by the COVID-19 Mutual Aid Solidarity Network (Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Awareness Group, Creative Justice, No New Youth Jail, Pacific Rim Solidarity Network)
The city is entering a pandemic and a state of emergency with COVID 19. In light of this urgent public health emergency, we are recommending that the city does the following:
1) Repurposing of the city’s budget dedicated to law enforcement toward other public health efforts
The city’s efforts to maintain public safety is most adequately addressed in this time by diverting resources and money previously allocated to law enforcement into crucial needs such as housing, hiring of cleaning and maintenance crews, provision of food and basic resources for our most vulnerable communities and aggressive community health education.
In the previous budget cycle, community members highlighted SPD’s budget that could be repurposed for social services that are crucial to public safety and health.
Seattle Police Department
|
$847,863
$813,750 $1,208,700 $1,663,683 $2,559,337 |
| TOTAL | $7, 093333 |
We call on the Mayor to make an executive decision to transfer this money to boost public health efforts immediately.
2) Seattle Police Department
We understand that a significant amount of Seattle’s city budget at $400 million is allocated to the Seattle Police Department. In light of the racial profiling that SPD has been known to practice on the streets of Seattle as evidenced by the Federal Consent Decree, we are concerned about the behavior and practice of the SPD in this moment of a public health emergency. We are asking for a full and transparent discussion of SPD’s mitigation plan.
We call on SPD to:
- Immediately suspend the Navigation Team and stop conducting sweeps on houseless communities
Conducting sweeps to clear individuals off the streets and not offering any alternative housing is cruel and exceptionally cruel during this crisis. SPD should suspend all Navigation Team operations and focus on supporting and expanding public health measures.
- Drastically reduce arrests
In Los Angeles, California, the police reduced arrests significantly, from an average of 300 a day to now 60 a day. Similarly, in Portland, the police department has announced an emergency effort to respond only to life-threatening calls, in an effort both to protect the public and the officers. SPD has yet to release such an emergency proclamation.
We recognize that SPD is continuing to arrest for misdemeanor offenses, many of which may not be filed by the City Attorney’s Office. The arrest process leaves individuals vulnerable to virus transmission. At the very least, the city should stop arresting individuals for misdemeanor offenses that place people at risk.
- Suspend issuance of parking tickets
The SPD parking enforcement wing has been known to continue issuing parking tickets. At this time when individuals and communities are stressed and self-quarantining to prioritize our collective health, the stress of parking tickets are unnecessary. In line with the eviction moratorium, we call on the city to stop issuing parking tickets.
- Diverting and repurposing SPD capacity for public health efforts
In other countries, enforcement forces have been repurposed into public health efforts. In Taiwan, recognizing the shortage of masks, military support has been utilized for mask production. Masks are crucial for our community’s safety and well being. We call on a repurposing of SPD employees to engage in life-saving efforts such as
- Mask production and procurement
- Production of hand sanitizers & respirators
- Installation of easily accessible hand sanitizer, hand washing stations throughout Seattle
- Food preparation for houseless individuals and youth who are unable to attend school
- Deep cleaning of Seattle streets and buildings to reduce transmission
3) The Seattle Municipal Court
We call on the Seattle Municipal Court to adhere to the Washington State Supreme Court ruling on emergency measures to be taken in Washington State Courts, effective to April 24th. In addition, we call on the court to
- Suspend all probation violations.
- Accommodate individuals who may not be able to attend check-ins with probation officers
- Suspend the need for community service and work crew activities for the duration of this outbreak
4) King County Jail
A corrections officer who had previously worked at King County Jail was found positive for COVID 19 after having been asymptomatic for a while. We are not aware of any emergency mitigation plans from King County Jail that would significantly assure the safety of incarcerated communities inside.
We are aware that the city has a contract with King County Jail. A large number of individuals are incarcerated for pretrial detention due to their inability to pay bail, as well as misdemeanor charges for theft and shoplifting. A lot of poor people find themselves incarcerated due to crimes of poverty such as shoplifting and trespassing, with stays amounting to one to three days.
Given that social distancing and reduced exposure to other carriers is an important public health measure, this unnecessary jail churn is a public health hazard. We call on the Mayor’s office to:
- Declare pretrial detentions and jail admissions as public health hazards. Terminate jail bookings now.
- Release individuals currently incarcerated at King County Jail due to involvement in the Seattle Municipal Court
- Divert resources toward reentry housing and services for individuals exiting the King County Jail
The city has a responsibility to ensure the care and well being of the city’s communities and populations. We call on the Mayor to enact bold changes that can flatten the curve in this moment.
Due to the urgency of the issue at hand, we expect a prompt response from you by Friday March 20th 12pm.
Signed,
Organizational Endorsements
Creative Justice
La Resistencia
Seattle ACED
QLaw Foundation of Washington
Black and Pink Seattle/Tacoma
public annex
Justice for All
Our family
KhAAG
Post-Prison Education Program
WA Coalition for Prison Reform
Books to Prisoners Seattle
Black Rose/Rosa Negra Seattle
AHCC
Jewish Voice for Peace Seattle
Columbia Legal Services
Seattle Mennonite Church
Williamson Enterprises
Black and Pink PDX
Mason County Climate Justice
Indivisible Plus: Washington
TeamChild
Critical Bounds
Dharma Friendship Foundation
Indivisible Kirkland
SEIU 775
One America
CID Coalition / #HumbowsNotHotels
National Lawyers Guild, Seattle Chapter
Jews Undoing Institutional Racism
Non-Complicit Student Association at the University of Washington School of Law
Seattle South Asians for Black Lives
Transit Riders Union
Gender Justice Beyond Bars and Binaries
Legal Voice
Post-Prison Education Program
Individuals
Carrie Freshour
Megan Ybarra
Dan Berger
Becca Meredith
Nikkita Oliver
Dean Spade
Meera Sethi
La Tisha Conto
Cole Willsea
Geoffrey D’Alosio
Jamil Suleman
Tyler Wilch
Laurie Dawson
Shelby Handler
Chelsea Myers
Ross Girshick
Brie Gyncild
Meghan Thompson
Lacie Braun
Aaron Shay
Eric Padget
Becca
Jay Billings
Jeffrey Freiberg
Loren Taylor
James Page
Rachel Shapiro
Karla
Elena Lyn Orlando
Elise Cooksley
Katie Freeman
Todd Bohannon
Greg Thiessen
Cammie Carl
Natasha I Terry
kai aprill-tomlin
Anna Ivanov
Annie
Laura
Gordon Werner
Emily Yoshioka
Bruno George
Ashley Barnes-Cocke
Yaya
Megan Munk
Kelsen Caldwell
Casey Motson
Rosalie May
Tiffani Escalante
Lynnda Escalante
Katie Pekarske
Jason Beutler
Matty Whyte
Ellen
Jennifer Gosar
Jennifer Gosar
Sophia esparza
Lea Kronenberg
Anna Hackman
Shelli
Django Paris
Julie Feng
Adrienne Domingus
Natalie Chapman
Brett Miller
Victoria Lewis
Autumn Vanderkloot
Sriram Parasurama
Mara Dauber
Tashina Shepherd
Bonnie
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Eleanor Ryan
Suzanne Cook
Margaret Wilson-Briggs
WD
Susan Wade
Brit
Erika
Kathleen Starr
Elaine Mehary
Noah
Rachel McBain
Kaylen Hendrick
Kathy Frasier
Sina Sam
Jessica Mitchell
Noreen Light
Anita Barker
Liz Spoerri
Julie triggs
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Elise McKinnon
Kristina Nielander
Charlie Shih
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Matthew Van Duyn
Jenny McIntosh
Hannah Wilson
Sue Kay
Evalynn Romano
Leah Wood
Alison Cheung
Whitney Wood
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Deborah Massachi
Elisa Cozad
Chen-Chen Jiang
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Florence Sum
Marco Henry
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Michael Foster
Felipe Perez III
Otelia Lundberg
Heather Carawan
Emily Pacunski
Charlie Kundts
Meagan Bernatchez
Jessica Rock
Linh Nguyen
Riley Moos
Alan-Michael Weatherford
Jonathan Pincus
Autumn James
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Christoph Adams
Mary Mitchell
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Alexa Fay
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Simon
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Paula Bond
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NANCY L COLLINS
- Williams
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Sam
Seattle People’s Party
Washington Building Leaders of Change
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quinn rao
Sarah Staley
Karen Taylor
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Scout Smedley
Steve Leigh
Sarah Egger
Jeff Campbell
Sam Lee
Beck
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Sarah
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Jack Finley
Mac Peyton
Kathryn Sanlis
Susan Wade
Rebecca Petersen
David Ellenwood
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Mai Takahashi
Fletcher Christie
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Ross Kirshenbaum
Lesley Hoare
Sarah Bishop
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Denise Grollmus
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Jane Singer
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Keren Ram
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Allison Goldberg
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Eliana Horn
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carrie matthews
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Madeleine Sosin
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Maria Porter Steward
Michael H McIntosh
Willa Osborn
Diana Xin
Jared Austen Maddox
Amanda Brown
Chelsea Moore
Tushar
John Stovall
Carl W Elliott
Cassandra Yabes
Kovas Zygas
Miranda Mellis
Marc Mazique
Omid Bagheri Garakani
Sarah Cornett
Letauaeletise Hunkin
Caleb Knapp
Soya Jung
Nina Wallace
Riddhi Mehta-Neugebauer
Camille Walsh
Linda Phan
Meredith Ruff
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Aleksandrea Johnson
Alena Huynh
Justin totaan
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Leo Farbman
Rachel Anderson
Anna Fernandez
carol williams
Michelle Kriebel
Zainab Jabboua
Eden Amital
Maana Mesbahi
Tess Matsukawa
Maren Nielsen-Thompson
Peggy Korpela
Kelly Johnson
Laura Stembridge
Emily Silva
Arianna Nord
Gillian Harkins
Carly Greyell
Gregory Lewis
Noah Collier
Devon de Leña
Naomi Smith
Aidan Moore
Emily Rose Childs
Derek Boiko-Weyrauch
Emmett Moore
Summer Diegel
Nicole C Zeller
Rose Ernst
Aaron Hartwell
Kim Wool
Darcy Peth
Karyn Poblocki
Aaron Shay
Talya Gillman
Kirstin Wagner
Sayer Rippey
Amber Khan
gretchen siegrist
Charles Collins
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Shirley gumabon
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Mike Phimpiela
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Emijah Smith
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Karla Davis
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Featured image by Kevin Schofield