Seattle’s freshman city attorney now has a plan to deal with the revolving door for repeat criminal offenders.
For years now, we’ve told you about the list of people who’ve committed dozens of crimes and have cycled through the jail and Seattle municipal court system time and time again, like John Ray Lomack, who was seen on video struggling with security over a big-screen TV at the downtown Target, or Francisco Calderon, who has 76 convictions on his record, some of them assaults, including the time he randomly targeted a family and threw coffee on their two-year-old.
Now City Attorney Ann Davison wants to deal with these repeat offenders with her “High Utilizer Initiative”, named for the people who repeatedly utilize the criminal justice system. Davidon’s office will work in conjunction with Seattle Police and both the King County Prosecutor and the jail, which she says will “directly address the individuals who create a disproportionate impact on public safety in Seattle.” The program has identified 118 people responsible for more than 2,400 hundred crimes in just the last five years.
It aims not only to lock these people up but to find them help with their drug or mental health problems – services that haven’t always been available nor easy to get them into. Northwest Newsradio asked Davison how she’d overcome that lack of services, and she says she’ll work with community service providers to see what treatment programs are needed. Davison also says this is about rebuilding the accountability system, with what she calls “reset time” while they’re in jail and raising standards to which these repeat offenders will be held. “It does matter what you do, and we do care what you do, and we are going to stop and take time to understand it,” Davison says, “and this is where the laws are meaningful. And now, we will understand why you’re here and what you need at the end of that time, but you cannot go back to that behavior that’s harmful to you and harmful to the public.”
The official release from the City Attorney’s office included these quotes from other public safety leaders:
“The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is grateful for the partnership with Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison and her team, and we’re confident it will continue,” said King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg. “We know that the community wants immediate action that holds prolific offenders accountable, and we’ll keep going to court each day with a focus on preserving public safety and supporting victims. The challenge for the municipal court, and for our community, is finding resources to help address the root causes of the behavioral health problems that are leading a small number of people to be frequent utilizers of the court system.”
“Seattle’s repeat criminal activity, much of it perpetrated by relatively few individuals and often out in the open on our city’s streets, not only negatively impacts our struggling businesses but also community members, neighbors, workers, and anyone who visits Seattle,” said Seattle Police Chief Adrian Z. Diaz. “I am confident the High Utilizer Initiative will not only add another layer of accountability but will also help identify those most in need of behavioral and health services.”
Northwest Newsradio also received this statement from the Downtown Seattle Association:
“The High Utilizer Initiative represents the kind of commitment and collaboration we called for when producing a series of reports on the shortcomings of our local criminal justice system two years ago. Fixing these deep cracks in the current system will create a safer and more welcoming environment for downtown small businesses, arts and cultural venues, workers and residents. We applaud City Attorney Davison for this much needed action to ensure appropriate accountability and intervention for individuals that repeatedly break the law and harm people and property.”