Yeah, it's significant because
we've seen an upward trend in
overall crime and in 2021 that was
one of our kind of all time highs.
And so to see it for increased
by that and by 4% over that,
that is one of the significant
challenges that we're facing.
However, what we've also seen in 2022,
we saw really in the first five months
that was really the a huge difference
compared to 2021 and that's really
what drove trying to as we started
to kind of get into the actual year.
We were actually driving crime down,
but we had really just that first
five months really hurt us because
there was such a significant
difference between the year before.
Well, let's talk about the
gun violence. First off,
a lot of shootings and shots fired.
We're talking about 700, seven,
139, if I'm right.
I just want to kind of hone in on where some
of this activity is happening the most.
So you list some neighborhoods in there.
Where are you seeing the most shots fired?
Because it's. Condensed and it last
year it was more widespread, correct.
Yes. So we actually have seen
significant increase in the CID area.
That's been one of the biggest challenges.
I think right off the bat in
2022 when the mayor took over,
it was a significant project to really
address the Tolpin Jackson location as
well as the third and pine location.
That is also a lot of those shootings have
had some level of Nexus to homelessness
and and we've really put a lot of
effort in making sure that we try to,
you know, address all of those issues.
The concerns in the Community and
there's it's just significant
challenges because there's a lot of
social issues that we're facing,
homelessness,
behavioral crisis and and that's one
of the things that I've been you know
really laser focused on trying to drive down.
But when you look at other parts of the city,
we look at, you know,
Lake City, we look at Northgate,
we look at Aurora,
we look at Westwood Village in South Park,
we look at you know down and around the
Safeway and the Rainier Valley area,
Brighton place,
these are all areas that have.
And continue to see significant
shootings that are occurring in those areas.
And so we were really trying to
make sure that we you know,
have a good plan in place.
In the last four months,
we've actually seen that violent
crime actually start to to go into
bed in a better trend.
Doesn't mean that we're you don't
have any issues or beings that
we're we're seeing more progress
but we still have a lot of things
that we need to be addressing.
Is there any reasoning here is to
why 2021 had kind of shots fired?
Events happening everywhere it's
almost and for 2022 it's just really,
really focused and centralized.
Do we, do you have any reasons or answers
because about 60% of our our shootings
actually had a homeless access.
So you're looking at significant shootings
around encampments and so that actually
is a lot more focused in specific areas.
So like the CID, you look at Ethan King,
you look at 12 and Jackson 10th and Dearborn.
These are all locations that have had
you know certificate in cabin issues.
Those are things that we're
also trying to as a city,
trying to make sure that we address and
that is part of that unified care teamwork.
And that's also been part of being
able to also work with community
partners on how we actually address,
you know, overall shootings as well.
So when you know when we have a
shooting and it's also making sure
that we're utilizing their expertise
to helpfully make a good impact in
in reducing the retaliatory shootings
that might occur as well.
We talked about the homeless
Nexus and the 16% number there.
Just to be clear,
the shootings that are happening
at encampments or near encampments,
are we thinking that the people
who are dealing with homelessness
are committing these acts or are
those areas drawing the violence in?
Do we know more?
It's actually kind of a
kind of a mixture of stuff.
So we do know that in some of
the cameras that are there is,
you know, sometimes criminal
activity that's occurring because
our people are being targeted.
And because of the homeless encampments,
sometimes it's, you know,
whether it's drug trade,
sometimes it's, you know, a level of.
Like not human trafficking,
but property trafficking,
trafficking of property,
stolen goods and then also people
are bringing guns and we're seeing
more guns than we've ever had in
the last year even though we've
significantly down in staffing.
It's our second highest year in
the recovery of guns at at 1349.
And so those that's a,
that's a great work by our officers,
but that is also one of the biggest
challenges that I think we face is just
how many guns are out on the street.
Talk for me about Northgate,
because I see that it's appeared
on this list in a couple of ways.
One, it's being one of the neighborhoods
Northgate N for shootings and shots fired,
but it's also #2 on your list for repeat CAD.
So talk about just what
is going on in Northgate.
Why is that such a busy area?
There's actually some encampments that
are in around north of Northgate that have
actually had some of the shots fired.
We've also seen, you know,
just motor vehicle theft because
it's a shopping district.
So there is a variety of
different crime that there were.
That we're seeing just Northgate being busy.
It's also an area where it's
actually being revitalized.
So the the shopping mall has been kind
of shut down or it's kind of like
half you know half being operated.
And so the the bigger that we can
get more people in that area and
doing shopping and and populating
that area and that's one of the
significant challenges in all of
our all of our parts of our city.
You know in the downtown we need
people back into the into using like
a lot of businesses because more
businesses that are boarded up.
The more businesses that are not being
utilized it that's where we actually
start to see some of that criminal
activity really build itself up.
Talking about the victims of
some of this the gun violence,
I think we have 52 homicides but
a lot more people injured hurt.
Who's being impacted the most by this
when you break it down by demographic
you know, so we you know we've seen
it when you look at population,
African American are impacted
the most based on the population
data and and that's continuously.
Then one of the challenges that we face
not just for last year or the year before,
it's been for you know over a decade,
you know since I've been
you know doing police work.
And so we really need to make sure
that we're providing a lot of services.
When you look at the age
different demographics,
you when it comes to homicides that
you're looking at that 20 to 34
range which is you know making sure
that people have those resources as
they transition out of high school.
You know are they,
you know do they have the the ability
to have levels of success later in life.
And so we have to make sure that
that as a city that we're helping
out to making sure people have
those opportunities for hope.
But when you look at actually people
that are being shot in the impacted
that are not necessarily homicides,
demographics do change and you know
it's actually a significant when it
comes to the older or like about 35
I think to 49 if I'm correct where
you actually see more people white
typically older and that's where you
also see some of those homeless encampment.
Population data.
And that doesn't mean it's,
you know,
it's perfect but that is where
you start to do see a different
demographic and that's some of the
challenges that we're facing and
just dealing with all of the the
social issues that we're facing
response times. So you have the
average in there in the median,
the average 10 minutes or so, median 7.
Why does the median the choice
that you want to go with when
you reference the report?
Because one of the things is when people,
when people call anyone,
we want to be there.
As quick as possible,
seconds matter especially in
many of those situations.
If it's a shooting,
it could be a life or death situation
where you know we're we have to put
a tourniquet on somebody or a chest
seal on somebody to try and save
their life before firing can you
know come in and do their work and
and so it's very very important for
us to be able to respond quickly.
Same is similar to the Ingram shooting.
We were there within 4 minutes
and it's really important.
That's where you're trying to make
sure you're rendering an area safe.
You want to get fire.
And in into those types of
situations so they can treat victims.
And so, you know,
for us that's our markers really
trying to get under 7 minutes.
That is what we want because when
somebody calls they, they need,
they need that police response
as quickly as possible.
So how do you feel like you have
all the data here? So what are your
goals for response times for 2023?
You know, my goal is really to try and
get as close as I can or under 7 minutes.
That's been one of the ultimate goals
that we've had typically that, you know.
With the staffing that we have, yeah,
I thought maybe this might not be achievable,
but we've really been focused on making
sure we put officers in the right area.
So if they're, if they're shootings
in around say CID and you have a good,
you know, significant emphasis
patrols going around that area,
officers are going to get there quickly.
And so that actually helps us drive
down some of those response times,
making sure that officers are
in the right locations.
And so for us,
I'm hoping to get under 7 minutes,
but it's also making sure that we hire.
Good officers that are going to
come out and do the work and want
to make sure that the city is
safe and serve our community.
And I need more officers.
And that'll also help drive down to
that 7 minute response time as well.
Where are you with staffing?
What are the current vacancies?
Yeah. So we have about 375 officers
that we need to fill this department.
And and that has really been so crucial
because some people will say, like,
you know, you're you're seeing good trends.
But the problem is,
is officers are working double shifts.
They're working.
Make sure to try and make sure
that they provide the best public
safety and so after a while you
we don't want them burned out.
We want to make sure that our
officers are healthy and so we want
to make sure that we're getting
officers fresh officers to be
able to be trained and we're not.
We we know we're not going to lower our
standards and so it's going to take time.
We want to make sure that we're
bringing in the right officer and
there's many people that have applied
for the job but we've had to say
no because they're not the right
fit and so it's it's so important
that we get good officers so.
You know, officers,
if people are wanting to look at Seattle
Police Department and we're hiring,
but we also want to make sure
we're hiring the right officer.
I had a couple more questions for you.
But on this report, I want you to tell
me what kind of what is the biggest take
away for you from this data. You know,
every day I actually look at the data and so,
you know, actually drive.
When I drive into work,
I actually go through 12th and Jackson.
I go through third and pine.
So I'm routinely seeing that,
seeing what it looks like.
And then I'm actually going
to the data and I want to see.
You know where we're at,
how does it look when it comes to
the data analytics side of it?
And then I'm also getting
regular updates from our staff,
our command staff to also
know like what are we doing?
Are we putting operations in place,
are we putting emphasis in specific areas?
We've been running a lot of
stuff on retail theft operations.
We've been doing stuff on auto
thefts because we know that these
are significant challenges for
many of the small businesses,
many of the businesses that have been
impacted by COVID in in the pandemic.
But it's also you know,
making sure that that we're also
deploying our resources like
to the areas of violent hunts,
violent crimes and hotspots.
And so there's not much shock
to to me on this.
However,
I am seeing a good trend in the last
Headquarter 4 where we're actually
seeing a reduction in violent crime.
And in part of it is, you know,
I want to make sure that we're,
we're we're checking everything
that that we don't want to claim
a victory because they think we're
we're trending in the right direction.
But I think that there's still a lot of work.
Still to be done.
And I'm hearing from community members
feeling like things are feeling a lot safer,
but they also know that there's
still a lot of work to be done.
And so, you know,
there's still challenges in dealing
with people in behavioral crisis.
There's still challenges with homeless Nexis.
But we're seeing, you know,
we still have challenges of robberies,
which, you know, as the city opens up,
nightlife happens where, you know,
we have to pay attention to, you know,
kind of sexual sexual offenses and
we have to pay attention to,
you know, nightlife,
shootings.
And we have to pay attention to all aspects.
As the city opens up and so we want
to make sure that you know,
again that you know,
we have a good amount of personnel
and that we're deploying them.
In the right place.
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