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The president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild issued a statement on Sunday slamming the newly elected self-described democratic socialist Mayor Katie Wilson’s approach to drug enforcement as “suicidal empathy.”
“The recent naive, ignorant political decision to not arrest offenders for open drug use in the City of Seattle is horrifically dangerous and will create more death and societal decay,” the Seattle Police Officers Guild President, Mike Solan, said. “It embodies an enormous flaw in those in our community who think that meeting people where they are who are in the throes of addiction, is the correct path to lift them up.”
Wilson responded to Solan’s claims in a statement sent to Fox News Digital that did not confirm the allegation that the city had ordered police to stop arrests of open drug use.
“You’ll know when I announce a policy change, because I’ll announce a policy change. Several weeks ago I published a vision for public safety, which begins with the commitment that everyone in Seattle, of every background and every income, deserves to be safe in their homes, streets, parks, and places of business in every neighborhood across our city,” Wilson said.
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The confusion on whether there is a change in policy when arresting drug users, appears to stem from an internal email from Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes. According to KOMO News, the Barnes’ email said, “effective immediately, all charges related to drug possession and/or drug use will be diverted from prosecution to the LEAD program. All instances of drug use or possession will be referred to Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD)—a program designed to redirect lowlevel offenders in King County from the criminal justice system into supportive social services.”
Seattle Police Chief Barnes also explained that when someone does not follow the requirements of the LEAD program, the case will move forward through normal prosecution. He noted that LEAD has long been used as an alternative to arrest and that this update is consistent with Seattle City Ordinance. He also clarified that the diversion option is limited: it does not apply to people who are not eligible for LEAD or to those arrested for selling or delivering drugs. Only cases involving personal-use quantities may be diverted, not sales or delivery offenses.
The Seattle police told KOMO News that “nothing has changed when it comes to police continuing to make drug-related arrests in Seattle.”
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Solan criticized Seattle’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), which describes itself as a “replicable model that enhances public safety and equity by diverting people with unmet behavioral health needs away from jail and prosecution and into nonpunitive, collaborative, community-based systems of care.”
“This is wrong and is commonly referred to as ‘Suicidal Empathy.’ Most cops know that the LEAD program supports this ideology, and they don’t want to refer cases. It is a waste of time. We’ve all seen how our streets can be filled with death, decay, blight and crime when ideology like this infects our city. Now with this resurrected insane direction, death, destruction and more human suffering will be supercharged,” Solan continued.
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In her statement to Fox News Digital, Wilson said LEAD’s framework would be implemented.
“I remain committed to that vision. Our work now is to carry it out, including enforcement of the possession and public use ordinance in priority situations and ensuring that the LEAD framework and other effective responses to neighborhood hot spots are implemented with an appropriate level of urgency, sufficient resources, and a commitment to results,” she said.
Wilson was sworn in as Seattle’s mayor on Friday after she beat then-incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell.
The Seattle Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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