A group of Seattle’s Ballard Street business owners are speaking out and asking for help from anyone who will listen after repeated retail thefts go unpunished. .
Business owner Matt Humphrey said: KOMO-TV He says his store has been broken into four times in the past two years and nothing has been done to stop the thefts.
“It’s happened to me too much. It’s like post-traumatic stress. Every time the phone rings in the middle of the night, this is what I worry about doing business in Seattle. Is it the judge? I hope the politicians watch your news.’ The show will hear that and say, This has to stop! ” Humphrey said.
Mr. Humphrey went on to say, “We can’t keep getting hit like this. We’ve been waiting for three years for policy to fail.”
Businessman MK Byrne, who runs a jewelry store across the street, echoed Humphrey’s sentiments. Byrne said he actually started sleeping in stores to speed up police response time to repeated robberies. “We learned that if you’re indoors or there’s an active threat, your response time will be faster. At the time, I was very passionate about building this business. I knew I couldn’t afford any blows or losses either.The situation was so tough that my business was not going to be disrupted.
“I’m not saying it was the best thing to do. But this is my heart and soul, my art, and I have a strong desire to protect it!”
Although the city of Seattle claims that property crimes have decreased in recent years, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz said, Conceded a point These numbers are likely false, perhaps a result of people reporting fewer crimes out of a sense of emptiness.
Mr Byrne agreed, saying: “My understanding is that it takes a long time to prosecute someone who is caught stealing. In rare cases, they even get caught. What is left in the gap is the would-be thief. That means it’s a realistic career option.” ”
Humphrey and Byrne said they have no plans to leave Seattle, but have begged the city government for help. “Make this your top priority. There’s a lot going on in our city, but small businesses are the backbone of your community. They’re the backbone of your tax base. We need to fix this problem now. Please cooperate.”
Seattle’s current mayor, Bruce Harrell, is serving his first term starting in 2022. He was elected on a promise to restore law and order to Seattle after a series of embarrassing national incidents. A multi-week fiasco The incident, which allowed dissidents to occupy the state Capitol for weeks without police intervention, tarnished his predecessor’s term in office.
