Seattle mayor announces crackdown on crime-plagued neighborhood after years of complaints

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced a crackdown on open-air drug dealing Wednesday, declaring the city will “no longer tolerate” public drug sales, public drug use and the sale of stolen goods in two neighborhoods that residents and business owners say have been plagued by crime and disorder for years.

“We will no longer tolerate open-air drug sale and use and vending stolen goods,” Wilson said in the Wednesday press release. “We are expanding police personnel in the area to engage directly with individuals participating in these activities, explain that the behavior is no longer tolerated, and help ensure that the sidewalk and transit stops are safe and accessible for all.”

Wilson said Seattle’s Little Saigon, the easternmost part of the Chinatown–International District, primarily centered around 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street, would be the target of the enforcement crackdown.

INSIDE SEATTLE’S OPEN-AIR DRUG CRISIS AS FENTANYL RAVAGES CITY AND ACTIVISTS BAIL OUT ALLEGED CRIMINALS

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson. (David Ryder/Reuters)

“The community has worked together to do what they can, but city leaders have failed to act with the necessary focus and determination to sustain a meaningful change in everyday conditions,” Wilson said. “We must disrupt the drug dealing, public disorder, and other illegal activity that has destabilized this community.”

In April, Westside Seattle reported that the Seattle Public Safety Committee of the Seattle City Council met on April 28 to discuss what Chair Robert Kettle called the “alarming” standstill in fixing Little Saigon’s public safety crisis.

According to data reviewed by city staff, Seattle Police Department arrests for drug use and possession increased from 633 in 2024 to 942 in 2025, a 47% jump. During the same period, post-arrest referrals to the LEAD diversion program fell by 30%.

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Local leaders and organizers in Seattle, Washington have expressed concern about Mayor Katie Wilson’s plans to curtail homelessness and open-air drug use in the city. (Nikolas Lanum/Fox News Digital/Fox 13)

During the April 28 hearing, Westside Seattle reported that the 12th and Jackson area was described as the “epicenter” of the public safety crisis, and that “residents and business owners reported ‘open air drug use’ and ‘stolen goods markets’ that continue to flourish despite current city efforts.”

“I’m committed to ending the perception that illegal activity in Little Saigon and North Beacon Hill is acceptable,” Wilson said in her announcement. “I’m also committed to making sure that people can get the treatment and support they need to change their lives. This is a data-driven, evidence-based approach that fulfills both of these goals.”

INSIDE SEATTLE’S OPEN-AIR DRUG CRISIS AS FENTANYL RAVAGES CITY AND ACTIVISTS BAIL OUT ALLEGED CRIMINALS

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson looks on after the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wash., on March 30, 2026. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

She added that she will be allocating $1.1 million of one-time funding for services for the area which include “neighborhood outreach staff to support service navigation, mobile overdose treatment and prevention teams, community activations to support neighbors and businesses, and more.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Wilson for additional comment.

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