City Council hears updates on leap in Seattle drug arrests, drop in diversion, and new approaches to ‘high priority individuals’ in problem areas

The Seattle City Council public safety committee is finishing April with a focus on changes in the way the city polices itself including data that shows a sharp rise in arrests following the 2023 changes in the city’s public drug use laws — and a drop in cases to its LEAD diversion program intended to steer people out of the cycles of petty crime into services.

In Tuesday morning’s session, the committee is scheduled to review a report (PDF) that shows a 47% increase in drug crime arrests in Seattle in 2025 coupled with a 30% decrease in diversion.

According to the analysis, resources and staffing might not be adequate to support the increased effort required to divert more people into treatment and services.

“Arrests are increasing. The portion of simple use/possession arrests remains constant at 48 percent. LEAD diversions are decreasing, both pre-arrest (social contact) diversions and post arrest diversions. It is possible that LEAD capacity and SPD operational issues are affecting SPD’s ability to use both pre-arrest and post arrest diversion,” the report states matter of factly.

Tuesday’s session follows a report earlier this year showing similar takeaways made on shakier evidence. In that presentation from the Seattle Office of the Inspector General, officials said delays and missing information hinders the analysis and one of the main goals of the measurement in assessing how many drug users are diverted to treatment is currently impossible in Seattle.

CHS reported here on the September 2023 passage of the change enabling the City Attorney’s Office to prosecute drug use and possession on Seattle’s streets.

The Seattle law incorporated elements of statewide changes allowing the city attorney to prosecute a wider spectrum of drug cases while adding new policies about arrests, plus tying funding for treatment and services to the legislation including millions for enhanced treatment facilities, new addiction services, and improved overdose response for first responders.

Meanwhile, chair Bob Kettle and the public safety committee also heard updates last week on programs hoped to shift safety and policing in the city including updates on its Community Violence Intervention Ecosystem (PDF) and the Seattle Neighborhood Impact Framework (PDF).

Based on work in the U District and Ballard, the Seattle Neighborhood Impact Framework is a public safety model officials say is designed to address the challenges of commercial districts, and is particularly focusing on “high priority individuals” with chronic behavioral health or substance use issues.

Developed by neighborhood business groups in the U District and Ballard, it aims to address people who frequently interact with the city’s 911 systems who do not receive the care necessary to stabilize. The framework operates on four levels of coordination, ranging from immediate on-the-ground triage and outreach to high-level citywide policy evaluation.

A goal of the efforts in the U District and Ballard has been to bridge the gap between traditional law enforcement and social services through local collaboration.

According to last week’s presentation, placing more public safety resources and spending in coordination with commercial districts would also enhance efforts to grow Seattle’s police alternative — not further hamper it. CHS reported earlier this year on the growth of the city’s CARE Department despite limitations placed on the crisis responders by the city’s police union contract.

The Seattle City Council is exploring the expansion of the Seattle Neighborhood Impact Framework model to other struggling areas of the city like Little Saigon, Third Avenue, and Pike at Broadway.

Last week, Kettle said he views the framework as a vital tool for resolving the city’s “two minds” dilemma, where efforts to provide compassion for those in crisis often conflict with the need for neighborhood accountability.

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