Seattle, WA: A Seattle police captain has drafted a new policy that will require officers to allow drivers suspected of DUI to flee the scene, even if the vehicle is stolen.
But wait, there’s more.
If a DUI suspect is sleeping in said vehicle, or is simply refusing to comply, the officers on scene are expected to leave and fill out an incident report.
The draft was acquired by a local conservative radio host and journalist, Jason Rantz of the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH, who spoke to officials from the Seattle police department, some on the condition of anonymity.
The new draft has sent waves across the department and, to no one’s surprise, a mass sense of confusion among the officers.
According to Rantz’s column on My Northwest.com, he stated:
“In an Oct. 1 email, Grossman sent out the draft to his officers, according to a source. It’s unclear why the captain released the draft or why he wrote it in the first place. While the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has not adopted this as an official policy, one source explained officers were verbally instructed to follow it in at least one precinct. And it’s spreading unabated.”
EXCLUSIVE: Seattle PD is considering a policy forcing cops to let DUI suspects flee, even if they’re in a stolen car.
If a passed-out addict in a running car doesn’t respond to the police, they must leave him.
It also bans the use of “pinning” by cops.https://t.co/vxzMOCzExe
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) October 9, 2022
According to two internal sources, some precinct commanders have ordered their officers to follow this unusual, unprecedented policy.
But then again- it is Seattle, so maybe it is not that unusual.
As of Oct. 7, union officials from the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) told Rantz that the new policy is expected to be corrected and clarified for the officers to enact properly.
Even though there is clarification to be expected, it is surely controversial and will bring about many questions. There are already many questions going around the department as it relates to the policy’s current directive.
Seattle has already been following its own ‘no pursuit’ policy, which preceded the state’s policy. But is looking to take it a step further from what it currently is.
According to Rantz who wrote of the current DUI laws, he stated:
“The policy, as written, is sure to be controversial and comes as the SPD aims to mitigate the risks associated with vehicular pursuits. While state law prohibits pursuits, a policy that the SPD adopted before its passage, DUI suspects are treated differently. Under the law, police may pursue suspects in vehicles if there’s reasonable suspicion of DUI because of the threat they pose on the roads.”
Traditionally, when officers pull up to a vehicle with a driver suspected of DUI, they often inch up to the vehicle to make it more difficult for them to drive away. They limit and restrict how much space is around the vehicle to reduce options the driver has.
If the suspect decides to hit the gas and take off, and the officer reasonably suspects the driver is under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both, the officer is expected to pursue the suspect. A person under the influence is a threat to the community and must be stopped.
But not under this new directive.
According to Rantz, who summarized a very real scenario in his column, he stated:
“Under the draft policy, officers are given three directives when ‘a driver is or appears to be passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle (whether stolen or not).’ They’re told: ‘Treat the situation as a high-risk vehicle stop.’”
The column continued:
“‘Allow sufficient room (at least one car’s length) between the suspect vehicle and patrol vehicle to permit a path of egress for the suspect vehicle. And ensure there are sufficient officers on scene.’”
If the driver decides to leave, despite the officer’s conclusion to the current state of the driver, he or she must allow the officer to leave, note the direction of the vehicle, then fill out an incident report.
In a case where the driver refuses to exit the vehicle, whether they are passed out (sleeping) or just refusing to cooperate and comply, even if the vehicle is stolen, the officer’s hands are tied.
According to the new directive, in this case, it states:
“Attempt to hail the driver using voice or PA for a reasonable amount of time, and then leave the scene, and complete an incident report.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvjwnFHNoKY
Clearly this has frustrated many officers throughout the SPD ranks as they feel they are already too ‘handcuffed’ by the system to fight crime.
Some officers have commented on Rantz’ talk show with the message of ‘if that’s what they want, that’s what they’ll get’ as to avoid having legal action taken against them.
We’ll see how Seattle’s method of empowering criminals will go- and it wont be pretty.
LET will track this new directive as it evolves. Stay tuned.
Follow the writer Eddie on Twitter for latest in breaking news, stories and anything LEO, military and 1st responder related by clicking here.
Seattle has a serious problem- but this is kinda funny.
Seattle Democrat activist invites homeless people to stay at her house, quickly regrets it and blames media
Posted August 3, 2022
SEATTLE, WA – According to a report, one Seattle woman invited homeless people to her house and immediately regretted it.
The woman, a Democrat and activist, was upset that the city swept a homeless encampment. So, in response, she offered up her own home for the homeless to sleep in and within hours she admitted regretting her decision.
City workers reportedly cleared an encampment in SoDo that created dangerous, untenable conditions for both residents and nearby businesses.
Several activists, socialists, and city councilwoman Tammy Morales as well as staff at The Seattle Times complained that the move was taken “during a heatwave.”
One activist was so livid that she actually showed up to protest the sweep and when asked if she would house any of the homeless, she answered in the affirmative, even giving out her address.
Unfortunately, she had zero intention of following through and is now having a fit on social media.
Seattle businesses take law into own hands to combat homelessness, angering activists https://t.co/QQMYOoxkuw #FoxNews
— Linda Vassilion (@VassilionLinda) August 2, 2022
Discovery Institute senior fellow Jonathan Choe spoke to activists protesting the sweep. He actually witnessed some of the activists move the homeless to a different part of the neighborhood, allowing them to avoid the offers of immediate shelter from the city.
So, instead those individuals stayed living on the streets in brown-down RVs and one woman was so angry, she yelled at Choe that the homeless are not the ones causing problems. The woman claimed:
“What’s the problem? Tell me what the problems are. What are the problems? Actually, there’s no (expletive) research at all in the city showing that crime is related to houseless people.”
Unfortunately, she was wrong because there are several problems, including assaults, rape, murder, and gunfire, which runs rampant at Seattle homeless encampments.
Seattle City councilman Andrew Lewis said:
“It is blatantly evident that a significant amount of the city’s crime and disorder is attributable to conditions in homeless encampments.”
Choe asked the woman if she would allow the homeless to stay at her place; she said yes and gave out her address on video. Now, she is claiming that Choe doxxed her. Watch below:
Rantz: Seattle activist invites homeless to her home, immediately regrets it
After Choe posted the video of the woman ranting and inviting the homeless to her house, she expressed her regrets. According to Choe, the woman then went on a private Facebook group to complain that she was doxxed by him.
According to a screenshot posted by Choe, the woman claimed that “Jonathan Choe … got our address and doxxed us publicly for disagreeing with him.”
She then claimed that people on his Twitter feed “suggested smashing windows” and asked community members to keep an eye out on the property.
ONLY IN #SEATTLE: As you all know, I reported on a lady who RECOGNIZED me in SODO this week, confronted me, and accused me of spreading “misinformation.” I was rolling on my camera and captured the entire interaction. Now the perpetrator is claiming to be a DOXXING victim. 🤡🤡🤡 pic.twitter.com/SlTd4ZEIBc
— Jonathan Choe Journalist (@choeshow) July 29, 2022
The woman does not look like the same person in the video, but maybe that person lives with the activist. Choe did not dox anyone and the woman can be seen on video giving out her personal address.
The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH reviewed the original post and did not find any threats on the Twitter feed. It is still unclear if any homeless people actually showed up to the activist’s home.
Activists exploit the homeless and get to play hero. They portray themselves as fighting for their “houseless neighbors,” but they’re not heroes; they are villains.
Seattle is going down the tubes.
Repercussions of 2020 defund the police: Seattle sees deadliest month in recent history
Posted September 7, 2022
SEATTLE, WA – According to several reports, the city of Seattle just had its deadliest month in recent history in wake of the defund the police movement and the continued staffing crisis.
https://twitter.com/IoAircraft/status/1566671626065907714
Seattle closed out the month of August with 11 homicides, setting the city on track to break a 25-year record high in deadly shootings. Interim Police Chief Adrian Diaz said in a statement:
“This is one of our highest years and we are on pace to exceed the last two years, and this has been a concerning trend. We are passing our 25-year high that happened just two years ago.”
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) confirmed to Fox News Digital that it recorded 11 homicides for the month of August.
In reviewing the police data, reports show that August 2022 had the highest number of homicides recorded in a single month since 2008 — the year that is furthest back on SPD’s Crime Dashboard.
The previous record in the city was nine homicides in June of 2021. They city had averaged about three homicides every August between 2008 and 2021.
'It's clear that law enforcement is not always the appropriate avenue to deal with these issues,' then-Mayor Jenny Durkin said in 2020.
DEFUND THE POLICE: Liberal city saw sharp rise in homicides after progressive policies implemented
Seattle was a city at the heart of the def… pic.twitter.com/EnRHXsrO13— Robert Castro (@RobertC45620029) September 7, 2022
Those numbers show that this year’s August saw a 267 percent increase compared to the previous 14-year average.
Seattle reached its highest number of homicides in 26 years in 2020 with 53. Last year the city saw 42 homicides in the city, while 2022 has already recorded 27. Diaz said in a statement:
“Seattle has reached a heartbreaking milestone. So far this year, SPD officers have responded to as many homicides in the past eight months as there were in all of 2021. At this rate, we could easily see more homicides this year than there were in 2020, which broke a nearly 30-year homicide record at 53.”
Seattle became a focal point of the “defund the police” movement in 2020 when then-Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that the city would defund the police department by $76 million as protests and violent riots raged following the death of George Floyd.
Other progressive leaders in the city, such as socialist Councilwoman Kshama Sawant, pushed for further defunding in 2020, attempting to cut the police budget by $85 million.
As crime increased in the city since 2020, SPD has also been facing a severe staffing crisis. Diaz said that the staffing shortages since 2020 have fanned the flames of crime in city city with fewer officers being available to respond to calls and patrol the streets.
Monday, Tacoma reached 34 homicides for the year. It ties the record for the most the city has seen, and there is still four months left in 2022. #FOX13 https://t.co/EuInKaPLRC
— FOX 13 Seattle (@fox13seattle) September 6, 2022
The interim chief called for more police officers as retirements are up, resignations are up and recruitment is down, not just in Seattle but all across the nation.
National Fraternal Order of Police’s Joe Gamaldi said that politicians and the media have “burned down the institution of policing and now we’re just living in the ashes.”
He said that low recruitment leaves fewer officers to respond to calls and patrol the streets. Other cities across the country are facing severe police shortages.
Law Enforcement Today reported that in Philadelphia, 800 police are slated to leave the department over the next few years. The department is already operating at 20 percent below its target staff levels.
Other Democrat-run cities like Chicago are short officers and need nearly 1,100 new police men and women to fill their vacancies. Seattle has found itself in a recruiting crisis, recently recording a 30-year low in staffed officers.
Earlier in the summer, Diaz and Mayor Bruce Harrell announced a plan to hire new officers, including hiring incentives and relocation reimbursement. Harrell said at the time:
“We cannot deliver the effective public safety, swift response times, and thorough investigations our communities deserve without a well-staffed and well-trained police department.”
_________
