Seattle City Council passes bill to reduce open drug use in hotspots | Washington

(The Center Square) – Seattle City Council approved a bill Tuesday night aimed at curbing open drug use in hotspots across the city.

Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison suggested Council draft 120835 in an effort to curb overt drug-related crime in certain areas of Seattle.

The bill creates Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA zones), which would allow courts to prohibit defendants who have committed a drug-related crime in one of the city's designated zones from entering one of those zones. The orders can be issued by the court either as a condition of release before trial or as a condition of sentence if convicted.

The original bill included areas in downtown Seattle and the neighboring Chinatown-International District, but the bill was amended earlier this month to add areas in the Belltown, Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill and University District neighborhoods.

The bill was approved by City Council on Tuesday by a vote of 8 to 1. Seattle City Councilwoman Tammy Morales opposed the bill.

“We need real solutions to address the health and safety crises on our streets,” Morales said in a Press release“Instead, this legislation will intentionally make it harder for people to access essential services across the city.”

Morales referred to recommendations from a current report from the Seattle City Auditor's office in July. The auditor examined ways for the city to address areas in Seattle where drug overdoses and crime are high.

The Test recommended that the city appoint a group to oversee a “place-based problem-solving approach” to address the drug crisis in concentrated areas, including the implementation of evidence-based strategies.

Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson argued that the SODA bill takes a location-based approach by targeting drug hotspots across the city with limited police and staff resources.

Morales added that there is strong evidence that drug market disruption is actually leading to more violence and more overdose deaths because drug users are forced to seek out new suppliers whose products may contain lethal doses of synthetic drugs.

The bill will now be submitted to Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell for his signature and will go into effect 30 days after it is signed.