Seattle Public Drug Crackdown Not Leading to Promised Booking Deferrals

A new Seattle drug ordinance could be on the horizon in wake of policy “failure.”

When Seattle’s latest drug ordinance was being debated in 2023, opponents claimed the law would further criminalize drug use, especially for unhoused people, and launch a new ‘War on Drugs.’ Its supporters, on the other hand, said that the law prioritized diversion away from jails, using that alternate pathway whenever possible to boost the number of people getting help through treatment or other stabilizing services.

Two and a half years after its passage, more data is in, and early results indicate that opponents were right to be concerned. A recent presentation at the Seattle City Council’s Public Safety Committee showed a 47% increase in drug crime arrests and a 30% decrease in referrals to the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program between 2024 and 2025.

After the ordinance went into effect, 48% of the drug arrests made by the Seattle Police Department (SPD) were solely for either public drug use or simple possession, the two charges impacted by the ordinance.

This increase in drug arrests and simultaneous decrease in diversion referrals happened the same year current SPD Chief Shon Barnes took over the police department, hired by former Mayor Bruce Harrell following a national search.

https://www.theurbanist.org/seattle-public-drug-crackdown-not-leading-to-deferrals/