SEATTLE — The Seattle Police Department teamed up with the Seattle Department of Transportation to put up signs along 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street in hopes of deterring illegal street markets through education.
“Even if it's occurring at one block, it impacts the rest of the businesses elsewhere because it's the perception that these things are happening so people are just afraid to come,” said Quynh Pham, executive director of Friends of Little Sài Gòn.
Friends of Little Sài Gòn is an organization that served as a community advocate for more than 12 years and has been working on solutions to the illegal street market.
“We're seeing regular activities around stolen goods. A lot of the folks are selling things that are either came from downtown or locally that are either stolen or they purchased with EBT,” said Pham.
It's such a problem that the area was highlighted in a recent report by the city auditor as a place where stolen goods are sold, and with recommendations on how the city can better tackle organized retail crime.
Pham said it also brings other problems.
“While it’s sales a lot of the activities elevate. There are fights that break out, arguments and violence that result from large groups gathering and some of the drug activity that's happening,” Pham said.
The large gatherings are impacting access to businesses and transportation.
That’s why Seattle police and the city's transportation department are planning to put up 19 signs in multiple languages that will say “No buying or selling merchandise."
“I think having those signs will let folks know that we see you, we know that this shouldn't be happening here and you should stop doing what you're doing. In terms of will people actually stop those illegal sales? I don't know if it will,” Pham said.
Pham said issues in the neighborhood are intertwined and need multiple solutions.
“A lot of these solutions are short-term or their band-aid solutions, where it could temporarily stop activities for a short period, but then it comes back or moves to a different corner,” Pham said.
SPD said outreach and enforcement will also be taken.