SEATTLE (Diya TV) — The city of Seattle is beginning to introduce harder anti-shoplifting and petty crimes measures for the first time in four years as the municipal government takes a harder line against low-level crimes. At a time when the local authorities are under severe pressure from business leaders and residents alike, whining that their city has been increasingly suffering from crime rates and lack of accountability of the repeat offenders.
Among the proposals is the reinstatement of the arrest and imprisonment of people over petty offenses like shoplifting. Since 2020, Seattle had mostly avoided prosecuting petty thefts and other minor offenses to decongest its jails and use the scarce resource or energy on major offenses. Critics of the previous approach say it encouraged criminals and led to a rising lawlessness that now defines downtown Seattle and much of what surrounds it.
Seattle business owners are frustrated about shoplifting and vandalism and its financial impact. Many of them claim habitual offenders availed the opportunity of Seattle’s leniency, with most small businesses grappling with huge loss.Mary Carlson, a boutique owner in downtown Seattle, said “we have seen shoplifters walk out with thousands of dollars of merchandise, and there was nothing we could do. Policies of the city made it feel like it was encouraging crime.”
According to local law enforcement officers, such as Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz, the need for more balanced policies has finally been grasped. “We’re not looking to over-police but can’t continue to allow criminals to act with impunity,” Diaz said in a recent press briefing. “There has to be accountability.”
The measure of putting in place tougher penalties for petty crimes has been controversial with many community members. Its proponents say it is the only way to address rampant businesses and restore order, while opponents fear the harsh measures will trigger harm on marginalized groups and that jailing non-violent offenders is the best remedy for anything.
Not everyone appears to support this move, including Teresa Mosqueda, a Seattle City Council member and long-time advocate for criminal justice reforms. “We need to address the root causes of these crimes, like poverty and homelessness, not just lock people up,” she said. “But we also need to ensure our neighborhoods are safe.
Though the softness of the city was a part of greater efforts at criminal justice reform, the rising tide of public complaints with regard to crime pushed officials to rethink it. Business coalitions and civic groups demanded stronger responses to crime, arguing that more effective action was needed to prevent further damage to the economy and enhancing the quality of life within the city.
