT ACCURATE. I FEEL SAFE IN MY
NEIGHBORHOOD. I HAVE NEVER FOUND
NEEDLES ANYWHERE. I REGULARLY
WALK MY DOG AFTER MIDNIGHT
WITHOUT INCIDENT. BLOCKING 24/7
FOR AN ISSUE AN HOUR OR TWO A
NIGHT IS NOT THE ANSWER. I HAVE
NO DESIRE TO LIVE IN A GATED
COMMUNITY. THE NEWS OF THE CITY
BLOCKED STREETS TWO YEARS AGO
WAS NEW INFORMATION FOR ME. THE
CITY NEEDS TO DECRIMINALIZE SEX
WORK AND OFFER EXIT OPTIONS
BECAUSE DIVERSION ONLY WORKS IF
THERE'S SOMEWHERE TO GO. MEET
PEOPLE WHERE THERE ARE, FUND LOW
BARRIER EMERGENCY HOUSING
ALLOWING PEOPLE WITH THEIR
CHILDREN AND PETS TO LOSE IF
THEY SHOULD CHOOSE. SEX WORK IS
IMPORTANT FOR CONSENTING ADULTS,
BUT THOSE WHO ARE BEING
TRAFFICKED NEED SUPPORT FROM THE
CITY AND THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY
ARE OUR NEIGHBORS AND PART OF
OUR COMMUNITY. WITH REGARDS TO
SURVEILLANCE AND CAMERAS, THE
CITY OF SEATTLE DOES NOT HAVE
THE POWER TO TOP THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT FROM OBTAINING THE
DATA ONCE IT EXISTS. THE ONLY
SAFE GUARD IS NOT HAVING THE
INFRASTRUCTURE. CAMERAS DON'T
STOP CRIME. PLEASE DISMANTLE
THIS -- SURVEILLANCE GRID AND
USE THE FUNDS TO ACTUALLY HELP
PEOPLE. THANK YOU.
>> NEXT UP, WE HAVE KATE
BALDWIN.
>> HI. I ALSO LIVE IN GREENWOOD,
AND I -- SORRY, BUT I COULDN'T
DISAGREE MORE WITH THE LAST
STATEMENT. I WANT TO START OUT
BY THANKING THE CITY COUNCIL FOR
PUTTING OUR ATTENTION ON PUBLIC
SAFETY. IT'S SO IMPORTANT. AS
YOU KNOW, GREENWOOD, GREEDWOOD
AND NEIGHBORHOODS BORDERING
AURORA ARE FORCED TO FACE SEX
TRAFFICKING. ALSO THE HORRIFIC
CRIMES THAT COME WITH IT. THE
POLICE ESTIMATE 62% OF VIOLENT
CRIME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS
DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE
PROSTITUTION AND SEX
TRAFFICKING. THE INDUSTRY HAS
BEEN ALLOWED TO FLOURISH, ALMOST
UNCHECKED ALONG AURORA, AND
WOMEN AND GIRLS, MANY OF WHOM
ARE UNDER AGE ARE FORCED TO
ENDURE RAPE BY STRANGERS BECAUSE
THEIR PIMPS BEAT THEM IF THEY
DON'T, AND WE HAVE WATCHED IT.
JOHNS CIRCLE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
AND PICK UP GIRLS, AND SOMETIMES
BOYS, AND BRING THEM TO OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS AND HAVE SEX IN
FRONT OF OUR HOMES, AND
AFTERWARDS THE PIMPS TAKE THE
MONEY. IT'S ESTIMATED THEY ARE
EARNING $6,000 TO $7,000 PER
PROSTITUTE PER NIGHT. IT'S
LUCRATIVE. THEY ARE PROTECTING
THEIR TERRITORY WITH THE GUN
BATTLES THAT SPILL INTO THE
SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
NEIGHBORS FIND BULLET CASINGS
NEXT TO BUS STOPS AS PETER SAID.
THEY ARE CARVED INTO HOMES AND
NARROWLY MISSED A SIX-DAY-OLD
INFANT. INDIVIDUALS ARE FORCED
TO LIVE VIOLENT EXISTENCES,
FORCED TO BATTLE ONE ANOTHER AND
ATTACK NEARBY RESIDENTS WHO ARE
WALKING THEIR DOG OR WALKING
HOME FROM THE BUS STOP. ONE
RESIDENT WAS ATTACKED AND BEATEN
BY HER OWN STOLEN CANE. JUST
THIS LAST SATURDAY NIGHT, A
COUPLE WITH THEIR DAUGHTER IN A
WHEELCHAIR WERE ATTACKED BY A
TRAFFICKED INDIVIDUAL AS THEY
WALKED HOME FROM THE MARCH FOR
SAFETY. THE NEIGHBORHOODS ALONG
AURORA AVENUE ARE IN CRISIS. THE
POLICE MUST BE AT FULL CAPACITY.
PLEASE MAKE THIS A PRIORITY IN
OUR CITY BUDGET OR THE CRIME
WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD. PUBLIC
SAFETY AT THIS MOMENT IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN OTHER ITEMS IN
THE BUDGET. WE NEED THE CAMERAS
ON. WE NEED PUBLIC SAFETY AS
FIFA COMES TO THIS AREA. WE NEED
A MOBILE POLICE PRECINCT, AND
YOU MUST CREATE AND ENFORCE THE
LAWS THAT ALLOW POLICE TO DO
THEIR JOB IN ADDITION TO THE
EMERGENCY SERVICES THAT ALLOW --
>> NEXT UP WE HAVE MELISSA.
>> MY NAME IS MELISSA HOWARD.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 6. I
WANT TO EXPRESS MY OPPOSITION TO
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS AND THE
REAL TIME CRIME CENTER. MEMBERS
OF THE COMMITTEE SUGGESTED THOSE
OF US WHO OPPOSE THE -- LET ME
BE CLEAR. THESE THREATS ARE NOT
HYPOTHETICAL. THE CITY OF
SEATTLE DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER
TO STOP I.C.E., THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, OR ANYONE ELSE FROM
GETTING THE DATA ONCE IT EXISTS.
FURTHERMORE, WE HAVE ALL
WITNESSED THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
OF OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER
THE CONTROL OF DONALD TRUMP. WE
NEED OUR CITY LEADERS TO TAKE
THIS VERY REAL THREAT SERIOUSLY
AND TO STOP DOWN PLAYING IT.
MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE SAY
THE CAMERAS ARE NECESSARY FOR
NEIGHBORHOODS EXPERIENCING HIGH
LEVELS OF CRIME. I WOULD LOVE IT
IF THE CAMERAS AND A.I.
OPERATING SYSTEM FOR POLICE SOLD
FOR MILLIONS DOLLARS MEANT THAT
THE CRIME WE WANT AWAY, BUT
STUDY AFTER STUDY SHOWS
SURVEILLANCE DOES NOT CREATE
SAFETY. LIKE MY NEIGHBORS HAVE
SAID, WE HAVE SOME REAL PROBLEMS
IN THE CITY. CAMERAS AND A.I.
SOUND LIKE A CONVENIENT SOLUTION
TO A DIFFICULT PROBLEM TO SOLVE,
ONE THAT REQUIRES REAL
LEADERSHIP IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY
SOLVE IT. IT'S NOT SURPRISING
THAT COUNCILMEMBERS WOULD
PRETEND THAT CAMERAS AND A.I.
ARE THE PATH FORWARD HERE.
SEATTLE AND THE COUNTRY ARE
FACING REAL THREATS AND CRISES,
MOST OF WHICH ARE THE RESULT OF
THE CORPORATE OLIGARCHY. IT'S
TIME LEADERS ACKNOWLEDGE THE
THREATS. THOSE ORGANIZING
AGAINST THE FOR PROFIT
SURVEILLANCE STATE IN SEATTLE
WANT TO SEE INVESTMENT IN
COMMUNITIES, NOT IN CAMERAS AND
EXPENSIVE TECH THAT ONLY CREATES
MORE VULNERABILITIES. I CALL ON
YOU TO END THE REALTIME CRIME
CENTER AND PUT THE MONEY INTO
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN PUBLIC SAFETY
PROGRAMS THAT ARE PROVEN TO
ACTUALLY WORK. THANK YOU. [
APPLAUSE ]
>> NEXT UP, WE HAVE ERIN
GARDNER.
>> HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS
ERIN, AND I'M AMONG THE
NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE NEAR AURORA.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE AND OTHER
CITY OFFICIALS WHO CAME OUT TO
PROTEST. I ALSO WANT TO THANK
THE MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE WHO
TURNED OUT, THE VAST MAJORITY OF
WHICH WERE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN
THE NEIGHBORHOODS. I TALKED TO
DOZENS OF THEM, AND WE ARE ALL,
YOU KNOW, MOSTLY IN ALIGNMENT
ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO HAPPEN.
BUT FIRST, I DO WANT TO ECHO
EVERYTHING TODAY THAT HAS BEEN
SAID, ESPECIALLY BY -- EXCUSE
ME, BY PETER, RICK, AND BECCA.
ESPECIALLY PETER AND THE
PROPOSED OPTION THAT HE HAD, AND
ALSO I WANT TO ECHO WHAT THE
WOMAN, AND I'M SORRY I MISSED
YOUR NAME, BUT JUST TALKED
EXTENSIVELY ABOUT THE
TRAFFICKING ON AURORA I WANT TO
REMEMBER FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT
KNOW, THE AVERAGE AGE FOR WOMEN
GETTING INTO TRAFFICKING IS 14.
THESE AREN'T INDEPENDENT WOMEN
KEEPING THEIR MONEY. THEY ARE
CHILDREN. A LOT OF THEM HAVE
BEEN TOUCHED BY THE FOSTER CARE
SYSTEM. A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN
SEXUALLY ABUSED BEFORE THEY GOT
PULLED INTO TRAFFICKING, AND SO
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF
SYSTEMATIC ISSUES AT PLAY ALONG
AURORA, BUT OUR IMMEDIATE
CONCERN IS STOPPING THE BULLETS,
BLOCKING TWO OTHER STREETS TWO
YEARS AGO AFTER THE SHOOTING AT
101st, THAT HAS SHOWN IT WORKS.
IT'S A TEMPORARY MEASURE, WE
HOPE, BUT WE NEED TO STOP THE
BULLETS BEFORE WE CAN REALLY
FOCUS ON TRYING TO FIX SOME OF
THE LARGER ISSUES. I GUESS I
ALSO WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE
NEIGHBORS ARE EAGER TO WORK WITH
YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE,
PRESIDENT HOLLINGSWORTH, THANK
YOU FOR PRESSURING THE MAYOR TO
CLOSE THE STREETS. WE PICK UP
THE BULLET CASINGS. WE PICK UP
CONDOMS. THIS IS WHAT GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZING IS. PLEASE REACH OUT
TO US, KEEP US INVOLVED. WE WANT
TO HELP. WE WANT TO GIVE VOICE
TO THE GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WHO ARE BEING SO ABUSED.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, ERIN. NEXT UP WE
HAVE HOWARD GAYLE.
>> GOOD MORNING. TODAY YOU WILL
DISCUSS THE CHANGES TO THE CITY
ORDINANCE CONCERNING THE
OPERATIONS OF THE CARE
DEPARTMENT. THE ORDINANCE CLAIMS
THAT THE CITY QUOTE REAFFIRMS
ITS BELIEF IN THE IMPORTANCE OF
PROVIDING A DIVERSIFIED PUBLIC
RESPONSE. A VITAL PART OF THE
CITY'S PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSE,
YET WHILE YOU DEBATE THE
LANGUAGE AROUND CARE, THROUGH
THE UNION CONTRACT YOU APPROVED
AND THE POLICE THEMSELVES, THEY
ARE RENDERING CURRENT STAFF 72%
UNDERUTILIZED. THIS IS PART OF
THE CONSISTENT PATTERN OF
SEATTLE MAYORS AND COUNCILS
SIGNIFYING ONE THING AND
DELIVERING IN COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO
PUBLIC SAFETY. SIGNIFYING
PROTECTION FOR NEIGHBORS AND
REFUSING TO HAVE THE POLICE
ACTIVELY PROTECT THEIRS AND
EVERYONE'S FIRST AMENDMENT
RIGHTS. SIGNIFYING POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY WITH THE
ORDINANCE NINE YEARS LATER
PARTIALLY FAILED TO BE
IMPLEMENTED IN LAW AND FULLY
FAILED TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN
INTENT AND SPIRIT. WE SEE THIS
WITH THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE
POLICE ABUSE FOR CAL ANDERSON
LAST YEAR AND THE REFUSAL OF THE
COUNCIL TO HEAR FROM THOSE
INJURED BY POLICE. WE SEE THAT
WITH THE NINTH ANNIVERSARY OF
THE MURDER OF THE BLACK PREGNANT
WOMAN, KILLING HER UNBORN CHILD
AND LATER THE MOTHER. THE
LEGISLATION PASSED AFTER HER
MURDER HAS LEFT US WITH A
HORRIFYING LEGACY OF THE SPD
KILLING AT LEAST 14 FOLKS
EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH
CRISIS WHILE HOLDING A KNIFE OR
NOTHING IN THEIR HANDS. IF
THERE'S ONE LESSON WE HAVE
LEARNED FROM DONALD TRUMP AND
THE CONTINUING GENOCIDE IN THE
MIDDLE EAST, IT IS THIS,
SIGNIFYING ONE THING AND ACTING
TO THE CONTRARY DOES MORE THAN
THE OBVIOUS HARM. IT IGNORES US
TO THE PAIN OF OTHERS. TODAY YOU
WILL CONTINUE TO PLACE ANOTHER
BRICK IN THE WALL THAT DIVIDED
PRETENSE FROM REALITY.
>> NEXT UP, WE HAVE HANNAH
FISHMAN.
>> HI. MY NAME IS HANNAH, AND I
LIVE AT LINDEN AND 98th. AND I
AM COMING JUST TO EXPRESS THAT
THERE IS NOT BROAD SUPPORT AMONG
OUR NEIGHBORS FOR THE ADDITIONAL
POLICE PRESENCE OR EVEN EXTREME
MEASURES LIKE NATIONAL GUARD
TROOPS THAT SOME HAVE PROPOSED
AND SPOKEN TO TODAY. I JUST WANT
TO EXPRESS THAT WHILE
TRAFFICKING AND GUN VIOLENCE IS
A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT IMPACTS ALL
OF US, IT IS NOT THE CASE THAT
INCREASED SURVEILLANCE, THE
ENFORCEMENT OF THE SOAP ZONE OR
ADDITIONAL POLICE PRESENCE WOULD
BE DEMONSTRATED OR WOULD HELP
RESOLVE ANY OF THOSE ISSUES. WE
ACTUALLY NEED MORE INVESTMENT IN
PUBLIC GOODS, PUBLIC
INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTH CARE, AND
SUPPORT FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE
PEOPLE IN OUR AREA. SO I JUST
WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WE DON'T
SUPPORT ADDITIONAL POLICE
PRESENCE IN THE AREA. CALMING
MEASURES RATHER THAN BARRICADES
WOULD BE WELCOMED. ONE OF THE
MOST DANGEROUS TRENDS WE SEE IN
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS -- AND NO
SURVEILLANCE AND NO INCREASED
POLICE PRESENCE FOR SOAP ZONES
THAT TARGET THE MOST VULNERABLE
PEOPLE RATHER THAN PROVIDE THE
KINDS OF HEALTH CARE, HOUSING,
AND INCOME SUPPORTS THAT PEOPLE
ACTUALLY NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THANKS.
>> THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE
MICHAEL McDANIEL.
>> HI. IT'S HARD TO GO LAST. OR
CLOSE TO LAST WITH SO MANY
PEOPLE. I THINK I'M GOING TO BE
REALLY SHORT AND JUST SAY THAT I
AM VERY MUCH IN SPORT OF THE
NORDIC MODEL OR SOMETHING LIKE
IT. I WOULD LIKE SEATTLE TO
CONTINUE FUNDING SERVICES LIKE
-- ET CETERA -- AND ALSO MAKE
SURE THAT WE ARE HOLDING THEM
ACCOUNTABLE AND MAKING SURE --
AS WELL. I THINK THERE'S MORE
SUPPORT THAN WE NEED FOR
SOLUTIONS. ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN
SERVICE, DIFFERENT FROM THAT, I
ALSO WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT
FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST
LEARNING ABOUT THIS NOW, A
COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHO WAS NOT
A -- CERTAINLY NOT A NEW
PROBLEM, BUT NOT THIS
ADMINISTRATION VERSES THE
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION ISSUE.
THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S ALL I
GOT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AND THAT'S UP WE HAVE DAVID
HAYNES.
>> WE NEED A NEW POLICE CHIEF.
WE DON'T NEED A RACIST WOKE
INTERPRETATION CREATED WHEN HE
SHIFTED THE PARADIGM AWAY FROM
THE WAR ON DRUGS AND ALLOWED
CERTAIN COUNCILMEMBERS TO CREATE
SPENDING PRIORITIES THAT
ESSENTIALLY LEGALIZED SEX
CRIMES. WE HAVE THE LEFTOVER BAD
POLICIES OF THE PEDOPHILE ED
MURRAY AND JENNY DURKIN. WE HAVE
PEOPLE SHOWING UP AT THE TROUGH
OF MONEY WITH DIFFERENT COUNCIL
MEETINGS THAT HAVE THE EXACT
SAME EFFORT TO RUN INTERFERENCE
FOR CRIMINALS LIKE BLACK AND
BROWN PEOPLE OF CRIMINALITY AND
CUSTOM VIOLATIONS THAT YOU HAVE
ALL ALLOWED. JUST CARE, PURPOSE,
DIGNITY, AND ACTION USED TO BE
CALLED THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S
ASSOCIATION, SHOWING UP WITH THE
POLICE CHIEF ACTING LIKE THEY
ARE A LEGITIMATE ENTITY AND NOW
WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
EVERY TIME I HEAR MIKE STEWART
AND OTHER BUSINESS PEOPLE TALK
ABOUT HOW GREAT LEAD IS BECAUSE
THEY CLEAR OUT THEIR FRONT
ENTRANCE AND SWEEP THE BUSINESS
DISTRICT AND FURTHER PUSH IT
INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, I THINK
OF BOYCOTTING THE BUSINESSES
BECAUSE THEY DON'T SUPPORT
THROWING PEOPLE IN JAIL AND
MAKING THEM BREAK THEIR
ADDICTION. THEY JUST WANT THEM
OUT OF THEIR FRONT DOORSTEP. YOU
WANT TO IMPROVE THE AVENUE, TEAR
DOWN THE SLUMS AND STOP ALLOWING
PEOPLE TO LIVE ON THE PARK BENCH
NEXT TO THE DELIVERY TRUCK
DROPPING THE METAL GATE. WE HAVE
AN ENTRAPMENT THAT GOES ON TO
CATCH THE JOHNS IN THE AURORA
CORRIDOR BECAUSE IT'S THE WAY
THE POLICE CHIEF RUNS
INTERFERENCE FOR BLACK AND BROWN
DRUG PUSHING PIMPS. IT'S LIKE
THE CHIEF IS PULLING HIS TOOLS,
SHOWING UP FOR SHINDIGS --
ENTRAPMENT TO GIVE THE HEADS UP
TO THE REAL PIMPS AND THE
PROSTITUTES AND NEVER --
>> THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU. I WANTED TO
ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCILMEMBER LIN
HAS JOINED US AND COUNCILMEMBER
RIVE RA BRIEFLY EXCUSED HER TO
ESCORT KINDERGARTENERS. BEFORE
THEY COME IN, I WANT TO SAY, AND
I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE, IT'S
NOT RIGHT, AND IT'S NOT
ACCEPTABLE, AND I WANT TO ADD,
HAVING A FATHER FIND A BULLET
CASING FROM HIS DAUGHTER THIS
MORNING IS NOT RIGHT, AND IT'S
NOT ACCEPTABLE, AND PEOPLE ASK
WHY ARE WE HERE? WASHINGTON BILL
1265. LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO THE
BILL, AND YOU HAVE YOUR ANSWER.
WE NEED OLYMPIA TO DO ITS JOB,
THE COUNTY TO DO ITS JOB, AND WE
NEED TO OURS AS WELL. THE
60-MINUTE COMMENT PERIOD HAS
EXPIRED, AND WE WILL NOW PROCEED
TO ITEMS OF BUSINESS. MEMBERS OF
THE PUBLIC ARE ENCOURAGED TO
SUBMIT WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT OR
E-MAIL THE COUNCIL AT
SEATTLE..GOV. -- SEATTLE.GOV.
>> THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD HAS
ENDED. OH, OKAY. PLEASE CHECK IN
WITH MY CLERK. AFTER THE
MEETING, PLEASE CHECK IN WITH MY
CLERK MR. LOWE HERE. ALL RIGHT.
OKAY, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR
FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS. WILL THE
CLERK PLEASE READ ITEM INTO THE
RECORD.
>> OVERVIEW OF THE DRAFT CARE
DEPARTMENT UPDATE ORDINANCE.
>> THANK YOU. WE HAVE MR.
JOHNSON FROM CENTRAL STAFF, AND
I WAS GOING TO SAY PLEASE JOIN
US AT THE TABLE, BUT YOU HAVE
ALREADY DONE SO. FOR THE RECORD,
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND
LET'S START THE BRIEFING. THANK
YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING, CHAIR KETTLE
AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
FOR THE RECORD I'M TAMASO
JOHNSON FROM CENTRAL STAFF. I'M
HERE TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF THE
DRAFT ORDINANCE OUTLINING CARE
DEPARTMENT CRISIS RESPONDER
DUTIES BECAUSE WE ARE DISCUSSING
THIS AS A DRAFT, THERE'S NOT A
BILL NUMBER, AND I WON'T BE
REFERRING TO IT BY THE BILL
NUMBER, BUT RATHER THE
ORDINANCE. SO IN SUMMARY, THIS
ORDINANCE IS DESIGNED TO UPDATE
THE SECTION OF THE SEATTLE
MUNICIPAL CODE THAT DESCRIBES
THE FUNCTION OF THE COMMUNITY
ASSISTED RESPONSE ENGAGEMENT OR
CARE DEPARTMENT, BY THE WAY OF
BACKGROUND, CARE UNDER THAT NAME
WAS CREATED BY ORDINANCE IN
2023. THAT DEPARTMENT HAD
PREVIOUSLY BEEN KNOWN AS THE
CSCC AND THAT WAS CREATED IN
2021 WHEN THE 911 COMMUNICATION
CENTER, WHICH IS THE CITY'S
PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT
FOR EMERGENCY CALLS WAS MOVED
OUT OF THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT IN 2021, AND THAT
CIVILIAN TEAM FROM THE 911 CALL
CENTER, AND AS I SAID BEFORE,
CARE WAS FORMALLY ESTABLISHED IN
2023. THE ORDINANCE THAT
ESTABLISHED CARE AT THAT TIME IS
NOW REFLECTED IN THE SEATTLE
MUNICIPAL CODE. THE MUNICIPAL
CODE GENERALLY DESCRIBES THE
FUNCTION AND PURPOSE OF VARIOUS
CITY DEPARTMENTS AT A LEVEL OF
DETAIL THAT IS SUFFICIENT TO
CONVEY THE DUTIES AND THE
OVERALL FUNCTION OF THE
DEPARTMENT, BUT GENERALLY
SPEAKING THOSE CODE SECTIONS
DON'T GET INTO GRANULAR
OPERATIONAL DETAILS WHICH ARE
HANDLED THROUGH EITHER FURTHER
ADMINISTRATIVE RULES OR POLICIES
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF.
THE CARE DEPARTMENT AS IT IS
CURRENTLY CONSTITUTED
SUPPLEMENTS THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
SAFETY RESPONSE IN TWO WAYS. AS
I ALREADY DESCRIBED, OPERATES
THE 911 COMMUNICATION CENTER,
AND SECOND, THE CARE DEPARTMENT
FIELDS THE COMMUNITY CRISIS
RESPONDER TEAM OR CCR TEAM. IN
THE INTERVENING YEARS SINCE THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CARE
DEPARTMENT IN 2023, THE ROLE,
SCOPE, AND DEPLOYMENT OF THE
COMMUNITY CRISIS RESPONDER HAS
EXPANDED QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY.
PRIMARILY THROUGH BOTH EXECUTIVE
ACTIONS AS WELL AS THE ADOPTIONS
OF SUCCESSIVE BUDGETS BY THE
COUNCIL, INCLUDING LAST YEAR.
THE -- AS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT
GROWTH, THE COMMUNITY CRISIS
RESPONDER TEAM GREW FROM 24
MEMBERS, 24 STAFF OR CCR
RESPONDERS IN 2025 TO 48, SO IT
DOUBLED BETWEEN LAST YEAR AND
THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET. THE
CURRENT SMC SECTION DESCRIBING
THE WORK OF THE CARE DEPARTMENT
DO NOT NAME THE COMMUNITY CRISIS
RESPONDER TEAM. THEY SET OUT
FROM THE 2023 ORDINANCE SOME
SORT OF KERNELS AND SEEDS OF THE
DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK TO GO
FORWARD AND BE EXPANDED. AS IT
STANDS NOW, THE MUNICIPAL CODE
DOES NOT ACCURATELY OR
COMPLETELY DESCRIBE THE WORK
THAT CARE IS DOING ON THE GROUND
TODAY, AND THAT HAS BEEN
AUTHORIZED THROUGH VARIOUS
BUDGET ACTIONS. SO THAT IS THE
BACKGROUND SUMMARY. THIS
LEGISLATION, WITH THAT
BACKGROUND IS RELATIVELY
STRAIGHTFORWARD. IT WOULD AMEND
THE SECTIONS OF THE SEATTLE
MUNICIPAL CODE THAT DESCRIBE THE
WORK OF THE CARE DEPARTMENT TO
FIRSTLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE CCRT
EXISTS AS A CORE FUNCTION OF THE
CARE DEPARTMENT. SECOND, TO
DEFINE AT A HIGH LEVEL THE ROLE
AND PURPOSE OF THE CCR TEAM,
INCLUDING THE QUALIFICATIONS OF
THE CCR RESPONDERS, METHODS
THROUGH WHICH THEY NEED TO BE
DEPLOYED AND TO DELINEATE THE
WORK THEY DO AND DON'T DO, FOR
EXAMPLE, TO DESCRIBE THEY ARE
NOT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY
RESPONSE OF THE CITY THAT ARE
ENFORCED IN CRIMES OR ISSUING
CITATIONS TO CLEARLY
DIFFERENTIATE THE WORK THEY ARE
DOING FROM THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE. AND
FINALLY, THE ORDINANCE WOULD
CLARIFY SOME OF THE
ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE
DEPARTMENT, NOTABLY THE COUNCIL
DURING THE 2026 BUDGET PROCESS
IN THE FALL FORMALIZING THE
TRANSFER OF THE CONTRACTED
ADMINISTRATIONS THAT HAD BEEN
CARRIED OUT PREVIOUSLY BY THE
HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS OF
JANUARY 1 THIS YEAR, THE
CONTRACTS ARE BEING FACILITATED
AND ADMINISTERED BY THE CARE
DEPARTMENT. AND THIS UPDATE TO
THE CODE WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
>> THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON.
BEFORE GOING TO MY VICE CHAIR, I
JUST WANTED TO EXTEND A WARM
WELCOME TO, I THINK RYAN
ELEMENTARY?
>> BRYANT ELEMENTARY.
>> IT'S IN MY DISTRICT.
>> IN DISTRICT FOUR. WELCOME TO
ALL OF THE KIDS AND TEACHERS AND
PARENTS THAT MAY BE ESCORTING,
AND WELCOME TO CITY HALL MORE
BROADLY. AS YOU CAN TELL, CITY
HALL IS DESIGNED TO BE OPEN.
IT'S BASICALLY ONE BUILDING TO
THE NORTH, AND THIS CYLINDER
CHAMBER HERE AND EVERYTHING ELSE
IS OPEN WITH LOTS OF GLASS.
THAT'S ON PURPOSE FOR
TRANSPARENCY PIECES, AND EVEN
WITH THE FIFTH GRADERS -- I MEAN
THE 5-YEAR-OLDS, SORRY, I HAVE A
FIFTH GRADER. FOR THE
5-YEAR-OLDS AND 6-YEAR-OLDS WE
HAVE. I WILL GIVE A SPECIAL
SHOUTOUT TO A 5-YEAR-OLD AT
HEART, COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ'S
CHIEF OF STAFF, WENDY, WHO IS
HELPING IN THE PROCESS. THANK
YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU, MR.
JOHNSON, FOR THE OVERVIEW OF THE
DRAFT LEGISLATION. VICE CHAIR?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU,
MR. JOHNSON, FOR THIS
PRESENTATION, THIS OVERVIEW. I,
TOO, WANT TO START OFF BY
WELCOMING OUR KINDERGARTEN CLASS
AND THEIR EDUCATORS FROM BRYANT
ELEMENTARY. WAS DELIGHTED TO SEE
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA LEADING
EVERYONE IN TO COUNCIL CHAMBERS
TODAY. KIDS, WELCOME. REMEMBER
THIS IS YOUR BODY, YOUR
INSTITUTION, YOUR CITY HALL
BUILDING. WE WORK FOR YOU.
WHENEVER I GO INTO SCHOOLS, I
TELL -- THAT'S THE FIRST THING
I REMIND STUDENTS, YOU'RE ONE
OF MY 120,000 BOSSES, SO IT'S
AN IMPORTANT JOB, HONORED -- WE
ARE ALL HONORED TO SERVE YOU,
AND THAT YOUNG KIDDO THERE WITH
THE BLACK AND THE STRIPE, YOU
ARE INCREDIBLY PHOTOGENIC YOUNG
MAN. THE MAN WAS TAKING
PICTURES, AND HE HAD THE BIGGEST
SMILE. LOOKING GREAT. ANY EVENT,
WELCOME AGAIN, AND MY QUESTION
ABOUT THE ORDINANCE, THE
PROPOSED ORDINANCE, I NOTE THAT
ON SECTION -- THE NEWLY MODIFIED
OR NEWLY ADDED SECTION 1.4 OF
THE BILL KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE
INTERRELATION BETWEEN VARIOUS
KING COUNTY PROGRAMS AND
INITIATIVES, BUT DOES THE
PROPOSED ORDINANCE ADDRESS THE
ROLE OF THE CARE DEPARTMENT
VIS-A-VIS OTHER ALTERNATIVE
RESPONSE CAPABILITIES WITHIN THE
CITY OF SEATTLE ITSELF?
INCLUDING HOW THEY COLLABORATE,
FOR EXAMPLE, HEALTH 99 OF FIRE?
>> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION,
COUNCILMEMBER. I WOULD DEFER TO
THE CHAIR IF HE WOULD LIKE TO
HEAR MORE ABOUT THE SECTION
DESCRIBING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH
COMMUNITY -- KING COUNTY
CLINICAL CRISIS AND BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH CHALLENGES. I UNDERSTAND
THAT IS INTENDED TO REFER TO THE
INTENDED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
THE CARE DEPARTMENT AND LIAISON
WITH THE COUNTY AND THE WORK TO
THE CRISIS CONNECTIONS CENTER
AND OTHER SUCH WORK. I WILL
DEFER TO THE CHAIR ON THE INTENT
THERE. TO YOUR OTHER QUESTION,
KNOW THIS DOESN'T GO INTO THE
WORK THAT THE OTHER PIECES OF
THE NONPOLICE RESPONSE OF THE
CITY VIS-A-VIS THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT. I THINK THE INTENT
OF THE ORDINANCE IS MERELY TO
ENSHRINE IN CODE THE CURRENT
STATE OF WHAT THE CARE
DEPARTMENT DOES, NOT TO DESCRIBE
THE LINKAGES OF FIRE AND SPD,
FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS STRICTLY
JUST DESCRIBING COMBINING THE
TEAM AND WHAT THE ROLE WITHIN
THE ECOSYSTEM IS.
>> YES, VICE CHAIR, THIS IS
REALLY TO CODIFY WHAT IS -- AND
BROADEN -- MOST PEOPLE THINK THE
NARRATIVE IS ALWAYS SPOG AND
CARE, BUT WE HAVE TO MOVE BEYOND
THAT. THE ORDINANCES NEED TO
REFLECT THAT. IT'S ABOUT KING
COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH, THE 988
SYSTEM, THE CRISIS CARE CENTERS
AND SO FORTH, AND HAVING A POINT
THAT IS KEY TO THIS. TO THE
POINT OF THE SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT, OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE
THE MEDICAL, MEDICAL PIECE, BUT
THERE'S TIMES WHEN THEY CAN'T
WORK THESE ISSUES. BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S AN
EXAMPLE WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE
POTENTIALLY MOU WITH CARE AND
FIRE SO FIRE DOESN'T SEND THE
INDIVIDUALS BACK TO THE 911 CALL
CENTER, INSTEAD REFERS OR
ENGAGES WITH THE CARE
DEPARTMENT. SO THIS IS A
FUNCTION OF REALLY IDENTIFYING
THE MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
PIECES WE HAVE.
>> IF I COULD JUST SAY ONE MORE
THING IN RESPONSE TO THAT, ON
THAT POINT OF ACKNOWLEDGING THE
COLLABORATIONS THAT CAN AND DO
EXIST WITH OTHER PARTS OF THE
PUBLIC SAFETY ECOSYSTEM, I WOULD
POINT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE
SECTION TWO WHERE THERE IS THE
NEW SECTION OF MUNICIPAL CODE,
3.1.05.164 CREATED SUB B OF THE
SECTION DOES DESCRIBE IN GENERAL
THE METHODS THROUGH WHICH THE
CARE CCRT CAN BE DISPATCHED TO
INCLUDE 911 CALL CENTER, AS WELL
AS REQUESTS INITIATED DIRECTLY
BY SPD, FIRE, OR OTHER
MECHANISMS AUTHORIZED BY THE
CHIEF OF THE CARE DEPARTMENT.
THAT ACKNOWLEDGES THE CURRENT
STATE, WHICH IS THERE ARE MANY
WAYS WHICH CARE CCR RESPONDERS
CAN BE ACTIVATED. SOMETIMES
THROUGH THE 911 CALL CENTER, BUT
SOMETIMES THROUGH DIRECT
LATERAL, IF YOU WILL, REQUESTS
FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING
THE VARIOUS WORK THAT FIRE IS
DOING.
>> THANK YOU.
>> NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS. THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER LIN? ANY
QUESTIONS?
>> YEAH, THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> BY THE WAY, BEFORE YOU SAY
ANYTHING, THANK YOU TO THE
KINDERGARTENERS FOR COMING.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M JUST
CURIOUS AS TO THE CARE
DEPARTMENT AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN
LOOKING BACK AT SOME OF THE
EXISTING LANGUAGE, SO NOT NEW
LANGUAGE THAT WOULD BE PROPOSED,
IT TALKS ABOUT CREATING A NEW
INITIATIVE TO INTEGRATE THE
CITY'S VIOLENCE INTERVENTION
PROGRAMS, USING RESEARCH-BASED
STRATEGIES TO REDUCE VIOLENCE
INCLUDING IDENTIFYING SPECIFIC
AND MEASURABLE OUTCOMES. THIS
INITIATIVE WILL FOCUS ON A
NUMBER OF THINGS INCLUDING GUN
VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND
YOUTH PROGRAMS. I GUESS PART OF
MY BIG PICTURE QUESTION IS THE
ROLE OF THE CARE DEPARTMENT, AND
AS A NEW DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW,
THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, BUSY
STANDING UP, SORT OF THE --
TAKING OVER THE 911 CALL CENTER,
HAVING, YOU KNOW, A GREATLY
EXPANDED TEAM OUT IN THE
COMMUNITY. THE CARE RESPONDERS,
AND, YOU KNOW, MY QUESTION IS,
IS PART OF THIS -- ARE WE TRYING
TO GET MORE CONTRACTS FROM CARE
SHIFTED -- FOR EXAMPLE HSD I
BELIEVE CONTRACTS FOR SOME OF
OUR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
PROGRAMS AND ALSO, I THINK
CONTRACTS WITH LEAD. IS PART OF
THE IDEA TO SHIFT SOME OF THE
BODY OF WORK FROM HSD TO THE
CARE DEPARTMENT? I'M JUST A
LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, AGAIN, AS A NEW
DEPARTMENT, ALREADY HAVE A
SIGNIFICANT BODY OF WORK TO GROW
INTO, AND JUST THE
ADMINISTRATIVE DIFFICULTIES OF
SHIFTING PERSONNEL OR CONTRACTS
TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT.
>> YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT
QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER. I WILL
SPEAK FIRST TO THE LAST PART OF
YOUR STATEMENT. SO THE CONTRACTS
FOR PDA AND WE DELIVER CARE
CONTRACTS ARE BEING ADMINISTERED
BY THE CARE DEPARTMENT
CURRENTLY. THAT WAS A CHANGE
MADE DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS
IN THE FALL AND EFFECTIVE
JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. THOSE ARE
CONTRACTS THAT ARE BEING
ADMINISTERED BY CARE, AND THERE
WAS A STAFFING MOVE, ACCOMPANIED
BY THE FINANCIAL TRANSACTION TO
MOVE THE DOLLARS OUT OF HSD INTO
CARE. THAT IS THE CURRENT STATE,
THE CURRENT STATE IS DESCRIBED
IN THE LANGUAGE THAT IS ON THE
TOP OF PAGE FOUR. -- RELATED TO
THE DIVERSION AND REENTRY
SERVICES FOR THOSE AT INVOLVED
OR AT RISK WITH THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM. THAT LANGUAGE IS
DESCRIBING THE OVERSIGHT
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LEAD,
COLEAD, AND WCD CONTRACTS THAT
CURRENTLY REST WITH CARE. IN
TERMS OF, I GUESS WHAT I WOULD
CALL THE LEGACY LANGUAGE, THE
EXISTING LANGUAGE, WHICH IS
CURRENT SMC315060A6 IN CURRENT
CODE, I DON'T -- I DON'T KNOW
WHAT THE INTENTIONS ARE GOING
FORWARD TO MOVE OR NOT MOVE ANY
OF THE CONTRACTS OTHER THAN THE
LEAD CONTRACTS I HAVE MENTIONED.
I THINK THIS IS AN IDEA THAT HAS
BEEN RAISED IN VARIOUS FORMS
OVER THE PAST MANY YEARS. THE
BEST WAY TO CHARACTERIZE THE
CODE LANGUAGE WOULD BE THAT IT
WAS LANGUAGE ADDED THAT HAS
NEVER BEEN FULLY IMPLEMENTED OR
CARRIED OUT. SO POTENTIALLY
ASPIRATIONAL WHEN IT WAS ADDED,
BUT IT HASN'T BEEN REALIZED IN
THE SAME WAY THAT OTHER LANGUAGE
IN THE -- IN THE CITY CODE
DESCRIBING WHAT THE CARE
DEPARTMENT DOES HAS BEEN
REALIZED. AS YOU STATED, I MEAN
THE TWO PRIMARY FUNCTIONS THAT
THE CARE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY
CARRIES OUT ARE THE OPERATION OF
THE 911 CALL CENTER FIRST, AND
SECONDLY, THE FIELDING AND
MAINTENANCE OF THE COMMUNITY
CRISIS RESPONDER TEAMS, NOT
INSIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL BODY OF
WORK RELATED TO THE WORK WAS
ADDED IN THE FALL BUDGET, WHICH
IS THE OVERSIGHT OF THE
CONTRACTS THAT I MENTIONED FOR
LEAD, COLEAD, AND WE DELIVER
CARE, BUT BEYOND THAT, THE
EXISTING -- THERE IS SOME
EXISTING CODE LANGUAGE NOW THAT
THIS BILL WOULD NOT CHANGE,
WHICH TALKS, ANTICIPATES A
POTENTIAL FUTURE STATE AROUND AN
INCREASED LEVEL OF COORDINATION,
GUN VIOLENCE, COMMUNITY-BASED
INTERVENTIONS AS YOU MENTIONED
THAT ARE IN CODE, BUT THAT HAS
LARGELY NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER LIN,
FOR THAT QUESTION. IT'S AN
IMPORTANT ONE, AND IT SHOULD BE
NOTED THAT WITH THE PDA CONTRACT
MOVING FROM HSD TO CARE, THAT
WAS QUITE SIMPLE, AND IT WAS
DONE. AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF
AN AREA THAT -- WE JUST HAD A
SYMPOSIUM YESTERDAY. WE ARE NOT
GETTING THE JOB DONE. THERE'S A
DEDICATED LEAD WHO HAS NOT BEEN
DEDICATED TO LEAD THE PROGRAM.
IT'S OUR JOB TO ENSURE THEY DO
THE JOB, AND I THINK THEY CAN. I
KNOW THEY ARE RELATIVELY NEW,
BUT IF WE DON'T DEMAND BETTER,
IF WE DON'T DEMAND THE RESULT,
WE DON'T GET IT. THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING IT UP. IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT TO DO THIS. AS WE SAW
YESTERDAY, THIS MISSION AREA
BELONGS WITHIN PUBLIC SAFETY,
AND TO BE FRANK, WE WILL GET
MORE ATTENTION AND OVERSIGHT
HERE THAN IT WOULD OTHERWISE.
THIS IS THE NATURAL HOME FOR IT.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO DEMAND THAT
CARE AND THE EXECUTIVE TAKE IT
ON AND CARRY IT OUT BECAUSE JUST
TO WISH IT AWAY, THREE YEARS
FROM NOW WE WILL HAVE A SIMILAR
CONVERSATION ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE
PREVENTION. THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING THE ISSUE. ANY OTHER
QUESTIONS?
>> JUST IF I COULD RESPOND TO
THAT POINT. I MEAN, I DO THINK
THAT, YOU KNOW, ON OUR GUN
VIOLENCE INTERVENTION WORK, IT
LIVES IN MANY DIFFERENT
DEPARTMENTS CURRENTLY, AND I DO
THINK THAT WE NEED A MORE
COORDINATED APPROACH. IT LIVES
WITH HSD. THERE'S THE
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, AND
THERE'S A TOUCH POINT WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, EARLY
LEARNING WITH THE FUNDING, AND
OBVIOUSLY WITH THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, CARE NOW, HAVING A
COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY
ABSOLUTELY NEEDED. I DON'T HAVE
STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT WHERE IT
SHOULD LIVE. I DO THINK THERE'S
A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SORT OF THE EMERGENCY
RESPONDER PART OF THIS WORK THAT
CARE DOES VERSES THE MORE DEEPLY
ENGAGED LONG-TERM KIND OF
COMMUNITY SAFETY WORK THAT SOME
OF OUR FOLKS DO. SO JUST WANTED
TO DISTINGUISH THAT I THINK
THERE COULD BE A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE LONGER TERM
STRATEGIES VERSES THE MORE 911
TYPE OF EMERGENCY RESPONDER
WORK, SO THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, AND COMMUNITY
SAFETY IN A LOT OF WAYS IS
ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE, BUT AT THE
COMMUNITY LEVEL, AND SO IT DOES
NEED TO BE NESTED WITH THE MORE
FORMAL GOVERNMENT WE ARE
RESPONSE AND THE LEADERSHIP WITH
THE EXECUTIVES TO HELP CARRY IT
OUT. THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
LIN. COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ?
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WAS
LOOKING AT THE LEGISLATION, AND
THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON, FOR
GOING THROUGH IT. MAYBE YOU
CAN'T ANSWER SOME OF THIS AND
WE HAVE TO GO TO CARE FOLKS. TWO
THINGS, ON THE 3.15060, WHICH IS
PAGE TWO AND PAGE FOUR, IN THE
SECTION ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AS
WELL, WE HAVE -- I SEE THEY
STRUCK COMPASSIONATE AND PUT IN
EFFECTIVE, ACCOUNTABLE. SHALL
INCLUDE OVERSIGHT AND
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR CITY
CONTRACTS RELATED TO DIVERSION
AND REENTRY SERVICES FOR THOSE
AT RISK ET CETERA. I THINK
THERE'S TWO THINGS, AND I HAVE
A SECOND QUESTION IF I CAN, MR.
CHAIR. WHAT DOES ACCOUNTABILITY
LOOK LIKE? I MEAN THAT SEEMS
LIKE A BIG LIFT IN LIGHT WHAT WE
ARE DOING WITH THE KING COUNTY
REGIONAL HOMELESS AUTHORITY IN
CONTRACTS SO IF WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND CARE
AND CARE IS GOING TO ABSORB
LEAD, COLEAD, AND A BUNCH OF THE
OTHER ORGANIZATION CONTRACTS, IF
THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO
BE SETTLED, HOUSED, AND
ACCOUNTABILITY -- I'M
CONCERNED. MR.CHAIR, YOU MAY
HAVE AN ANSWER FOR ME AS WELL.
WHAT IF WE HAVE -- WHAT DOES
THAT ACCOUNTABILITY LOOK LIKE?
IN THE SENSE OF LIKE WHAT I
SHARED, NOW THAT WE ARE IN THE
SHADOW OF WHAT WE ARE DEALING
WITH THE ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES
OF THE KING COUNTY REGIONAL
HOUSING AUTHORITY? I MEAN
THAT'S A LOADED WORD,
ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS A LOT OF
CONTRACTS AND A LOT OF MONEY. WE
DOUBLED CARE'S EMPLOYEES. WE
HAVE A LOT OF MOVING CONTRACTS
HERE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT
OF EMPLOYEES, A LOT OF ACTORS.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO MONITOR
THAT? HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK?
I KNOW WE ARE CODIFYING THIS. IF
THIS IS ALL WE ARE DOING RIGHT
NOW, IS THERE ANY MORE THOUGHT
TO WHAT THAT MEANS?
>> COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ, FIRST,
IT IS ALREADY IN THE LAW. THIS
IS ABOUT THE VIOLENCE
PREVENTION, VIOLENCE INTERRUPTER
PIECE.
>> RIGHT.
>> NOT THE BROADER -- YOU KNOW,
THIS IS NOT A HOUSING FOCUSED
PARAGRAPH. CAN I ADD, THERE WAS
A MISTAKE EARLIER, THE WORD
COMPASSIONATE WAS NOT SUPPOSED
TO BE REMOVED. IT WAS SUPPOSED
TO BE MOVED OVER. COMPASSIONATE
WILL BE ADDED BACK IN. I WANT TO
MAKE THE QUICK POINT SINCE YOU
REFERENCED IT.
>> I MUST HAVE AN OLD COPY THEN.
>> NO, IT HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. IT
WILL BE FIXED BEFORE THE NEXT
MEETING.
>> OKAY, IT WAS STRUCK BY
ACCIDENT?
>> YEAH.
>> SO PLEASE, PLEASE ENLIGHTEN
ME MR. CHAIR THEN FOR THE
ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE OR WHAT YOU
WERE SAYING.
>> THIS IS THE FOCUS ON VIOLENCE
INTERVENTION PROGRAMS, AND THIS
HAS ALREADY BEEN IN LAW, AND
THERE'S BEEN NO ACTION ON IT,
AND AS WE ARE SEEING IN
YESTERDAY'S SYMPOSIUM, WE ARE
NOT GETTING RESULTS EITHER.
CONTINUING AS IS IS ALSO NOT AN
ISSUE. I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH THE
WORD ACCOUNTABILITY. THAT'S
WHAT WE NEED MORE OF IN THESE
BILLS AND OUR WORK AND
OVERSEEING WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE.
THE -- WE NEED MORE
ACCOUNTABILITY THAN ANYTHING
ELSE AND TO AVOID WHAT WE HAVE
BEEN SEEING AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
>> I DON'T EITHER. I DON'T
HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MORE
ACCOUNTABILITY EITHER, ALL
RIGHT. THE OTHER ISSUE I WANT TO
RAISE IS PAGE THREE. SO, AGAIN,
ON SECTION FOUR ONE WHEN WE SAY
MAINTAINING A COMMUNITY CRISIS
RESPONDER TEAM AS FIRST
RESPONDERS SUPPORTING THE
CITY'S RESPONSE TO PERSONS
EXPERIENCING CLINICAL CRISIS AND
OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHALLENGES,
AND THIS JUST MAY BE MORE OF A
WONKY LAWYER QUESTION, IS THIS
THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE LABELED
THE CCRT AS WHEN I SAY
LEGITIMATE, I DON'T WANT TO SAY
ACTUAL LEGITIMATE FIRST
RESPONDERS BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW,
CHAIR, SPD AND SFD, SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT, CODIFIED AS FIRST
RESPONDERS IN LAW ARE HELD TO A
HIGHER STANDARD FOR LIABILITY
PURPOSES. SO ARE WE -- IS THIS
JUST A -- ARE WE ACTUALLY
ANOINTING THEM AS FIRST
RESPONDERS LIKE WE TREAT AND
KEEP SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
EMPLOYEES WHO ARE FIRST
RESPONDERS TO A HIGHER STANDARD
AND HIGHER PROTECTIONS BY THE
WAY, IF YOU ASSAULT THEM? SO IS
THAT WHAT WE ARE SAYING HERE?
>> YES, THEY ARE FIRST
RESPONDERS. WE HAVE CHIEF
BARTON. WE DON'T HAVE DIRECTOR
BARTON.
>> I KNOW I NAMED HER CHIEF
BARTON. I WAS THERE, SO YEAH.
>> THAT STANDARD NEEDS TO BE
MET. THAT GOES BACK TO THE
ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE.
>> IF I COULD ADD, IN A SENSE,
BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
IN MUNICIPAL CODE WE WILL BE
DESCRIBING THE WORK OF THE
COMMUNITY CRISIS RESPONDER TEAM,
YOU KNOW, AS YOU ALL WILL BE
AWARE, THIS IS WORK THAT HAS
BEEN UNDERWAY, BEING EXECUTED BY
THE DEPARTMENT FOR SEVERAL
YEARS, UP TO THIS POINT, BUT IT
IS NOT WORK THAT HAS BEEN
REFLECTED ACCURATELY OR
DESCRIPTIVELY IN THE CODE UNDER
THE FUNCTION OF THE CARE
DEPARTMENT. SO IN THAT SENSE,
YES, THIS IS BOTH THE FIRST TIME
THAT THE COMMUNITY CRISIS
RESPONSE TEAM WILL BE DESCRIBED
IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE, PERIOD,
AND IT WILL BE THE FIRST TIME
THAT THEY ARE DESCRIBED AS FIRST
RESPONDERS. THE FIRST RESPONDER
LANGUAGE AND, IN FACT, ALL OF
THE DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE IN THIS
ORDINANCE IS TAKEN FROM THE
LANGUAGE THAT THE CITY ALREADY
USES AND HAS USED TO DESCRIBE
THE WORK OF THE COMMUNITY CRISIS
RESPONSE TEAM IN PUBLIC
STATEMENTS AND PRESS RELEASES ON
THE CARE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE FOR
EXAMPLE. IN THAT SENSE, IT'S
CONSISTENT OR A CONTINUATION OF
THE TERMINOLOGY THAT IS BEING
USED. I'M NOT AWARE THAT THIS
LANGUAGE WILL CREATE ANY NEW
LEGAL LIABILITY OR LEGAL DUTY IN
THAT SENSE. I MEAN, AS WITH
EVERY ORDINANCE, EVEN THOUGH
THIS IS A DRAFT, THIS HAS BEEN
REVIEWED BY OUR COLLEAGUES IN
THE LAW DEPARTMENT, AND LIKE I
SAID, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE A
DEFINITIVE STATEMENT, BUT THERE
WERE NO FLAGS. I'M NOT AWARE
THIS WOULD MAKE ANY CHANGES TO
LIABILITY IN THE WAY THAT YOU
DESCRIBED, BUT TO REITERATE,
YES, THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST
TIME THEY ARE DESCRIBED IN
MUNICIPAL CODE AS FAR AS I AM
AWARE AS FIRST RESPONDERS.
THAT'S ALSO BY VIRTUE OF THE
FACT THAT THE CODE CURRENTLY
DOESN'T DESCRIBE THE CCR TEAM
AT ALL.
>> ALL RIGHT, SO I GUESS MY
POINT IS THIS A FIRST RESPONDER
IS A TERM IN LAW, WE PROVIDE
PROTECTIONS AND HOLD THEM TO A
HIGHER STANDARD BECAUSE THEY ARE
IN THE PUBLIC AND ARE FIRST
RESPONDERS, AND THEY CAN BE,
I'M NOT ARGUING ABOUT THAT. I
GUESS MY POINT IS MAYBE DOWN THE
ROAD, WE START LOOKING AT --
IT'S JUST BEEN RECENTLY IN THE
LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS WHERE WE
GAVE THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
PEOPLE THE SAME PROTECTIONS THAT
WE GIVE SPD, IF SOMEBODY
ASSAULTS A POLICE OFFICER,
THAT'S THE HIGHER CRIME BECAUSE
THEY ARE A FIRST RESPONDER, AND
WE EXTENDED THE SAME COURTESY TO
THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT
WERE FIRST RESPONDERS ALSO BEING
ASSAULTED. IF WE ARE NOW GOING
TO, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT, AND
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE WORK
ISN'T FIRST RESPONDING, MAYBE
THAT'S SOMETHING DOWN THE ROAD
THAT THEY HAVE THOSE PROTECTIONS
AS WELL. BECAUSE IF THEY ARE, IN
DEED, FIRST RESPONDING TO PEOPLE
EXPERIENCING CRISIS AND OR
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, THAT DOESN'T
MEAN THAT IT DOESN'T -- IT CAN
START OFF THAT WAY, BUT THAT
DOESN'T MEAN THAT SITUATION
MAINTAINS THAT PATTERN AND STAYS
THAT WAY IT'S JUST CLINICAL
CRISIS. IT COULD ACTUALLY --
BEHAVIOR COULD EXPAND TO
ENDANGERING THE NOW FIRST
RESPONDER CCRT EMPLOYEE. THAT'S
MY POINT. I'M NOT TRYING TO
ARGUE WITH YOU. I'M JUST SAYING
IF THAT'S, IN DEED, A TERM A
LEGAL TERM, AND IF YOU DO ATTACH
OR, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO
SAY THE WORD, ANOINT A GROUP, WE
SHOULD PROBABLY EXPLORE THOSE
PROTECTIONS FOR THEM AS WELL.
THAT WAS THE POINT I WAS MAKING.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
JUAREZ. I AGREE. FIRST WE SHALL
SET THE STANDARD AND THE
EXPECTATIONS FOR THE STANDARD.
THAT'S THE FIRST POINT. TWO, TO
YOUR POINT, WE SHOULDN'T WAIT
FIVE YEARS TO GIVE THE SAME
PROTECTIONS WE GAVE TO THE
FIREFIGHTERS I THINK TWO YEARS
AGO. THAT'S DEFINITELY A
QUESTION WORTH FOLLOWING UP AND
MAYBE ADDING THAT PIECE INTO
THIS ORDINANCE NOW INSTEAD OF
WAITING A NUMBER OF YEARS AND
HAVING SOME INCIDENT HAPPEN AND
THEN RESPONDING TO THE INCIDENT.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD OBSERVATION
AND POINT RELATED TO USING THE
FIREFIGHTERS AS THE EXAMPLE
HERE. MY TEAM WILL WORK WITH
YOUR TEAM AND CENTRAL STAFF AND
LAW TO WORK THROUGH THAT POINT.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
THAT YOU RAISED IT AND WE
ADDRESS IT. THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ.
>> MR. CHAIR, THE REASON WHY,
AND THAT'S WHY I LED WITH --
KIND OF LAYING THE GROUNDWORK IF
WE ARE ANOINTING THE CCRT AS
FIRST RESPONDERS, THEN LET'S
GIVE THEM THE PROTECTIONS WE
GIVE OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS.
THAT WAS THE POINT I WAS LEADING
INTO WITH LAYING THE GROUNDWORK
TO DO THE FOLLOWUP QUESTION, SO
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
>> YES, UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ. I SEE
COUNCILMEMBER RHODE ISLAND VARY
-- COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA, YOU
HAVE YOUR HAND UP.
>> I AGREE WITH MY COUNCILMEMBER
ON THIS POINT. ALSO, APOLOGIES,
I WAS GREETING THE FIRST GRADERS
FROM MY DISTRICT, BUT IN TERMS
OF THE CCRs, DO WE NAME IN THE
SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE OTHER
POSITIONS WITH WHAT THEY DO
SPECIFICALLY?
>> UM, COULD YOU ASK IN A
DIFFERENT WAY?
>> WE ARE TRYING TO CODIFY THIS
SET OF EMPLOYEES IN THE SMC WITH
INCLUDING WHAT THEY DO, ALMOST
LIKE THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION. I'M
WONDERING IF WE DO THAT FOR
OTHER EMPLOYEES AT THE CITY?
I'M TRYING TO GET TO -- I'M
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE
TRYING TO CODIFY THIS SET OF
EMPLOYEES AND THE SMC WITH THIS
LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY.
>> YEAH, THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. THAT'S A
GOOD QUESTION. AS WE WERE
DRAFTING THIS, WE WERE LOOKING
TO OTHER SECTIONS,
ADMINISTRATIVE SECTIONS OF THE
MUNICIPAL CODE. THERE'S A
VARIETY OF WAYS THAT DEPARTMENTS
ARE DESCRIBED. I THINK THAT THE
ELEMENT OF THIS THAT ATTEMPTS TO
MAKE THE CODE MORE CONSISTENT
WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS IS THAT
THERE ARE NOT -- THERE ARE NOT
CURRENTLY OTHER DEPARTMENTS
WHOSE CORE -- ONE OF THEIR CORE
FUNCTIONS IS COMPLETELY ABSENT
FROM THE MUNICIPAL CODE. AS A
PRACTICAL MATTER, ON THE GROUND,
RIGHT AS I SAID BEFORE, THE TWO
PRIMARY THINGS THE CARE
DEPARTMENT IS DOING FOR THE CITY
AND IS KNOWN FOR AND THAT ARE
HIGHLY VISIBLE ARE THE 911 CALL
CENTER AND THE COMMUNITY CRISIS
RESPONDER TEAMS. I THINK IT'S
FAIR TO SAY THAT WHEN YOU -- YOU
KNOW, EVOKE THE NAME OF THE CARE
DEPARTMENT OUT IN THE CITY AND
IN THE COMMUNITY, THE FIRST
THING THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY THINK
OF IS THE CCR TEAMS, NOT
NECESSARILY THE 911 CALL CENTER
FUNCTIONS, SO IN THAT WAY, CARE
DEPARTMENT HAS BECOME SORT OF
SYNONYMOUS WITH THE CCR FOLKS
THAT ARE WALK AROUND AND
CODISPATCHED WITH SPD, ET
CETERA. SO THE INTENT OF THIS
ORDINANCE IS TO CAPTURE THE WORK
THAT THAT FUNCTION OF THE
DEPARTMENT DOES AT A LEVEL OF
DETAIL THAT IS BOTH SUFFICIENT
TO BE DESCRIPTIVE OF WHAT THE
WORK IS AND ALSO HIGH ENOUGH
THAT IT DOESN'T CREATE
CHALLENGES WITH THE PIECES OF
THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT
ARE TYPICALLY AND ORDINARILY
OPERATIONALLY CONTAINED IN
DIRECTIVES, DEPARTMENT POLICY,
AND MORE REGULATORY FORMS
OUTSIDE OF CODE. SO THE ATTEMPT
OF THIS ORDINANCE IS TO SORT OF
THREAD THAT NEEDLE AND NOT TO
GET INTO OPERATIONAL OR
PERSONNEL JOB DESCRIPTION LEVEL,
BUT TO DESCRIBE WHAT THE WORK IS
AT A HIGH LEVEL AND CAPTURE THAT
CURRENT STATE RIGHT NOW IN THE
INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
>> THANK YOU, ALTHOUGH I DO
THINK THAT THIS IS A CERTAIN
LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY, MORE THAN
JUST GENERALLY THIS IS WHAT THE
CARE DEPARTMENT DOES AS A
DEPARTMENT, AND I SAY THAT
BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT IS NEW IN
NATURE, AND THEY ARE TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT. THEY DO -- ONE OF
THEIR MAIN, BIGGEST BODIES OF
WORK -- I'M TRYING TO FIND THE
RIGHT WORDS SO I'M NOT
MISREPRESENTING, IS THE 911 CALL
CENTER. WE ARE NOT DESCRIBING
WHAT THE 911 CALL TAKERS, ALL OF
THE FUNCTIONS THEY HAVE. BUT YET
WE ARE SINGLING OUT SOME OF THE
EMPLOYEES TO TALK MORE
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHAT THEY DO.
IF THE DEPARTMENT SHOULD -- AND
THEN, OF COURSE, THERE'S OTHER
FUNCTIONS THE DEPARTMENT --
BECAUSE SOME FUNCTIONS HAVE BEEN
MOVED OVER LIKE THE DIVERSION,
THE LEAD, AND SO IF WE ARE
CODIFYING THIS IN THE SMC, WE
ARE SAYING THIS IS -- THESE
FOLKS ARE GOING TO FUNCTION IN
THIS WAY FOREVER MORE, BUT IF
THE DEPARTMENT SHOULD MAKE
CHANGES INTO HOW IT SETS ITSELF
UP, WE ARE NOW CODIFYING THIS,
WHICH IS WHAT I WE DON'T
NORMALLY DO THE SPECIFICITY
UNLESS WE ARE INTENDING TO DO
SO. I GUESS I'M TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND, AGAIN, WE DON'T DO
THIS FOR OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS
I'M AWARE OF WHERE WE PUT THE
LEVEL OF THE SPECIFICITY OF THE
EMPLOYEES IN THIS WAY. USUALLY
DEPARTMENTS HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY
TO -- IF THE NEED SHOULD ARISE,
REARRANGE HOW THEY DO THINGS IN
THE DEPARTMENT TO MEET THE
SERVICES AND THE NEEDS THAT THEY
ADDRESS. SO, AGAIN, I'M JUST
TRYING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY
FOR THIS SET OF EMPLOYEES WE ARE
CODIFYING THIS IN THE SMC AND IN
THIS SPECIFIC WAY IN A WAY WE
DON'T DO FOR OTHER CITY
DEPARTMENTS. I GUESS I
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING
TOMASO, ABOUT, WELL, MOST PEOPLE
WHEN THEY THINK OF CARE, THEY
THINK OF CCRs, YES AND NO. SOME
PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT,
YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE CCRs IN
THE CARE DEPARTMENT. I DO THINK
THERE'S A LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY
HERE CONTAINED SAYING WE ARE
GOING TO PUT INTO THE SMC THAT
WE DON'T HAVE FOR OTHER
EMPLOYEES AT THE CITY.
>> YEAH, IF I MIGHT. I MEAN, I
THINK ONE WAY IN WHICH THE CCR
FUNCTION OF THE CARE DEPARTMENT
IS DIFFERENT IS BECAUSE IT'S A
RELATIVELY NEWER BODY OF WORK.
IT'S PART OF THE FIRST RESPONSE
PUBLIC SAFETY ECOSYSTEM THAT THE
CITY HAS MADE OVER MULTIPLE
YEARS, COMMITMENTS AND
INVESTMENTS AND SO IN ORDER TO
ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE THAT WORK
AND TO DIFFERENTIATE IT FROM THE
MORE ESTABLISHED PARTS OF THAT
RESPONSE THAT ARE CONTAINED IN
FIRE AND SPD, FOR EXAMPLE,
THERE'S A WAY IN WHICH I THINK
JUST INTELLECTUALLY,
PRACTICALLY, THERE NEEDS TO BE A
LITTLE BIT HIGHER LEVEL OF
DESCRIPTION SINCE IT'S NOT AS
ESTABLISHED OF A FUNCTION OF THE
CITY HISTORICALLY AS SAY FIRE OR
SPD. THAT'S ALL I WOULD SAY ON
THAT LEVEL, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW,
WE HAVEN'T -- WE HAVE HAD, YOU
KNOW, I THINK I CAN SAY THIS. WE
HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
DEPARTMENT AND THE EXECUTIVE AT
VARIOUS STAGES OF THE PROCESS OF
CRAFTING THE LEGISLATION. THIS
IS SOMETHING THAT IS COUNCIL
GENERATED. IT IS NOT EXECUTIVE
GENERATED LEGISLATION, OF
COURSE, BUT THE EXECUTIVE HAS
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT
THE LANGUAGE, AND WE HAVE NOT
RECEIVED SPECIFIC FEEDBACK OR
OBJECTIONS ALONG THE LINES THAT
YOU'RE DESCRIBING TO THIS
POINT.
>> LET ME ASK IT A DIFFERENT
WAY. WHY DO WE NEED THIS IN THE
SMC TO THIS LEVEL OF
SPECIFICITY?
>> UM, I'M GOING TO -- YOU
KNOW, I CAN SAY A COUPLE MORE
THINGS, BUT I THINK THAT IF I
CONTINUE TO TALK, I'M PROBABLY
GOING TO SOUND A LITTLE
REPETITIVE ABOUT IT. I WILL SAY
A FEW MORE THINGS AND DEFER TO
THE CHAIR WHOSE ABILITY IT IS TO
DESCRIBE HIS INTENT HERE. I
THINK ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT
IS THAT IT'S A SIGNIFICANT BODY
OF WORK THAT THE CITY HAS
INVESTED, BOTH THE MAYOR AND
SEVERAL MAYORS NOW, AND THE
COUNCIL OVER THE YEARS HAVE
AFFIRMED THE ADDITIONAL
INVESTMENTS. WE HAVE STOOD UP
THE CARE TEAM, CITYWIDE, AND WE
HAVE DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF STAFF
FROM 24 TO 48 I GUESS YOU COULD
SAY FROM A GOVERNANCE
PERSPECTIVE. THERE'S AN
ARGUMENT IT MAKES SENSE TO
ENSHRINE AND DESCRIBE THAT, AND
IT'S HARD TO -- IT'S HARD TO DO
THAT IN A WAY THAT IS ACCURATE
WITHOUT GETTING INTO SOME LEVEL
OF DETAIL ABOUT THE SPECIFIC
FUNCTION AND ROLE OF THAT TEAM.
SO THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OF
THE INTENT HERE.
>> I WOULD ADD, WE CAN SAY
DEPARTMENTS, BUT DEPARTMENTS
DON'T MEAN ANYTHING. THERE'S
ONLY TWO DEPARTMENTS THAT MATTER
HERE, AND THAT'S POLICE AND
FIRE, AND IT'S QUITE CLEAR THAT
SWORN OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS
ARE QUITE CLEAR IN TERMS OF WHO
THEY ARE AND WHAT THEIR DUTIES
ARE. IT'S REALLY NECESSARY TO
DO THE SAME FOR THE CCRs, IN
ORDER TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT
THEIR ROLE IS WITHIN THE SYSTEM
AS MR. JOHNSON WAS NOTING, AND
TO SHOW WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT
ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE. WE HAVE
BEEN KIND OF TREADING WATER,
KIND OF, YOU KNOW, NOT MAKING
MUCH PROGRESS. WE HAVE TO DEMAND
BETTER, AND WE HAVE TO SHOW WE
ARE ALL IN ON ALTERNATIVE
RESPONSE. ONE WAY TO DO THAT IS
TO REALLY WORK THIS POINT, AS
YOU NOTICED, THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING IT UP. IT'S IMPORTANT.
WE EITHER HAVE ALTERNATIVE
RESPONSE, OR WE DON'T. WE HAVE
COMMUNITY CRISIS RESPONDERS, OR
WE DON'T. THEY DO VERY
DIFFERENT JOB THAN POLICE. FOR
THOSE WHO WORK IN THE LABOR
RELATIONS COMMITTEE WORLD, YOU
KNOW, DELINEATING THE PIECES,
SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO MENTAL
AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IS REALLY
IMPORTANT. IT ALSO APPLIES TO
FIRE, TOO. I HAD A DISCUSSION
WITH CHIEF SOMETIMES THERE'S A
HEALTH CALL THAT COMES THROUGH
FIRE AND DISPATCH, AND FIRE
ALARM CENTER, AND IT IS A HEALTH
PIECE, BUT THEY GO BACK TO 911
WHEN THEY COULD EASILY CONNECT
WITH CARE. CODIFYING THIS AND
BEING SERIOUS ABOUT MOVING
FORWARD WITH ALTERNATIVE
RESPONSE MEANS WE HAVE TO KIND
OF DO THESE PIECES, GIVEN THE
CIRCUMSTANCES FROM WHICH IT IS
BORN AND SOMETHING WE HAVE BEEN
DEALING WITH OVER THE LAST FEW
YEARS, AND THIS IS ANOTHER WAY
TO KIND OF SOLIDIFY THE PIECES
AND SOLIDIFY THAT SEATTLE IS ALL
IN ON ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE.
>> CHAIR, I WANT TO SAY FOR THE
RECORD, I MEAN, IT'S ALREADY
CARE AND THE FUNCTION OF THIS
RESPONSE, FIRST RESPONDER, IT'S
ALREADY IN THE SMC, SO IT LOOKS
LIKE THIS IS JUST ADDING A
CERTAIN LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT
WASN'T THERE BEFORE I THINK IN
AS FAR AS WE DO OFTEN WITH THE
SMC PROVIDE THINGS AT A HIGH
ENOUGH LEVEL WHERE OUR CITY
DEPARTMENTS HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY
TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE SERVICES
OR TO THE FUNCTIONS IN ORDER TO
MEET THAT SERVICE. I AM NOT
SURE, AND WE CAN TALK OFF
RECORD, BUT I'M NOT SURE I'M
UNDERSTANDING THE NEED TO CHANGE
THE SMC FOR CARE TO ADD THE
LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY CONTAINED
IN THIS AMENDMENT.
>> WELL --
>> I JUST REALLY WANTED TO STATE
THAT FOR THE RECORD BECAUSE WE
ARE MAKING CHOICES ABOUT WITH
THIS AMENDMENT PUTTING THAT
LEVEL OF DETAIL FOR THIS
CLASSIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES, AND
TO COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ'S PART,
IT DOES I THINK THEN SET UP
EXPECTATIONS FOR HOW ARE WE
GOING TO PROTECT THIS SET OF
EMPLOYEES? WHAT KIND OF
PROTECTIONS ARE WE GOING TO
AFFORD THEM IF WE TAKE THIS
ACTION?
>> OKAY, OKAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> IF WE DON'T DO THIS, WE HAVE
TO HAVE ANOTHER ORDINANCE TO
TAKE FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE
OFFICERS OUT OF THE SMC.
FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS
ARE IN THE SMC. IF WE ARE GOING
TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT ALTERNATIVE
RESPONSE, BE TRULY SERIOUS ABOUT
IT, WE HAVE TO SET THE STANDARDS
AND THE EXPECTATIONS. THIS IS
PART OF THE PROBLEM WE HAVE HAD
THUS FAR IN TERMS OF NOT BEING
WHERE WE SHOULD BE WITH
ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE. THIS BILL,
OR ORDINANCE, NOT AMENDMENT, IS
FUNCTIONING IN THAT RESPECT.
JUST TO REITERATE, FIREFIGHTERS
AND POLICE OFFICERS ARE IN THE
MUNICIPAL CODE. OKAY ANY OTHER
QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, WE ARE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK THIS.
WE HAVE WORKED WITH VARIOUS
STAKEHOLDERS, AND IT WILL COME
BACK TO COMMITTEE. THANK YOU,
EVERYONE, FOR THE DIFFERENT
PIECES AND TO HIGHLIGHT IT TO
INCLUDE THE VIOLENCE
INTERVENTION PIECE AND ALSO THE
PIECE REGARDING WITH WHAT WE DID
FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS IN TERMS OF
PROTECTIONS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
AND THE LIKE. WE WILL WORK THESE
PIECES AND WORK THEM INTO THE
BILL AS WE MOVE FORWARD, SO
THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND NOW WE
WILL MOVE INTO OUR SECOND ITEM
OF BUSINESS. WILL THE CLERK
PLEASE READ AGENDA ITEM TWO INTO
THE RECORD?
>> SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT
FRAMEWORK.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
WILL YOU PLEASE HAVE A SEAT? AND
MR. WOLFF, IF WE COULD START
WITH YOU, AND THEN WE WILL WORK
DOWN THE TABLE IN TERMS OF
INTRODUCING YOURSELF BY NAME AND
ALSO BY ORGANIZATION. AND THEN
JUMP RIGHT INTO THE BRIEFING,
AND WE WILL GO STRAIGHT THROUGH
THE BRIEFING AND HOLD QUESTIONS
FOR THE END. STARTING WITH YOU.
>> PERFECT. THANK YOU FOR HAVING
US. SAM WOLFF, HE/HIM. PASSING
TO MY RIGHT.
>> I'M ELENA ARAKAKI.
>> I'M MARCUS JOHNSON. I'M
KAREN SALINAS.
>> I'M PAIGE KILLINGER WITH
REACH.
>> AND I'M MIKE STEWART WITH
BALLARD ALLIANCE.
>> WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE
SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT
FRAMEWORK OR AS WE HAVE BEEN
CALLING IT SNIF. BEFORE GETTING
INTO THE MECHANICS OF IT, I WANT
TO SAY, SO BASICALLY THE IDEA OF
SNIF, IT'S A FRAMEWORK AND SET
OF PARTNERSHIPS DESIGNED TO
MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT FOR
SEATTLE'S NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF KEY
FEATURES OF THE FRAMEWORK THAT
ENABLE THIS. FIRST, NEIGHBORHOOD
LEADERS, SOME OF WHOM ARE AT THE
TABLE TODAY, GATHER INFORMATION
FROM NEIGHBORHOOD STAKEHOLDERS
IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY AND
PRIORITIZE PEOPLE AND PLACES OF
COMMUNITY CONCERN. SNIF PARTNERS
WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE
SOLUTIONS AND PLANS FOR THOSE
COMMUNITY CONCERNS, WHICH ALLOWS
NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS TO
COMMUNICATE THE PROGRESS BACK TO
THE COMMUNITY, WHICH CREATES A
FEEDBACK LOOP, CONDUCIVE TO
ONDOING INFORMATION -- ONGOING
INFORMATION. WORKING TOGETHER.
SNIF PARTNERS ARE A DIVERSE
GROUP OF TEAMS, EACH WITH
DIFFERENT TEAMS, WHETHER
DEESCALATION COMMUNITY OR
BUSINESS RESPONSE OUTREACH
INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT, AND THE
KEY IS ALL OF THE TEAMS DO
DIFFERENT THINGS WELL. WITHIN
THE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT
FRAMEWORK, THE TEAMS WORK IN A
STRUCTURED COLLABORATION, EACH
WORKING TO THEIR STRENGTHS AND
HAVING A PLACE TO BE MORE THAN
THE SUM OF THEIR PARTS. I WANT
TO BE CLEAR THAT SNIF IS
FRAMEWORK DISTINCT FROM
LONG-TERM CARE STRATEGIES.
THINGS LIKE SHELTER, HOUSING,
LONG-TERM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
SUPPORTS. IT'S MUTUALLY
BENEFICIAL WITH THE LONG-TERM
CARE STRATEGIES. BECAUSE OF
SNIF'S ABILITY TO PRIORITIZE
THE MANY CONCERNS AND
COLLABORATE AROUND CREATING
PLANS FOR THEM, WE ARE ABLE TO
UTILIZE THE RESOURCES LIKE
SHELTER OR HOUSING OR BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH STRATEGIES TO THE
GREATEST FELT IMPACT. THROUGH
THE COMMUNICATION LOOP, WE ARE
ABLE TO MAKE THE IMPACTS AS
POSSIBLE. THIS IS A GOOD FRONT
DOOR TO THE LONG-TERM CARE
STRATEGIES, AND COMING TOGETHER
AROUND HOW TO USE THE LIMITED
RESOURCES AND THE MOST IMPACTFUL
WAY HAS BEEN DOING THE MOST OF
WHAT WE CAN FOR SEATTLE'S
NEIGHBORHOODS.
>> GREAT, SO AS SAM SAID SNIF IS
NOT A PROGRAM, BUT IT IS A
SYSTEM. IT'S A COORDINATION OF
DIFFERENT SERVICES, RIGHT? IT'S
A PLATFORM IN WHICH MULTIPLE
ENTITIES CAN MEET AND PROVIDE
CARE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS
TIMELINE IS A NONCOMPREHENSIVE
GRAPHIC THAT HIGHLIGHTS A NUMBER
OF INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS AND
PROGRAMS THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER
TO FORM A FRAMEWORK, WHETHER
THAT BE THROUGH OUTREACH, CASE
MANAGEMENT, COMMUNITY LIAISON
AND ROLES OF AMBASSADORS. YOU
WILL SEE IT STARTED IN 2017 AND
HAS CONTINUED NOW AND REALLY
LIKE MORPHED INTO SOMETHING VERY
BEAUTIFUL THAT IS WORKING ALL
AROUND THE CITY. SO OVER THE
YEARS, THESE PROGRAMS -- THESE
DIFFERENT PROGRAMS HAVE
DEVELOPED AND GROWN IN WAYS THAT
COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER. IT
FORMALIZES THE MUTUALLY
BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS BY
PROVIDING SPACES TO BE
INNOVATIVE TO COMMUNITY CARE
WHILE PROVIDING CLARITY AND
CONNECTION.
>> I WOULD ADD TO THAT, TOO,
THIS MODEL DID COME OUT OF THE
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DO CURRENTLY
HAVE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREAS
OR BIAs. IT WAS BUILT AROUND
FORMALIZED COORDINATION ROLES
THAT TEND TO SIT WITHIN
ORGANIZATIONS OF OURSELVES. IN
BALLARD, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR CLEAN
AND SAFE DIRECTOR LEADS THE
EFFORT. AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, I
PARTICIPATE IN MANY OF THE
MEETINGS, NOT ALL, BUT AM AWARE
AND PARTICIPATE REGULARLY, BUT I
THINK THE IMPORTANT THING TO
MENTION HERE, WE THINK THE MODEL
IS ACHIEVABLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS
THAT DON'T HAVE BIA. WE DID THE
GROUND BREAKING WORK OF TRYING
TO GET THIS PROCESS AND THIS
PROGRAM WORKING CORRECTLY AND
PROPERLY SO THAT IT CAN BE IN A
WAY HANDED OFF TO OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS. MANY
NEIGHBORHOODS WITHOUT BIAs, JUST
AS LONG AS THEY HAVE GOT A GOOD
ASSEMBLED LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE
AND A MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE THAT
CAN SUPPORT THE WORK, THE KEY
HERE, REALLY, IS TO LEVERAGE
NEIGHBORHOOD KNOWLEDGE THAT
REALLY ALIGNS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE
OF THE GROUP THAT IS WORKING ON
THIS EFFORT.
>> SURE, THANKS. I'M GOING TO
PULL A MARK TODAY. IT'S BEEN AN
HONOR TO WORK WITH EVERYONE AT
THE TABLE AND MORE PEOPLE
SETTING UP THE FRAMEWORK OVER
THE COURSE OF -- WELL AS YOU CAN
SEE, SINCE EVEN BEFORE I TOOK
OFFICE. THIS HAS BEEN A WAY THAT
WE HAVE PILOTED IN THE
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT AND THEN THE
BALLARD NEIGHBORHOOD. WE USED
THE PILOTS TO CREATE THE
FRAMEWORK, THE POLICIES, AND THE
MECHANISMS, AND FROM THERE,
EXPANDING THROUGHOUT THE CITY,
CHINATOWN INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT
HAS BEEN OFF AND RUNNING, AND I
THINK IT'S PROBABLY TIME WE
INCREASE THAT TEAM TO HAVE THE
CASE MANAGER. IN LAST YEAR'S
BUDGET CONVERSATION BY WAY OF
EXAMPLE, WE WERE HAVING THE
CONVERSATION OF HOW QUICKLY DO
WE GROW THIS PROGRAM? BECAUSE IF
WE GROW IT TOO QUICKLY, IT'S
NOT SUCCESSFUL. IF WE GROW IT
TOO SLOWLY, IT'S NOT
SUCCESSFUL. THIS LAST YEAR WE
WERE HAVING THE CONVERSATION OF
IS CHINATOWN INTERNATIONAL
DISTRICT IN THE EXPANSION POINT
THAT IT SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN
OUTREACH WORKER OR NOT? WE SAID
LET'S TAKE THE NEXT COUPLE OF
MONTHS TO FIGURE IT OUT. MY
ASSESSMENT, IT'S READY TO
EXPAND, AND IN FACT, ALL OF
THESE DIFFERENT PARTS CREATE THE
UNITY THAT THIS WHOLE MODEL IS
ABLE AND READY TO BE REPLICATED
THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
>> THAT'S A GREAT TRANSITION
INTO SORT OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS
OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH WE WILL
NOT BELABOR AS PAIGE SAID. IT'S
SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, AND
WE COULD TALK ALL DAY ABOUT HOW
ALL OF THE INDIVIDUAL PARTS
WORK, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE
YOU HAD AN OVERVIEW OF SOME
CRITICAL KEY COMPONENTS THAT
MAKE THE FRAMEWORK HAPPEN IN
NEIGHBORHOODS. HANDING IT TO
YOU, MARCUS.
>> THERE'S TWO PARTS,
COORDINATION AND DIRECT
NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSE. PUBLIC
SAFETY COORDINATOR LIKE MYSELF,
THE CENTRAL POINT OF CONTACT FOR
BUSINESSES, RESIDENTS, SERVICE
PROVIDERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND
OTHER PARTNERS. IDENTIFYING
REOCCURRING PATTERNS AND
DETERMINING WHICH ISSUES REQUIRE
THE MOST IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. IT
ALSO MEANS FOLLOWING UP WITH
INDIVIDUAL REPORTS, GATHERING
INFORMATION FROM ACROSS THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, AND ORGANIZING
THAT INPUT TO IDENTIFY BROADER
PATTERNS RATHER THAN VIEWING
EVERY INCIDENT IN ISOLATION. OUR
AMBASSADOR TEAM PROVIDES THE
DAY-TO-DAY ON THE GROUND
COMPONENT OF THE WORK. THE
AMBASSADORS RESPOND TO CALLS
FROM BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS,
PROVIDE REFERRALS AND
ASSISTANCE, AND MAINTAIN A
PRESENCE THROUGHOUT THE
NEIGHBORHOOD. A LOT OF THEIR
WORK IS ADDRESSING SMALLER
ISSUES EARLY, CHECKING IN WITH
PEOPLE, MONITORING REOCCURRING
LOCATIONS, AND HELPING TO
PREVENT SITUATIONS FROM
ESCALATING. THESE TWO FUNCTIONS
CONTINUALLY INFORM ONE ANOTHER.
THE AMBASSADORS ADDRESS THE
IMMEDIATE NEEDS AND PROVIDE THE
PUBLIC SAFETY COORDINATOR WITH A
REALTIME UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT
THE COMMUNITY IS EXPERIENCING.
THE COORDINATOR CAN USE THE
INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY
PRIORITIES, COORDINATE LONG-TERM
RESPONSES, AND ADVOCATE FOR
RESPONSES FROM THE APPROPRIATE
PARTNERS.
>> I WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH
COORDINATOR, A STREET-BASED
POSITION. THIS POSITION SUPPORTS
COMMUNITY EFFORTS TO REDUCE
TENSIONS DUE TO UNMET BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH NEEDS FOR PEOPLE UNHOUSED
IN NEIGHBORHOODS. IT SUPPORTS
THIS WITH A DEEP UNDERSTANDING
OF THE NEEDS OF THE UNHOUSED
NEIGHBORS AND COLLABORATING WITH
SERVICE PARTNERS TO DELIVER
COORDINATED, SHORT AND LONG-TERM
INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT HEALTH
CARE AND SOCIAL ACCESS, SOCIAL
SERVICE ACCESS THAT CAN MITIGATE
THE NEEDS AND RESULTING
CONSEQUENCES. THE NEIGHBORHOOD
OUTREACH COORDINATOR CAN ASSESS
THE NEED FOR INTERVENTIONS.
THOSE INTERVENTIONS MAY BE ABLE
TO BE PROVIDED THROUGH CORD
MADED -- COORDINATED HUMAN
SERVICES. PAIRED WITH THE
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
STRUCTURE OF? , THE OR SNIF --
CONDUCT CLIENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT
TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE CARE
PLANS, TREAGE TO DETERMINE THE
BEST FIT OR GAPS IN SERVICES AND
SUPPORT BACK TO PROGRAMMING
SUPPORTING OVER TIME EFFECTIVE
LONG-TERM BEHAVIOR CHANGE.
>> SO I AM GOING TO SPEAK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INTENSIVE
CASE MANAGEMENT ASPECT. THE ROLE
OF CASE MANAGEMENT IN THIS SNIF
MODEL IS A VITAL ASPECT AND
ALMOST SERVES LIKE A QUARTERBACK
FOR THE FRAMEWORK, SO THE
INTENSIVE CASE MANAGER IS
WORKING WITH THE COORDINATORS,
AMBASSADORS, AND NEIGHBORHOOD
OUTREACH AND BRINGING ALL OF THE
RESOURCES TOGETHER TO MEET THE
NEEDS OF THE CLIENTS ON A MORE
COMPLEX LEVEL, SO SOME OF THE
STUFF GOING ON WITH THE CASE
MANAGERS, WORKING ON MENTAL
HEALTH, HOUSING, WORKING ON
HEALTH, AND THEY ARE WORKING
WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THEY
ARE WORKING WITH THE BUSINESSES
TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW NOT
JUST THE INDIVIDUAL WE ARE
WORKING WITH IS BEING AFFECTED,
BUT THE NEIGHBORS, WHETHER THEY
BE HOUSED OR BUSINESSES OR BE
STUDENTS, AND ANY OF THOSE
THINGS ARE BEING AFFECTED SO WE
CAN IMMEDIATELY COME IN AND WORK
ON THE BEHAVIOR CHANGE WITH THE
INDIVIDUAL. SO AGAIN IT'S LIKE
BOOTS ON THE GROUND, KIND OF
COMING TOGETHER, WORKING
TOGETHER, SPEAKING VERY
FREQUENTLY ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL,
AND COMING UP WITH A PLAN THAT
IS GOING TO BEST SERVE THE
INDIVIDUAL AND THE COMMUNITY AT
LARGE. AND THEN, I -- I WANTED
TO SHARE A STORY ABOUT AN
INDIVIDUAL WE HAVE BEEN WORKING
WITH IN THE UDUB AREA. SO THIS
INDIVIDUAL IS -- WAS UNHOUSED UP
UNTIL VERY RECENTLY. WE WILL
CALL THIS PERSON ZANE. ZANE
STOOD OUT VERY MUCH IN THE
CORRIDOR. HE WAS DOING MARTIAL
ARTS VERY PUBLICALLY. HE HAD A
LOT OF UNTREATED MENTAL HEALTH
NEEDS. AND THERE WAS JUST NOT A
COMBINATION WORKING FOR THIS
INDIVIDUAL TO GET THEM THE
ASSISTANCE THEY NEEDED. THE
NEIGHBORS WERE GROWING WEARY.
THEY FELT LIKE IT WAS A
DANGEROUS SITUATION. THEY
DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO APPROACH
THIS NEIGHBOR IN A WAY THAT FELT
SAFE. BUSINESSES WERE BEING
AFFECTED. PEOPLE WERE NOT
WANTING TO GO IN WHEN THEY WERE
SEEING THIS INDIVIDUAL, AND IT
WAS JUST KIND OF AT A STANDSTILL
WITH THIS PERSON. SO THROUGH THE
SNIF MODEL, WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO
DO, WE WERE ABLE TO COORDINATE
THROUGH OUTREACH AND THROUGH THE
AMBASSADOR TO KIND OF BUILD A
RELATIONSHIP. WE WERE ABLE TO
SCREEN THIS PERSON INTO AN
INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM THAT WAS ABLE TO HELP
THEM MEET THEIR NEEDS AROUND
MENTAL HEALTH, PHYSICAL HEALTH,
ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS,
AND THEN WORKING WITH THE
BUSINESSES AND THE HOUSED
NEIGHBORS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES,
THIS PENT FROM AN INDIVIDUAL
THAT PEOPLE WOULD AVOID IN THE
CORRIDOR BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T
WANT TO INTERACT WITH HIM,
PEOPLE WERE ASKING HOW THEY
COULD HELP HIM. WE SAW IT
WASN'T JUST THIS ONE PERSON'S
LIFE THAT WAS BEING AFFECTED. IT
WAS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY THAT WAS
COMING AROUND, AND THEY WERE
SEEING AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS
STRUGGLING GREATLY, AND ASKING
HOW WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND
FIND THE RIGHT COMBINATION TO
WORK FOR EVERYONE. I WOULD LIKE
TO UPDATE EVERYONE THAT HE HAS
BEEN RECENTLY HOUSED. HE IS
STILL IN THE COMMUNITY, AND NOW
HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS
NEIGHBORS IS DIFFERENT. HE IS A
HOUSED PERSON, AND HE CAN HAVE
DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
BUSINESSES, WITH THE PEOPLE WHO
LIVE THERE, WITH THE STUDENTS,
AND HE IS STILL PRACTICING
MARTIAL ARTS, BUT HE NOW GETS TO
DO THAT INSIDE OF HIS OWN HOME.
I THINK THROUGH THE FRAMEWORK,
IT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THAT IT IS
NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED.
EVERYONE HAS TO BE TAKEN INTO
ACCOUNT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE
FRAMEWORK, AND THIS REALLY
ALLOWS FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, AND
FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL, THEIR
SUFFERING FROM LIVING OUTDOORS
HAS CHANGED. WE HAVE A COMMUNITY
THAT IS STRONGER AND CLOSER
TOGETHER BECAUSE OF IT.
>> AS DESCRIBED, THE MODEL
ALLOWS FOR COMMUNICATION SO
EVERYONE IS ON THE PLAN AND CAN
WORK IN COORDINATION TOGETHER,
WHETHER A SHORT QUICK RESPONSE
IN A CRISIS OR WHATEVER HAPPENS
THAT DAY OR THE LONGER TERM CARE
PLANNING TO MAKE SURE THAT
PERSON DOESN'T GET SHUT OFF
FROM HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, FROM
SOCIAL SERVICE ACCESS, FROM
THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WE KNOW
IN THE LONG-TERM WILL BENEFIT
THEM. AND THEN, AS YOU HAVE
HEARD, DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE
ROLES ARE PRESENT IN THE
DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS. SOME
NEIGHBORHOODS, LIKE LAKE CITY
AND CAPITAL HILL ARE WORKING TO
BUILD CORE COMPONENTS AND
POSITIONS, AND SOME HAVE ALL
COMPONENTS BUT REQUIRE INCREASED
ACCESS TO LONG-TERM CARE
RESOURCES LIKE SHELTER AND
SPECIALIZED BEHAVIORAL SUPPORTS
TO FULLY REALIZE WHAT THE MODEL
IS INTENDING TO DO.
>> ALL RIGHT, SO NOW I AM GOING
TO TAKE US VERY QUICKLY THROUGH
THIS SLIDE BECAUSE I KNOW WE ARE
TAKING A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME
HERE. NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT
FRAMEWORK THE NIF IN SNIF IF YOU
WILL. LEVEL ONE IS ON THE GROUND
COORDINATION. ALL OF THE TEAMS
THAT HAVE DESIGNATED POINTS OF
CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, FOR
DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS OR
SITUATIONS, AND SO THIS WAY, THE
TEAMS CAN COMMUNICATE FLUIDLY,
AS ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES
ARISE. THIS HAPPENSEN A
DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. IN OUR OFFICE
IN BALLARD, JAMIE WORKING WITH
OUR AMBASSADOR TEAM AND ADAM OUR
OUTREACH WORKER, SO A LOT OF ON
THE GROUND COMMUNICATION, AND
THEN AT LEVEL TWO, WHEN AN
INDIVIDUAL'S SITUATION OR NEEDS
EXCEED THE COORDINATION,
POSSIBLE TO DO SOLELY ON LEVEL
ONE, WE BRING THEM INTO THE
NEIGHBORHOOD CASE CONFERENCE.
TEAMS DEALING DIRECTLY WITH THE
PRIORITY INDIVIDUALS, ADHERE TO
SPECIFIC INFORMATION SHARING
AGREEMENTS, COME TOGETHER TO
SHARE NOTES ABOUT THE
INDIVIDUAL, AND COLLABORATE TO
MAKE PLANS WHICH INFORM THAT
LEVEL ONE COORDINATION, AND
IT'S A LOT OF LEVEL ONE FEEDING
TO TWO, AND THEN BACK DOWN INTO
LEVEL ONE TO MAKE SURE THAT
COORDINATION GETS TRANSFERRED,
AND AT LEVEL THREE, NEIGHBORHOOD
ISSUES ARE NOT SOLELY RELATED TO
SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS. LEVEL
THREE IS AVAILABLE FOR
DISCUSSIONS, RELATED TO PLACE OR
LARGER NEIGHBORHOOD EFFORTS, AND
THIS, OF COURSE, IS VERY
GEOGRAPHIC BASED, AND WITHIN A
SMALL BOUNDARY LIKE THE DOWNTOWN
CORE OF BALLARD, THERE'S
SMALLER SUB POCKETS THAT ARE
INTENSE AT TIMES. IT COULD BE
THE BALLARD LIBRARY. IT COULD BE
THE OTHER AREAS IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THIS IS AT
LEVEL THREE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
DISCUSS PLACES OF NEED THAT THE
OUTREACH AND AMBASSADORS CAN
COORDINATE AROUND WITH THE
NEIGHBORHOOD CARE COORDINATORS
AND DISCUSS UPCOMING EVENTS OR
OTHER ON THE GROUND DYNAMICS
THAT MIGHT BE HAPPENING AROUND
THE CITY THAT WILL HAVE AN
IMPACT ON THE ABILITY FOR US TO
DO THIS WORK. AND THEN FINALLY
AT LEVEL FOUR, I THINK, WE HAVE
DONE A FEW OF THESE LEVELS, AND
I WILL POINT BACK TO IT EARLIER
IN YEAR, WE DID A SNIF SUMMIT
WHERE WE HAD FOLKS FROM ALL
ACROSS THE CITY WHO WERE THERE
TO HEAR A BRIEFING AND READOUT
ON THE WORK AND PROGRESS WE HAD
MADE AT THAT POINT. SO ALL SNIF
NEIGHBORHOODS DO MEET
PERIODICALLY TO SHARE BEST
PRACTICES, IDENTIFY SYSTEM GAPS,
AND DISCUSS THE LESSONS WE HAVE
LEARNED COLLECTIVELY.
>> THANKS, MIKE. YES, AS YOU CAN
KIND OF TELL FROM OUR OVERVIEW
OF THE DIFFERENT TEAMS AND TYPES
OF COORDINATION INVOLVED, THIS
FRAMEWORKS SORT OF BASED ON A
SERIES OF LEVELS WHERE EACH ONE
ACTS AS A PRESSURE VALVE FOR THE
ONE BELOW IT. IF WE GET A TEAM
IN FRONT OF THE SITUATION OR THE
PERSON, AND THEY CAN'T ADDRESS
THE NEEDS OF THE SITUATION OR
THE PERSON, THEY WILL CALL IN
THE NEXT TEAM. WE DO IT UNTIL WE
FIGURE OUT THE RIGHT LEVEL OF
RESPONSE NEEDED. THIS TYPE OF
PRIORITIZATION IS IMPORTANT IN
NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE CID WHERE
PUBLIC SAFETY AND DISORDER
CONCERNS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH
VERY LARGE QUANTITIES OF PEOPLE.
AMBASSADOR TEAMS IN THE CID
NEIGHBORHOOD, IN THE LAST YEAR,
HAVE ENCOUNTERED 1100 UNIQUE
INDIVIDUALS. THAT'S A HUGE
NUMBER. MORE THAN THE SHELTER
UNITS OUR CITY HOPES TO BRING
ONLINE THIS YEAR. HOWEVER, DATA
FROM ONE OF THE AMBASSADOR TEAMS
IN THE CID NEIGHBORHOOD, IT IS
SHOWING THAT NOT ALL INDIVIDUALS
HAVE AN EQUAL PRESENCE IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD. ABOUT 5% OF THAT
TOTAL POPULATION COMPRISES OF
ABOUT 40% OF THE ENCOUNTERS.
WHICH MEANS THERE IS A GROUP OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE, VERY
FREQUENTLY, AND A MUCH LARGER
GROUP OF PEOPLE TO VARYING
DEGREES THERE LESS FREQUENTLY.
IN THE SUMMER OF 2025, WE HAD
SORT OF A SPECIAL PROJECT WITH
COLEAD, THE HIGH SUPPORT SHELTER
HOUSED WITHIN PDA. THE
ASSIGNMENT WAS TO USE THE
SHELTER CAPACITY FOR THE CID
NEIGHBORHOOD. IN ORDER TO DO
THAT TO THE GREATEST EFFECT,
COLEAD COLLABORATED WITH SNIF
PARTNERS NOT ONLY WORKING OFF
THE AMBASSADOR ENCOUNTER DATA TO
SEE WHO IS THERE THE MOST OFTEN,
BUT ALSO WORKING WITH BUSINESS
OUTREACH AND FRIENDS OF LITTLE
SAIGON, WORKING WITH OTHER
PARTNERS TO SEE WHO ARE WE
SEEING AND WHO WE COULD MAKE THE
BIGGEST DIFFERENCE FOR THE
NEIGHBORHOOD? AND SO THAT
SUMMER, 41 INDIVIDUALS WERE
CONNECTED TO COLEAD ALL
INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED AS HIGH
PRIORITY INDIVIDUALS FOR THE
CHINATOWN INTERNATIONAL
DISTRICT. SINCE PLACEMENT LAST
SUMMER, WITH HAVE SEEN REALLY
GOOD OUTCOMES. 95% OF THAT 41
HAS BEEN CONNECTED TO RECOVERY
RESOURCES. 90% HAVE ACHIEVED
HOUSING RELATED OUTCOMES, AND
BACK IN THE CID, AMBASSADORS ARE
ON THE GROUND EVERY DAY,
COLLECTING DATA ON WHO THEY ARE
SEEING AND HOW OFTEN. THE GROUP
THAT WENT INTO COLEAD HAS HAD A
50% DECREASE IN ENCOUNTERS IN
THE CHINATOWN INTERNATIONAL
DISTRICT. NOW OBVIOUSLY THE GOAL
IS NOT JUST TO HAVE PEOPLE NOT
GO TO NEIGHBORHOODS. LIKE PAIGE
SAID IN OUR CASE STUDY, THE GOAL
IS THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING
FOLK'S UNMET NEEDS, AND THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT CAN LEAD TO
BEHAVIOR CHANGE. THE OTHER
IMPORTANT PIECE IS WHAT
AMBASSADORS ARE SEEING WHEN
FOLKS ARE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD,
AND A LOT OF ACCOUNTS OF PEOPLE
APPEARING HEALTHIER, ENGAGING IN
DIFFERENT BEHAVIOR, AND
GENERALLY HAVE LESS OF A
NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE
NEIGHBORHOOD. OF COURSE THIS IS
SORT OF A DROP IN THE BUCKET. 41
PEOPLE IS NOT A LOT OF FOLKS
GIVEN THE HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS
OF FOLKS IN NEED OF SUPPORT
THROUGHOUT SNIF NEIGHBORHOODS
AND OTHER SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOODS.
I THINK THAT WE WANTED TO LIFT
THIS UP BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD
CASE STUDY SHOWING WITHIN THE
41-PERSON SCOPE, WE CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE FOR BOTH INDIVIDUALS
AND NEIGHBORHOODS AT THE SAME
TIME. WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO
IS BUILD THIS PRIORITIZATION
FRAMEWORK SO WHAT RESOURCES WE
HAVE MAKE THE MOST IMPACT AND
THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT RESOURCES
WE CAN PUT THROUGH THE FRAMEWORK
TO ACCELERATE THE WORK. THIS IS
AN ALL HANDS ON DECK EFFORT. I
WANT TO PASS TO ELENA TO TALK
ABOUT HOW WE ARE DOING SO IN
COLLABORATION WITH NEIGHBORHOOD
LEADERS.
>> THANKS, SAM. I'M GOING TO
TALK ABOUT HOW THE SNIF PLAYS AT
THE LOCAL LEVEL. I REPRESENT
LITTLE SAIGON. TEN SQUARE BLOCK
NEIGHBORHOOD. THE CID IN LITTLE
SAIGON RECENTLY HAS TAKEN ON A
HIGH NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS OVER
THE RECENT YEARS. FROM MY BUS
STOP WALK TO THE OFFICE, I PASS
MANY WHO ARE STRUGGLING, PEOPLE
OFTEN RELYING ON OR RESORTING TO
ILLEGAL THINGS TO JUST MAKE IT
THROUGH THE DAY. JUST WALKING
THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD SHOWS
THAT EVERYONE IS IMPACTED BY THE
LACK OF CITY INVESTMENT IN
HUMANE SERVICES AND HOUSING. WE
ARE STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES OF
IMPLEMENTING SNIF AT THE CID
LEVEL, BUT WE HAVE SEEN
PROMISING RESULTS. THE COLEAD
EXAMPLE IS JUST ONE WHERE PEOPLE
GET HOUSING AND HAVE FEWER
NEGATIVE ENCOUNTERS IN THE CID,
AND THE IMPACT ON SMALL
BUSINESSES HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT.
WE WORK WITH A LOT OF SMALL
BUSINESSES, AND THEY HAVE SPOKEN
HIGHLY OF THE AMBASSADORS. THAT
I CAN CALL THEM AND GET TIMELY
RESPONSES FROM THE OUTREACH
WORKERS ALREADY IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD. SOME OF THE
BUSINESSES HAVE ALSO ASKED FOR
MORE COVERAGE IN CERTAIN AREAS,
AND AMBASSADORS HAVE BEEN
RECEPTIVE AND INCORPORATED THE
REQUESTS INTO THEIR DAILY
ROUTES. WHILE WE WAIT FOR CITY
RESOURCES, THE AMBASSADORS HELP
MITIGATE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE
NEIGHBORHOOD. THE SNIF MODEL
TIES IN WELL WITH OUR NETWORK,
AN INITIATIVE THAT FRIENDS OF
LITTLE SAIGON HAS STARTED IN
2024 MEANING BEAUTIFUL
NEIGHBORHOOD IN VIETNAMESE.
IT'S WORKING TO CREATE SOME OF
THE BIGGEST PUBLIC SAFETY
CHALLENGES. IN THE SUMMER OF
2024, WE MET WITH COMMUNITY
STAKE HOLDERS TO LEARN ABOUT
CHALLENGING AND BRAINSTORM
SOLUTIONS FOR WHAT THE COMMUNITY
IS FACING. ONE OF THE MAIN
THINGS WAS THE REQUEST FOR
BETTER COORDINATION AMONG ALL OF
THE GROUPS WORKING IN LITTLE
SAIGON WHICH HAD BEEN DISJOINTED
PREVIOUSLY. THE SERVICE
PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD
TO BETTER ORGANIZATION
THEMSELVES AMONG THE
COORDINATION LEVELS OF SNIF, AND
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE TO BETTER
COORDINATE ACROSS THE CITY
DEPARTMENTS. EVEN AS WE IMPROVE
COORDINATION, THE FELT IMPACT ON
THE GROUND IS SLOW, AND MANY
PEOPLE IN LITTLE SAIGON WILL SAY
THEY HAVEN'T NOTICED
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES YET. WE
WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE
LONG-TERM CHANGE WITHOUT MORE
RESOURCES DEDICATED TO LONG-TERM
CARE. AS YOU SAW ON THE TIMELINE
EARLIER, WE HAVE HAD DIFFERENT
PATHWAYS OF GETTING HERE, AND
THE DIAGRAM SHOWS HOW WE ARE
THINKING OF WHERE DIFFERENT
NEIGHBORHOODS ARE AT. THE FIRST
LEVEL
>> BUILDING THE FRONT DOOR IS
BUILDING THE BASIC COMPONENTS.
LAKE CITY AND CAPITOL HILL ARE
INTERESTED IN GETTING STARTED IN
SNIF IMPLEMENTATION. THEY ARE
IDENTIFYING PRIORITIES, BUILDING
PARTNERSHIPS WITH SERVICE
PROVIDERS, AND COORDINATING
AMONG COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS. AS
MIKE MENTIONED EARLIER OUR THREE
NEIGHBORHOODS HERE HAVE BIAs,
BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE
A BIA TO START IMPLEMENTING
SNIF. THE SECOND LEVEL, FILLING
IN THE GAPS. THIS IS WHERE CID
CURRENTLY IS. WE ARE OPERATING
SNIF BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE FULL
COMPONENTS. WE ARE WAITING ON
DEDICATED COORDINATOR. I WILL
PASS TO MIKE FOR THE LAST
SECTION.
>> LAST SECTION FOR
NEIGHBORHOODS FUNCTIONING AT
FULL FIDELITY, THINKING OF THE
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT AND BALLARD
AT THIS POINT. WE HAVE NOW HAD
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT LEADING THE
WAY WITH AMBASSADORS ON BOARD
AND MARCUS' POSITION, AND THEN
WE WERE JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS
BEHIND THEM. NOW WE HAVE A STAFF
MEMBER DEDICATED TO CLEAN AND
SAFE SERVICES. WE HAVE AN
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM WORKING AND
VIABLE, AND THEN THANKS TO
COUNCIL'S SUPPORT LAST YEAR, A
SHOUTOUT TO COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA
AND STRAUSS. AS OF MAY 1st, WE
HAVE A DEDICATED PERSON DOING
THAT. THAT IS WHAT WE BELIEVE
THE FINAL PIECE TO BRING TO FULL
FIDELITY THE PROGRAM, AND WE ARE
EXCITED ABOUT IT. WE ARE PRETTY
ACTIVELY WORKING TO JUST -- WITH
THE TOOLS AND THE TEAM AND THE
PEOPLE WE HAVE, TO TRY TO
CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM
EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE. I THINK I
JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO THE
INITIAL PREMISE, TOO, OF -- IT
IS JUST SO COMMON THAT THERE
MIGHT BE A HANDFUL OF
INDIVIDUALS IN ANY ONE
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY
HAVING AN OUTSIZED IMPACT, AND
FOR WHATEVER REASONS, THESE
PEOPLE HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE
GAPS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE
SOCIAL SERVICES GAP, OR THROUGH
A CRIMINAL JUSTICE GAP. WE HAVE
ALL SEEN IT. WHAT WE KNOW AND
BELIEVE, IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
ON A SMALL NUMBER OF
INDIVIDUALS, BEING ABLE TO
PROVIDE A SOLUTION THAT REMOVES
THEM FROM BEING DIRECTLY ON THE
STREETS, IT LOWERS THE TENSION
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND
INCREASES THE VIBES, THE GOOD
VIBES.
>> THANKS, MIKE. I WILL WRAP IT
UP HERE. YOU HAVE PROBABLY HEARD
A COUPLE OF THEMES THROUGHOUT
OUR PRESENTATION. SNIF IS A
FRAMEWORK IN PROGRESS, RANGING
FROM NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE LAKE
CITY WHO ARE ASKING FOR SOME OF
THE KEY COMPONENTS TO THE CID
WHERE SOME COMPONENTS ARE IN
PLACE. THERE'S A FEW MORE WE
NEED TO FUND AND BUILD, AND THEN
NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE U DISTRICT
AND BALLARD, WHO HAVE THE
COMPONENTS, BUT WE ARE WORKING
ON THINGS LIKE LONG-TERM CARE
STRATEGIES. SO MANY OF THE
SITUATIONS WE ARE CASE
CONFERENCING ARE PLACES WHERE
PEOPLE ARE UNSHELTERED. LIKE WE
SAW WITH THE COLEAD EXAMPLE, WE
SEE WHEN PEOPLE ARE PAIRED WITH
APPROPRIATE LONG-TERM CARE
RESOURCES, THEIR CARE PLANS MOVE
FASTER. SO WHAT WE ARE HOPING TO
DO IS CONTINUING TO BUILD THE
FRAMEWORK ACROSS NEIGHBORHOODS
AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO ALIGN WITH
THE LONG-TERM CARE STRATEGIES,
ESPECIALLY THINGS LIKE HIGH
SUPPORT SHELTER AS THE CITY
BRINGS IT ONLINE. THIS IS A
FRAMEWORK THAT IS NOT -- THIS
WORKS HAND IN HAND WITH OTHER
STRATEGIES. NOT A REPLACEMENT
FOR OTHER CITY DEPARTMENT'S
WORKS, RATHER THE DEPARTMENT OF
NEIGHBORHOODS, SPD, CARE, AND IN
FACT OUR LEVEL THREE SNIF
MEETINGS ARE A PLACE WHERE OUR
GOAL IS TO EXTEND THIS LEVEL OF
COLLABORATION OF WHAT ARE ALL OF
THE DIFFERENT RIGHT AND LEFT
HANDS DOING IN THE SAME
NEIGHBORHOOD AND HAVE A
COORDINATED RESPONSE. AGAIN, THE
GOAL BEING DO MORE WITH WHAT WE
HAVE TO BENEFIT SEATTLE
NEIGHBORHOODS. SO, YEAH.
>> COULD YOU ACTUALLY GO BACK TO
THE SPECTRUM SLIDE, THE LAST
ONE? I WANT TO CALL THIS OUT. I
DIDN'T DO THE PROPER
INTRODUCTION OF WHY I'M SITTING
DOWN HERE. IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE
BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE THIS
TEAM FOR SIX YEARS. THIS IS A
GREAT SPECTRUM SLIDE. IT TOOK
THE BALLARD ALLIANCE AND THE
NEIGHBORHOOD THREE YEARS TO
BUILD THE FRONT DOOR, AND IT'S
TAKEN ABOUT TWO YEARS OF FILLING
THE GAP TO JUST NOW GETTING TO
FULL FIDELITY, AND BECAUSE WE
TOOK SUCH A METHODICAL APPROACH,
IT'S NOW FOR LAKE CITY AND
CAPITOL HILL FOR CID, I THINK IT
TOOK YOU A YEAR AND A HALF OR A
YEAR TO BUILD THE FRONT DOOR. WE
TOOK A THREE YEAR PLUS PROCESS
AND SHORTENED IT TO A YEAR.
FILLING IN THE GAPS WAS ANOTHER
TWO YEARS FOR BALLARD, BUT WE
MAY BE ABLE TO DO IT FOR A YEAR
FOR CID OR A YEAR AND A HALF.
THAT'S WHY I'M SITTING DOWN
HERE. IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO
THE CASE STUDY REALLY QUICK, THE
QUESTION ASKED, -- WHICH IS HOW
CAN YOU HAVE SUCH HIGH RESULTS
WITHOUT HAVING FULL FIDELITY?
IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN
OPERATING AND WORKING QUIETLY
FOR MANY YEARS TO DEVELOP THIS
FRAMEWORK TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE.
AND IF YOU WANT TO CLICK BACK TO
THE NIF SLIDE, THE FRAMEWORK, I
WILL JUST SAY THAT THE REASON
THERE IS SUCCESS HERE, THE
COORDINATION IS FREE, WELL, NOT
QUITE FREE, AND THAT IS PART OF
THE STATEMENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE
INTENT WE WILL RECEIVE LATER
THIS YEAR. COORDINATION ON A
REALTIME, EVERY WEEK BASIS IS
HOW ISSUES CAN BE MANAGED WITH
COLLABORATION. THIS IS A
SERVICES BASED APPROACH AT THIS
TABLE, AND IT MEANS A CRIMINAL
INTERVENTION SEPARATE FROM WHAT
IS GOING ON WITH THIS GROUP OF
PEOPLE, AND WHAT I HAVE FOUND IS
ONE OF THE BIGGEST ASSETS OF THE
TEAM, ACTUALLY CREATING THE WARM
HANDOFFS OUT OF JAIL, FOR THE
CLIENTS WHO NEED THE SUPPORT THE
MOST BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVING THE
HIGHEST IMPACT, AND SO JAIL
WITHOUT A WARM HANDOFF CAN MEAN
DEATH FOR PEOPLE COMING OUT OF
JAIL, AND WITH THIS, THERE'S AN
IMPORTANT WARM HANDOFF THAT
ACTUALLY CAN MAKE SOMEBODY
BETTER. I SEE PEOPLE LOOKING AT
THE CLOCK. I WILL JUST SAY THIS
ALLOWS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO CARE
FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND AS KAREN
SAID, CREATE EFFECTIVE LONG-TERM
BEHAVIORAL CHANGES, AND IT'S
SEPARATE, BUT CAN HELP WITH THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THANK
YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT, MR. WOLFF, THANK
YOU. AS POINTS WITH ASSISTANCE
FROM THE COUNCILMEMBER. YOU
KNOW, MAYBE AT LEAST THE TIE
SHOULD HAVE COME OFF, YOU KNOW,
SO YOU COULD BE IN SYNC WITH
YOUR COLLEAGUES AT THE TABLE. BY
THE WAY, WE ARE NOT DOING ITEM
NUMBER THREE ON THE AGENDA. VICE
CHAIR, ANY QUESTIONS?
>> YEAH, THANK YOU, CHAIR, FIRST
OF ALL, THANK YOU TO THE
PANELISTS AND THANK YOU TO
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP, AND YOU KNOW,
HELPING TO MAYBE NOT FOUND, BUT
GROW AND EXPAND AND SCALE THIS
MODEL OVER, ACROSS THE CITY, AND
WITH THE HEAVY FOCUS LOOKS LIKE
ON THE NORTH END, AND WOULD LOVE
TO -- I'M GLAD THAT THE CID IS
NOW REPRESENTED, YOU KNOW, IN
THIS. THERE ARE CERTAINLY
GROWING NEEDS ACROSS THE CITY,
INCLUDING IN MY OWN COUNCIL
DISTRICT. BUT THE CID CASE STUDY
SHOWS, I THINK ENCOURAGING
INITIAL OUTCOMES SO WHAT DO YOU
ALL SEE AS THE BIGGEST FACTORS
BEHIND THAT SUCCESS AND HOW
MIGHT THAT INFORM POTENTIAL
EXPANSION TO OTHER
NEIGHBORHOODS? INCLUDING SOUTH
OF THE SHIP CANAL?
>> I CAN SPEAK TO THE RESULTS OF
THE 41-PERSON COHORT FROM THE
CASE STUDY. LOOKS DIFFERENT FOR
EVERY PERSON, OF COURSE, BUT
WHEN PEOPLE ARE PAIRED WITH
APPROPRIATE RESOURCES THAT MEETS
THEIR NEEDS, IT'S DIFFERENT
FROM WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO WITH
STREET-BASED CASE MANAGEMENT.
THE SITUATION, IF SOMEBODY HAS A
SAFE PLACE TO LIVE, THAT IS JUST
A PLATFORM FROM WHICH THEY CAN
WORK ON THE CARE PLAN THEY HAVE
MADE WITH THEIR CASE MANAGER,
AND IT ALSO MEANS THEIR CASE
MANAGER HAS A RELIABLE PLACE TO
FIND THEM. IT'S STILL A
NONLINEAR IN A UNIQUE TRAJECTORY
FOR EVERY PERSON. WE DO SEE, OF
COURSE, WHEN PEOPLE'S NEEDS ARE
MET, WE CAN BUILD THE PYRAMID
MORE QUICKLY. THE QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHAT DO WE SEE AS THE NEXT
STEPS FOR THIS? I THINK ONE
BEING 41, YOU KNOW, SPOTS IN A
HIGH SUPPORT SHELTER IS, OF
COURSE, A VERY SMALL NUMBER,
COMPARED TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
OUT THERE, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK
IT'S WORK WE CAN REPLICATE AS
MORE SHELTER COMES ONLINE AND
MORE NEIGHBORHOODS BUILD THE
SNIF FRAMEWORKS. PIONEER SQUARE
AS AN EXAMPLE. YOU MAY HAVE READ
THE PIECE ABOUT THE SHELTERING
EFFORT THAT OCCURRED THERE. WE
ARE IN THE STAGE WHERE WHAT WE
ARE TRYING TO DO NOW IS WORK
WITH THE AMBASSADORS, ALLIANCE
FOR PIONEER SQUARE TO TRY TO
IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE LIKE
THE HIGH PRIORITY INDIVIDUALS
AND DO THAT CUSTOMIZED PLANNING
AROUND THEM? I THINK THIS IS A
FRAMEWORK THAT CAN BE ADAPTABLE
TO THE PLACE IN -- THE PLACE IN
EACH NEIGHBORHOOD'S TRAJECTORY
OF BUILDING THE COMPONENTS, BUT
ACROSS THE BOARD, IT'S BUILDING
THE PRIORITIZATION COMPONENTS TO
BE EFFICIENT WITH HOW WE DEPLOY
THE RESOURCES, THEN, OF COURSE,
HAVING MORE RESOURCES TO DEPLOY
THROUGH THE FRAMEWORK.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND YEAH,
DEFINITELY FAMILIAR WITH THE
PIONEER SQUARE EFFORT AND PIECE.
THAT WOULD BE A GOOD CANDIDATE
NEIGHBORHOOD IF PIONEER SQUARE
ALLIANCE AND THE RESIDENT
COUNCIL AGREED FOR POTENTIAL
EXPANSION. SO, TOO, WOULD
GEORGETOWN IN MY DISTRICT OR
SOUTH PARK. I KNOW THERE'S
ADDITIONAL WORK BASED ON THE
TIMELINE. SOUNDS LIKE PREFERRED,
BUT NOT REQUIRED, DOUBLING DOWN
ON THAT INVESTMENT IN SOTO TO AN
EXTENT BIAs ARE PREFERRED, AND
EXPANDING TO NONBIA AREAS
INCLUDING THE VALLEY. IT'S NO
SECRET DISTRICT ONE HAS THE
HIGHEST NUMBER OF LIVED IN
VEHICLES BY FAR, NOT BY A
LITTLE. BY A LOT. GENERALLY
THREE TIMES MORE DEPENDING ON
THE REPORTING PERIOD. THE NEED
IS GREAT. AND THANK YOU FOR
ADDRESSING SORT OF THE ELEPHANT
IN THE ROOM THERE ABOUT THE 4%,
YOU KNOW, RATE, I GUESS, FOR IN
THE CID AMBASSADORS, 1100 UNIQUE
INDIVIDUALS ENCOUNTERED. 41
CONNECTED WITH COLEAD.
APPRECIATE YOUR, KIND OF PUTTING
ADDITIONAL COLOR AROUND THAT
DATA POINT. YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S
STILL VERY LOW OVERALL. HELP ME
BETTER UNDERSTAND THE -- WHAT
CONSTITUTES AN ENCOUNTER? IN THE
CID EXAMPLE, THERE WERE 1100
UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS ENCOUNTERED.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL ENCOUNTER OR
ENGAGEMENT LOOK LIKE?
>> WELL, JUST TO CLARIFY,
ENCOUNTERS LOOK DIFFERENT
BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT TEAMS AND
SNIF. THE WORK OF OUTREACH AND
AMBASSADORS LOOKS DIFFERENT.
THAT DATA IS FROM THE AMBASSADOR
TEAM IN THE CID. THEY WILL GO
OUT AND BASICALLY PROVIDE LIKE
AN ONGOING PRESENCE FOR THEIR
HOURS OF OPERATION, WHICH IN THE
CID I BELIEVE IS EIGHT HOURS A
DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. WHAT
THEY WILL DO IN THAT TIME, THEY
HAVE -- THEY ARE VERY WELL
TRAINED IN DEESCALATION. THE
DEESCALATION RELIES ON HAVING
RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE. SO
THEY WILL COME OUT WITH OUTREACH
SUPPLIES AND THINGS THAT GUARD A
CONVERSATION WITH SOMEBODY, AND
WHETHER IT'S RESPONDING TO
BUSINESSES CALLING TO LIKE HELP
WITH THE SITUATION, PROVIDE A
DEESCALATION, THEY WILL TALK TO
FOLKS AND GET TO KNOW THEM SO
WHEN THEY NEED TO DO THE
DEESCALATION, IT'S JOHN SMITH,
LET'S GO GET A CIGARETTE
BECAUSE WE HAVE THE RELATIONSHIP
AND KNOW THE THINGS THEY WILL BE
RECEPTIVE TO. BASICALLY THEY
TALK TO SOMEBODY IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEY LOG THE
ENCOUNTER AND HAVE NOTES ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ENCOUNTER.
SOMETIMES IT'S PROVIDED
OUTREACH SUPPLIES AND TALKED
ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING THAT
DAY. OTHER TIMES IT'S A
DEESCALATION. IT'S A LOT OF
DIFFERENT TYPES ACTIVITIES IN AN
ENCOUNTER, AND WHAT WE ARE USING
HERE IS LIKE A VERY BROAD DATA
POINT ABOUT WHO IS THERE MOST
OFTEN. AGAIN, INTENSIVE CASE
MANAGEMENT AND OUTREACH LOOKS
DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE
DIFFERENT GOALS AS PROGRAMS
>> QUICKLY FOR THAT. WE WILL
DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN ENCOUNTER
AND SAW YOU TODAY, OR MAYBE IT
WAS A QUICK, HOW ARE YOU GOING?
AND ENCOUNTER IS A SUBSTANTIAL
LIKE CASE SOMETHING KIND OF
WORKING ON YOUR INDIVIDUALIZED
SERVICE PLAN WE CALL THEM, YOUR
CARE PLAN, AND MORE IN DEPTH
HUMAN SERVICES DISCUSSION.
>> THE DATA SHOWED IN THE SLIDES
IS SPECIFIC AMBASSADOR DATA.
>> I THINK THE VALUE OF THE
DIFFERENT DATA SETS IS TO
UNDERSTAND BECAUSE FREQUENCY IS
A MEASURE OF IMPACT AND
PRESENCE. WE KNOW THE PERSON IS
DEEPLY SYSTEM INVOLVED AND
VULNERABLE AND COULD IMPACT THE
COMMUNITY. IT'S DIFFERENT WAYS
OF WEIGHING THE IMPACT TO REALLY
UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE GOING TO
PRIORITIZE LIMITED RESOURCES.
>> I WILL JUST ADD ONE MORE
THING, TOO. IT'S A GREAT POINT,
AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY THE
ENCOUNTERED DATA NEEDS TO BE
BALANCED WITH THE OTHER PARTS
THE SNIF FRAMEWORK. BUSINESS
OUTREACH, AND DOING IT HAND IN
HAND AND WORKING WITH MARCUS,
WHO DIRECTLY TALKS TO BUSINESSES
AND WORKS WITH AMBASSADORS WHO
BUSINESSES ARE CALLING BECAUSE
IT'S THE QUALITATIVE PIECE THAT
MAKES US UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
NEIGHBORHOOD IS EXPERIENCING AND
HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE.
>> THANK YOU, NO FURTHER
QUESTIONS, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER LIN?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU
TO THE PANEL AND THANK YOU
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS FOR THE
WORK ON THIS OVER THE MANY
YEARS. EXCITED TO SEE THE
EFFORTS MAKING PROGRESS IN CID.
ONE THING I JUST WANT TO SORT OF
COMMENT ON AND WOULD LOVE TO
HEAR RESPONSE, IS, YOU KNOW, I
THINK WHAT MAKES SNIF SUCCESSFUL
IS THE DEEP COLLABORATION. I
THINK WE NEED COLLABORATION
AMONGST THE CITY DEPARTMENTS AND
OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PROVIDERS, AND
YOU KNOW, INCLUDING SPD, AND I
KNOW LEAD AND COLEAD WORK
CLOSELY WITH THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW CHAIR
KETTLE, I HAVE HEARD YOU SPEAK
QUITE EXTENSIVELY ABOUT THE TWO
MINDSETS, RIGHT? I DO THINK THAT
WE CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT
JUST THE CASE WORK, I THINK,
OBVIOUSLY CASE WORK IS
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, BUT
CASEWORK ALONE, THERE IS STILL A
ROLE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
SIMILARLY, WE KNOW THAT LAW
ENFORCEMENT ALONE CANNOT SOLVE
THIS CRISIS. I THINK WE SEE THE
BEST RESULTS WHEN WE ARE ALL
ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION,
ALL COLLABORATING TOGETHER, AND
YOU KNOW, EARLIER WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE, AND
I DO THINK WE WERE SEEING BETTER
SUCCESS ABOUT A DECADE AGO WHEN
WE HAD REALLY STRONG
PARTNERSHIPS, AND I DO BELIEVE
THAT THE TARGETED ENFORCEMENT IS
-- OR TARGETED REFERRALS ARE
ALSO IMPORTANT, AND IT'S
SIMILARLY ON GUN VIOLENCE, A
SMALL NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO ARE
REALLY CAUSING THE MOST IMPACT,
AND WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS OUR
RESOURCES ON THEM. SIMILARLY I
THINK WITH LEAD, THERE WAS A
STRONG PARTNERSHIP A DECADE AGO.
THAT FELL APART A LITTLE BIT OR
JUST SORT OF AFTER COVID, AFTER
SOME OF THE GEORGE FLOYD
PROTESTS, AND A LOT OF TURNOVER,
AND SPD AND WE WERE NOT FUNDING
LEAD AT THE LEVELS WE NEEDED TO.
I DO THINK THAT WE -- THERE'S
ALWAYS A NEED FOR THE GREATER
RESOURCES FOR CASEWORK FOR
HOUSING FOR SOCIAL SERVICES.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULD NOT
BE COLLABORATING WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT. THAT BRINGS, I
THINK, ITS OWN BENEFITS, AND
IT'S TO COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS,
IT'S FREE, BUT SORT OF NOT
FREE. IT REQUIRES TIME,
COLLABORATION, EFFORT, AND I DO
THINK WE GET BETTER RESULTS WHEN
WE COLLABORATE AND AGAIN ARE
WORKING IN THE SAME DIRECTION,
ANY COMMENTS ON JUST THAT ASPECT
OF THAT WORK?
>> I WILL JUST SAY, TOTALLY
AGREE, AND WE HAVE BEEN HAVING A
LOT OF CONVERSATIONS RECENTLY
WITH THE CID BECAUSE OF THE
DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION TEAM FOCUS
IN THE AREA, AND WENT TO THE
WEST PRECINCT A WEEK OR TWO AGO
WITH CAPTAIN GARTH GREEN AND
BECK TO TALK ABOUT WHAT SPD IS
DOING, AND I THINK THE IDEA OF
THE SNIF FRAMEWORK WITH THE
FOLKS AT THIS TABLE, WE CAN DO
MORE PREEMPTIVELY, WHETHER IT'S
PARTNERS FLAGGING SOMEBODY WHO
IS GENERATING 911 CALLS AND
DOING SOMETHING BEFORE REACHING
THE POINT OF CRISIS, AND ALSO
SPD CAN REFER TO LEAD IF
THERE'S A POINT OF ARREST
NECESSARY. I KNOW THE
NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH TEAM HAS A
LONG HISTORY OF WORKING HAND IN
HAND TO HAVE BETTER OUTCOMES,
AND SO COLLABORATION IS BUILT
INTO THIS AT EVERY LEVEL. WHAT
YOU SEE HERE IS CERTAINLY NOT A
COMPREHENSIVE NOTION OF WHAT WE
THINK IS GOOD FOR THE
NEIGHBORHOODS.
>> I WILL ADD. I THINK IT'S ONE
OF THE PROTECTIVE LEVELS, THE
INFORMATION SHARING AGREEMENT
AND DYNAMIC AS THE FORMER
OUTREACH WORKER ON AURORA,
THAT'S HOW I STARTED IN THE
CITY, WORKING MY OUTREACH WORK.
MY CLIENTS WANTED JUSTICE AND
CARE AS MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE, BUT
THEY HAVE TO BE CAREFUL HOW THEY
SHARE INFORMATION AND THAT GOES.
THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF
THE DESIGN, TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO
INFORMATION SHARE AND ALSO OFFER
THEM PROTECTION. THE
NEIGHBORHOOD COORDINATORS, IT'S
NOT A SECRET THEY WILL BE
WORKING WITH THE POLICE, BUT TO
WHAT WAY? WHAT DOES THE
RELATIONSHIP LOOK LIKE THAT? WAS
REALLY THE INTENT BEHIND THE
LEVELS CARE. US AS THE HUMAN
SERVICE PROVIDERS HAVE TO
PROTECT PEOPLE'S PRIVACY,
CONFIDENTIALITY, AND THEIR
RIGHTS TO HEALTH CARE, WHILE
ALSO MANAGING THE VIOLENCE THAT
THEY LIVE THROUGH EVERY SINGLE
DAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. I WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE AND LIFT UP THE
BIAs. I KNOW A LOT OF THE WORK
COMES FROM -- AND THE REASON
THAT COUNCILMEMBER SAKA, TALKING
ABOUT THE BIAs, THE AMBASSADOR
PROGRAM WAS BORN OF BIAs. DSA
HAS HAD THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
EVERYONE KNOWS, DOWNTOWN, FOR A
LONG TIME. I HAVE BEEN
PARTNERING SINCE I GOT TO THE
COUNCIL WITH THE U DISTRICT,
DON, AND THE U DISTRICT
PARTNERSHIP WHICH IS OUR BIA IN
D4. MIKE STEWART, I KNOW YOU
HAVE BEEN -- WE WORKED TOGETHER
WHEN I WAS IN THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE WAY BACK WHEN. THE BIAs
HAVE BEEN SO INSTRUMENTAL IN THE
NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE THEY ARE
NOT JUST -- YES, THEY ARE THERE
TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT
THEY HAVE ALSO TURNED INTO
HELPERS OF THE WHOLE
NEIGHBORHOODS, WHERE THEY ARE
LOCATED, AND IN THAT WAY, I'M
SO APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF THE
BIAs, AND I KNOW A LOT OF THE
WORK AND THE COLLABORATION OF
PARTNERSHIP WAS LED BY THE BIAs
INTEREST IN MAKING SURE THE
NEEDS OF THE FOLKS WHO WOUND UP
IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS WERE
BEING MET. I KNOW THE BIAs HAVE
HAD A HANDS-ON APPROACH TO THE
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT IN BRINGING
IN LEAD AND COLEAD AND THE OTHER
-- AND THE OTHER PARTNERS, AND
AS WELL AS ASKING FOR RESOURCES
LIKE OUTREACH POSITIONS, WHICH I
KNOW LAST YEAR, I WAS SUPPORTIVE
FOR THE U DISTRICT TO PUT IN THE
OUTREACH POSITION, WHICH WAS
REALLY CRITICAL, AND I WILL SAY
THAT A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS
WHERE THE PIAs ARE LOCATED ARE
EXPERIENCING THE IMPACTS OF
FOLKS WITH HIGH NEEDS WHO ARE
NOT GETTING NEEDS MET. I VERY
MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR
COLLABORATION. I ALWAYS SAY WHEN
WE WORK TOGETHER, WE GET BETTER
OUTCOMES, AND THIS IS AN
EXAMPLE, AND ONE WE ARE SEEING
IN MY DISTRICT IN THE U DISTRICT
BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS WITH THE
OPENING OF THE LIGHTRAIL STATION
THERE, THERE'S BEEN ALSO A LOT
MORE FOLKS WHO HAVE WOUND UP
THERE WHO HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS. I
REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE. THIS
FRAMEWORK, I THINK, IS BORN OF
THAT NEED THAT AROSE AND THEN
ALL OF YOU WORKING TOGETHER WITH
THE BIAs, OF COURSE, TO ADDRESS
THAT NEED. AND SO I REALLY
APPRECIATE THAT. THAT'S -- WE
NEED THIS IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS
AS WELL. COUNCILMEMBER SAKA, AND
I DON'T THINK THE ONLY REASON
IT WAS BIA LED, THEY TOOK THE
INITIATIVE, AND THERE ARE GREAT
PARTNERS THERE, BUT, YES, IT
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIMITED TO
THE BIAs. THE IDEA WITHIN THE
NEIGHBORHOODS THERE'S A TEAM OF
FOLKS WORKING TOGETHER TO MEET
THE NEEDS OF THE FOLKS WHO WIND
UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHO ARE
MANY TIMES UNHOUSED AND HAVE OR
NEED TREATMENT OF SOME KIND,
WHETHER THAT'S MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES OR DRUG ADDICTION OR
OTHER. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT,
AND IT'S REALLY POWERFUL, AND I
AM VERY SUPPORTIVE, AND IT HAS
GROWN OVER TIME AS FOLKS HAVE
GOTTEN TOGETHER TO MEET THE
NEED. I WILL SAY LAST YEAR, I
ALSO PUT IN TO THE BUDGET THIS
ORCA POD, WHICH IS MEDICATION
SERVICES FOR THESE FOLKS WHO
WIND UP IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS,
SIMILAR TO THE ORCA POD THAT THE
MEDICATION BAND THAT ORCA HAS
DOWNTOWN, SIMILAR -- A SIMILAR
SERVICE FOR FOLKS IN THE U
DISTRICT AND BALLARD AND UP ON
CAPITOL HILL BECAUSE WE ARE JUST
SEEING MORE OF THAT NEED IN
THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. ALL OF THAT
TO SAY I HAVE BEEN PARTNERING
WITH THE U DISTRICT ON THIS FOR
A LONG TIME AS WELL. I'M VERY
SUPPORTIVE. LAST YEAR IN THE
BUDGET, I ADDED SOME RESOURCES,
AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE
HAPPENING IN THE OTHER
NEIGHBORHOODS, TOO,
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA, THAT NEED
IT. IT REALLY IS A GREAT MODEL,
EVERYONE WORKING TOGETHER, AND
REALLY MEETING THE NEEDS OF
FOLKS. I DO THINK COUNCILMEMBER
LIN, YOU'RE RIGHT, THE LEAD,
THERE WERE SOME CHALLENGES POST
THE PANDEMIC, AND I WOULD LOVE
TO SEE LEAD DOING MORE OF THIS
AND ALSO WORKING WITH SPD
BECAUSE THERE SHOULD BE WARM
HANDOFFS WHEN FOLKS WIND UP
HAVING A POLICE CONTACT. I KNOW
THE IDEA WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT
LEAD DO THE DIVERSION PIECE, AND
I THINK THAT CAN BE MUCH
IMPROVED BECAUSE I DON'T THINK
THE WARM HANDOFFS ARE HAPPENING
LIKE THEY SHOULD. AND I WANT TO
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT
THAT AS WELL. IT'S JUST A
LITTLE BIT SEPARATE FROM HERE,
BUT NOT TOO SEPARATE. THE FOLKS
WIND UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD,
RATHER THAN DIRECTLY TO LEAD.
AND I KNOW SAM, YOU AND I HAVE
TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
THAT. I THINK WE ARE ALIGNED,
AND HOW DO WE HELP MAKE THAT
HAPPEN? THANK YOU. THANK YOU,
CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA. I WANT TO THANK THE
ENTIRE TEAM TO INCLUDE THE LATE
ADDON, COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS FOR
COMING HERE. IT'S IMPORTANT. I
ALWAYS SAY A CHALLENGE THAT WE
HAVE IN THE CITY THAT YES, WE
TEND TO LOOK OUT FOR OUR
NEIGHBORS IN CRISIS, AND YOU'RE
DOING THAT, BUT WE DON'T
NECESSARILY LOOK OUT FOR OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS IN CRISIS, AND
THAT IS KEY. BRINGING IN THE
NEIGHBORHOODS INTO THE PROGRAM
THE WAY YOU ARE IS REALLY
IMPORTANT, AND SO THANK YOU FOR
THIS. AND YOU KNOW, IT HITS THE
DIFFERENT PIECES IN TERMS WHAT
WE ARE TRYING TO DO. THIS IS
OBVIOUSLY THE SEAM LIKE I LIKE
TO SAY. IT'S ALSO SOME OF THE
OTHER AREAS IN TERMS OF, YOU
KNOW, BRINGING ON THESE
CAPABILITIES, AND I'M REALLY
INTERESTED IN PUBLIC SAFETY
COORDINATOR AND SAFETY
AMBASSADOR FROM MY OWN
EXPERIENCE WORKING WEST LAKE
KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD. I WON'T
BELABOR THAT BECAUSE WE ARE PAST
TIME. I DO APPRECIATE YOU COMING
TODAY, AND I WILL CONCLUDE BY
SAYING WE HAVE REACHED THE END
OF TODAY'S MEETING AGENDA. IF
THERE'S ANY OTHER FURTHER
BUSINESS BEFORE THE COURT? OR
THE COMMITTEE BEFORE WE ADJOURN,
A LOT OF STUFF GOING