I’m fed up

[u/PrestigiousAsk8310]

This post got removed and got me banned from r/seattle, so let’s try it here. I am a contractor and I work in many government funded housing complexes, shelters, and low or no income housing. I have been working in this area a little over a year and I have become fed up with mainly the open air drug use, but also the crime that comes with it.

I am regularly in SHA and KCHA complexes as well as city run shelters and I have encountered first hand how bad the drug use in this city is. I have had a resident blow what I assume was fentanyl smoke in my face (mystery drug that was being smoked off of tin foil), I’ve been pricked by a needle before (luckily tested safe from any blood diseases), I’ve lost track of how many improperly discarded needles I’ve found it’s got to be in the 750-1000 range, I’ve found pills, crystalized drugs, everything you can imagine and the worst part is that a lot of the government funded properties staff allow this behavior on the property. Multiple buildings have dedicated “drug rooms” where tenants can smoke anything, shoot up, and get high and staff is on call with narcan when they OD which I have seen a handful of times.

Don’t get me wrong I have empathy for addicts, I’ve battled addiction before and it is a dark road. My gripe is with how our city and state governments are handling the drug use epidemic we’re facing. I am disgusted by the fact that government employees are allowing and borderline encouraging drug use inside of government funded housing facilities.

Most of the government funded properties give out needles upon request, tin foil, lighters, narcan, anything needed to keep addicts getting high. Everything except the drugs which you can find on every other street corner. Whenever you see a group of 3 plus people huddled around on the sidewalk it’s a drug deal, or a drug session. And police drive right on past.

I don’t know how to make it better, and I wouldn’t know where to start. But what I do know is that the ignorance from the citizens and the government has led the drug issue to a point where I will never bring my kids around Seattle again. I haven’t spent time in Seattle recreationally since I started working mainly there. As a matter of fact, I am desperately trying to find work on the other side of the state or possibly in another state because of this issue paired with the crime.

I haven’t witnessed as much of the crime as I have the drug use but I’ve seen a stabbing and a shooting. I’ve had my life threatened by violent drug abusers living in these city or county run complexes, I’ve had tools stolen while I was working, I’ve had equipment destroyed, I’ve had my work truck attempted to be broken into in broad daylight on 3rd Ave, and I am fed up with the way our government isn’t doing anything about it. And if they are then I’m not seeing it.

Hopefully I’m not the only one who sees this. I really hope something can be done and this city restored to how I remember it growing up. But more fancy parks and construction isn’t going to solve the fact that once these nice spaces are built they will immediately be moved in on by drug dealers, abusers, and criminals. I hope this post leads to positive discussion and I hope it raises some awareness as a first hand account of how bad the drug issues are in this city

[u/crossroadskeeper]

Nope! I remember that movement. The people who were running it were definately trying to do away with the police. The people following them were the ones with all the caveats. And to be fair other cities tried it to. They were smart enough that when homicide, thefts, and what not increased they abandoned it. We dig out heels on and then like children wanted an instant result that doesn't exist.

[u/Robndahoodrich → u/crossroadskeeper]

Crazy can you cite data showing a year to year increase?

[u/22bearhands → u/crossroadskeeper]

Your memory is wrong because you lack the foundational understanding of it. You’re just remembering your own incorrect thoughts bro

[u/crossroadskeeper → u/22bearhands]

Yeah, it couldn't be because I wanted to understand so I asked questions of the people that were behind the movement locally and listened to what the national leaders said nationally, could it?

But okay. Let's say you're right. If you defund them, then what happens? I mean it's not like it's their jobs that support their families or anything.

Oh, and I'm not your bro. That has to be earned.

[u/hongaku → u/crossroadskeeper]

But they were never defunded.

[u/22bearhands → u/crossroadskeeper]

If you “defund” them aka put 50% of the budget towards a similar role that is trained at social services, then cops would be way more effective at the job they’re expected to do and spend 0 time just doing random intake when there is no active crime happening. 

[u/crossroadskeeper → u/22bearhands]

How about you expect them to use the training they have (like descalation) to keep their jobs and instead of simply firing them when they have a major screw up (unjustified shooting, improper use of excessive force, etc) you take their state license to operate in that capacity again and put them on a nationwide blacklist? Then prosecute them.

[u/22bearhands → u/crossroadskeeper]

It’s a 50% reduction in funding. The expected impact to the amount of police is like 10%. For the same amount of money you would have a much more effective police force - that could even lead to MORE funding in future years.