Public Safety Committee Reviews Drug Ordinance Policy and Data – April 28, 2026
Public Safety Committee Reviews Drug Ordinance Policy and Data – April 28, 2026
The Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee met on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, from 9:32 a.m. to 12:02 p.m. to review the city's Drug Possession and Public Use Ordinance (Ordinance 126896), focusing on policy implementation, arrest and diversion data, and the role of the LEAD program. The meeting included a Chair's Report, public comments from 18 speakers, and presentations from Council Central Staff, the Seattle Police Department (SPD), and Purpose. Dignity. Action. (PDA) – LEAD.
Consent Calendar
- The agenda was adopted without objection.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Tanya Wu (former councilmember, International District Rotary president-elect) expressed that the crisis at 12th and Jackson far exceeds current resources, highlighting both a drug crisis and a housing crisis, and urged continued support for LEAD and tiny home villages with urgency ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Cara Williams (Low Income Housing Institute) asked the council to lift the proviso on $11 million for new shelter beds, stating the funds are not needed for federal cuts and should be used for shelter expansion to address public use and connect people to services.
- Sharon Lee (Executive Director, Low Income Housing Institute) called for stopping the sale of stolen goods in Little Saigon, noting enforcement gaps by SDOT, and advocated for more tiny house villages with targeted strategies.
- Tom Makaraeg (District 3 resident, works in District 2) described open-air drug use and stolen goods markets in Little Saigon as unparalleled, arguing the city's actions push activity into this Asian minority neighborhood, and called for more outreach, shelters, and recovery resources rather than arrests.
- Madigan Lodal (District 3 resident, works in District 2) supported lifting the proviso on $11 million for shelter expansion, emphasizing that shelter without services is insufficient, and urged increasing services for unhoused neighbors.
- Amanda Benson (District 4 resident, works in Little Saigon) noted that arrests have increased while LEAD diversions decreased since the ordinance took effect, and advocated for fully funding tiny house villages with wraparound services as a cost-effective public safety investment.
- Nathan Woodenknife (District 3 resident, works at Low Income Housing Institute in Little Saigon) described daily drug use, crime, and violence, urging a stop to the organized sale of stolen goods and support for tiny house villages with humane solutions.
- Andrea Suarez (We Heart Seattle) criticized the city's drug-friendly culture, citing hundreds of thousands of needles collected and a designated fentanyl-use tiny house; she called for a recovery-first approach and policies like San Francisco's Proposition F requiring drug tests for benefits.
- Corey Ratliff (self-identified drug addict and homeless) stated that 45 days in jail helped him get his mind right, arguing that the city enables addiction with free pipes, foil, and housing, and called for accountability and arrests rather than enabling.
- Marta Kidan (Low Income Housing Institute, community engagement manager) presented a 15-point plan for CID/Little Saigon, asking the council to lift the proviso on $11 million for tiny house shelter funding to create safe spaces without judgment.
- Teresa Bloomberg (Seattle Indian Center, housing coordinator) described increased open drug use and safety concerns, calling for more shelters, tiny homes, and stronger recovery pathways.
- Steve Rebstal (works in Pioneer Square, Belltown) stated that enforcement is insufficient, noting assaults without jail time and police delays; he called for more consistent enforcement.
- Jessica Norton (Belltown small business owner) described Belltown as overrun by a violent open-air drug market, with affordable housing vacancies up to 30% due to safety concerns, and called for consistent public safety presence and real enforcement.
- Alison Blevins (Greenwood/Sandal Park neighborhood) asked for a dedicated police unit for Sandal Park (beat J1), enforcement of parking and vehicle codes, and upholding all current drug laws; she submitted a petition with 151 signatures.
- Sarah Nelson (former council president) noted that addiction fuels public safety challenges, referenced $2.85 million in the 2026 budget for recovery services, and highlighted existing money for sober housing and treatment vouchers.
- Julia Beabout (Third Avenue resident) described crowds of 25-100 people using and dealing drugs, selling stolen goods, and advocated for reclassifying unpermitted sidewalk vending as a misdemeanor to allow SPD enforcement and disrupt the ecosystem funding the crisis.
- Howard Gale (public commenter) stated that the 2023 drug ordinance’s promises of diversion and racial equity have failed, noting a drop in post-arrest diversion from 40.44% in 2024 to 19.11% in 2025, and that African Americans are 4.1 times more likely to be arrested.
- Lars Erickson (Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce) supported Chair Kettle’s call for clarity and accountability, stating the ordinance’s balance between compassion and public safety requires transparent enforcement and measurable results.
- David Haynes (public commenter) claimed that billionaire George Soros used Seattle as a pilot program to destroy the U.S., criticized the city attorney for not prosecuting drug crimes, and advocated for jail stays of up to 21 days followed by supervised encampments.
Discussion Items
- Central Staff Presentation (Greg Doss): Provided background on Ordinance 126896, which codifies the state drug law with a diversion emphasis and requires a threat-of-harm assessment. Data showed SPD arrests for drug use/possession increased from 633 in 2024 to 942 in 2025 (a 47% increase), while LEAD post-arrest diversions decreased from 256 to 180 (a 30% decrease). About half of arrests were for personal use/possession. The re-arrest rate was about 10%. Notably, there was a 191% increase in individuals booked or declined at jail. Doss noted that capacity constraints and SPD operational issues may be affecting diversion uptake.
- SPD Presentation (Chief Shon Barnes, Acting Assistant Chief Rob Brown, COO Sarah Smith): Chief Barnes acknowledged the ordinance’s challenges, stating that officers are put in a difficult position evaluating harm, and that open-air drug use correlates with increased calls, reduced foot traffic, and economic harm. He reported a 47% increase in arrests under his tenure but emphasized the need for clear standards and consistent enforcement. Assistant Chief Brown described historical LEAD referral processes and noted capacity constraints at LEAD led to a “slow rolling” of referrals in 2025. COO Smith highlighted that staffing increases and the Downtown Activation Team contributed to higher arrests.
- PDA/LEAD Presentation (Lisa Daugaard, Brandy McNeil, Sam Wolff): Daugaard explained that LEAD capacity dropped in 2022 due to a city funding cut, just as the ordinance increased demand. Referrals dropped in 2025 due to capacity, but 2026 Q1 showed 72 arrest diversions (on pace for 288, exceeding 2024). McNeil outlined LEAD’s model: long-term case management, legal services, and coordination—not immunity from enforcement. Wolff presented outcomes: for a cohort of 606 individuals enrolled since October 2023, 95% achieved formal outcomes (e.g., substance use treatment enrollment) in a high-support shelter model, and overall, longer enrollment predicted higher success rates (e.g., 44% achieving SUD outcomes after one year, 70% after two years). A new data integration with SPD allows real-time status checks.
- Councilmember Questions/Comments: Vice Chair Saka requested geographic breakdown of data, support for stricter enforcement at hot spots like 12th and Jackson, and noted the city funded $2.7 million for street use inspectors and a legislative intent report on unpermitted vending due April 30. Councilmember Rivera emphasized the U District’s challenges and asked about removing the threat-of-harm assessment; Chief Barnes suggested a policy decision on whether officers can arrest on-view drug use without a checklist, but diversion could occur later. Councilmember Lynn asked for comparative data with other cities, noted confusion about whether arrests for possession are allowed, and requested more LEAD activity in the South Precinct.
Key Outcomes
- The information item (Inf 2885) was heard in committee; no formal vote was taken.
- Chair Kettle committed to working with stakeholders to update the ordinance, bring clarity to officers, and improve coordination between SPD, the CARE Department, and alternative response systems.
- SPD will conduct department-wide e-learning on LEAD referrals and has launched data integration with LEAD for real-time client status checks.
- The council will continue to review the ordinance and consider amendments to simplify the threat-of-harm assessment and incorporate alternative response resources.
- A future committee meeting will include SDOT to address unpermitted street vending enforcement.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. The public safety committee meeting will come to order. It's 9 32 a.m. April 28th, 2026. I'm Robert Kettle, Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Will the committee clerk please call the roll? Councilmember Warz is excused. Councilmember Lynn. Here. Councilmember Rivera. Councilmember Saka. Here. Count Chair Kettle. Here. Chair, there are three members present. Thank you. And uh welcome everyone. Uh for chair comment this morning. I'm not gonna really do one except for to reiterate some points from Chair Comment on Friday, where I spoke to an article by Danny Westneat that came out about a week ago in the Seattle Times talking about Little Saigon. Um it was titled Amid Seattle's neglect. Um very important article. Um it is uh that chair comment is up on Seattle Channel from Friday's um public safety committee meeting. And uh you know, and I was there at Little Saigon yesterday, you know, and the challenges that Little Saigon is facing remains as of yesterday morning when I was in the in the community. In that article, there's a lot of different pieces. Really important to hear those voices from the community and the points that they were making. But one thing I wanted to highlight towards the end from the author of the article when he was talking about the act, you know, the the efforts thus far. And uh key is when he says um, but alarming, but is uh it is alarming how little effect it seems to have. Um our efforts thus far are basically akin to running to stand still, and we cannot continue in this vein. Also, in the uh chair comment on Friday, I spoke of the issue of Seattle being of two minds. Um this is something that's a challenge for us as a city, and it gets us into a situation where it leads to some paralysis or it leads to elements that are working in cross purposes. I think we need to look uh together, look for those common areas and look at facts on the ground, like in Little Saigon in terms of trying to develop a movement forward. Um I also highlighted in the chair comment last Friday about our strategic framework for our safer Seattle. We updated it this year uh from what we had from the previous term of the council, the two years of the council, and uh two changes I wanted to highlight. One was a bullet uh pillar that was updated, and it speaks to you know, furthering a functional criminal justice system. There's so many little pieces within our criminal justice system that are not quite working that we need some tweaks in. And then a new one titled Addressing the Seam Between Public Safety and Public Health, Housing and Human Services. This is very important. Uh so addressing the seam, by the way, means a lot of times means addressing alternative response. Um this is primarily focused, but not solely on the uh care enabling ordinance and the work that goes there. We need to improve alternative response to get better outcomes. Also, and I saw this yesterday morning again in Little Saigon, but you know what? I see it in Belltown every day. I see it in downtown. Um it's been an issue in Lake City, um, other parts, North Beacon Hill and D2, it's not just Little Saigon and parts of the CID. Um Pioneer Square is throughout our city, is addressing the drug markets, and this means actions that need to be taken as relates to the public drug use and possession ordinance. The ordinance, in my view, has been a failure in itself, but also in its implementation. We must bring some clarity. Uh, we must address uh the uh two minds issue. We need to simplify it. But going back to alternative response, we also need to bring in the alternative response aspect uh to the issue as well.
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