SEATTLE — In the wake of multiple shootings in Seattle this week, this afternoon Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz announced a new Community Violence Task Force.
“We can't have people being shot. I had four people shot last night. One of them resulted in a homicide,” said Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz.
According to Seattle Police data, in the first five months of 2022, there were 78 shootings in Seattle that resulted in injuries or death. In the first five months of this year, there have been 67.
When looking at just shooting deaths in that same time frame, last year 15 people had died in shootings in Seattle, while that number is 18 as of the end of May this year.
“It's unacceptable that people who live and work here fear for their safety, and it's unacceptable that innocent lives are lost due to senseless acts of violence,” said Chief Diaz.
The new task force will not have any additional funding and will utilize 50 to 60 officers and detectives to help make sure people are being held accountable for acts of violence. The four specific areas that will be focused on are the Central District, Aurora, South End, and Downtown.
“I'm deeply concerned by the recent increase in gun violence,” said Diaz. “That includes the tragic death of a pregnant woman on the streets of downtown in the middle of the day.”
That shooting that killed a pregnant woman and her baby, who was delivered a short time later at the hospital, happened in Belltown, which is in Seattle City Council Member Andrew Lewis’s district.
“It's an unfathomable act of evil that we saw here in the Belltown community. Just absolutely horrific and devastating,” said Councilmember Andrew Lewis.
As Seattle Police data shows homicides have increased significantly in Seattle over the past ten years, from 24 in 2012 to 52 in 2022, Lewis said people getting guns illegally is a part of the problem and he says that played a role in the Belltown shooting.
“We do know that they had an illegal firearm. We do know they were a felon and we're not allowed to possess a firearm,” said Lewis. “Any gun in this community, even ones that are bought legally, have the potential to be stolen and get on our streets.”
With this task force now starting, Police Chief Diaz made it clear they are focused on reducing crime.
“If you are trafficking women, if you are selling drugs, and if you're committing crimes with a gun, the Seattle Police is coming for you,” said Diaz.
With the Seattle Police Department being understaffed, Chief Diaz said this will be challenging and will take some of their detectives off other cases to focus on the task force.
When looking at where shots have been fired in Seattle this year, Seattle Police data shows the top five neighborhoods where shootings have happened so far in 2023 are:
- Rainier Beach: 18 shots fired
- Central Area/Squire Park: 17 shots fired
- Rainier View: 12 shots fired
- Brighton/Dunlap: 12 shots fired
The Rainier Beach area is part of the South End, which is included in the new Community Violence Task Force. This area is in Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales’ district. She sent the following statement regarding gun violence in Seattle, and specifically Rainier Beach:
“Our community is hurting, and I’m mourning with them. On Wednesday night, I attended Rainier Beach Action Coalition’s Día de Las Vidas at Pritchard Beach to honor the loved ones that we’ve lost, too many of them black and brown youth. I share their urgency to end our gun violence epidemic. Rainier Beach is a beautiful and vibrant neighborhood that was, for too long, neglected by Seattle leaders. The South End deserves investments. Some things my office has been advocating for our robust youth programming at our community centers, especially the late-night programming, as well as investments into youth mental health, social-emotional learning curriculum, and restorative justice. Our office is acutely aware of the gun violence epidemic in Rainier Beach and is working with our constituents and partners to build solutions. I will continue fighting to fund evidence-based solutions and make this community safer and healthier for all.”