SEATTLE — People who have committed drug offenses would be barred from entering certain areas of Seattle under new legislation proposed by City Attorney Ann Davison.
The legislation, titled Stay out of Drug Area (SODA), would authorize a judge to ban defendants who have committed drug-related offenses from two designated zones in Downtown Seattle and the International District. This could be a condition of pre-trial release or a condition of an offender's sentence if they get convicted.
Davison said the legislation will make public spaces safer and more accessible, focusing on spots where there is "known, established drug activity."
"We must address the safety needs of residents, visitors and businesses - both their employees and customers, who live, shop and work in zones that are overburdened with illegal, dangerous public drug use and other criminal activity," Davison wrote.
SODA ordinances are in effect in other Washington cities and enforced by municipal courts. If approved, the ordinance would be enforced by Seattle's municipal court.
The first SODA Zone would encompass a swath of downtown Seattle bordered on the north by Stewart Street, to the south by University Street, to the east by 6th Avenue and to the west by 1st Avenue.
The second SODA zone encompasses a portion of the International District, bordered to the north by South Main Street, to the south by South Dearborn Street, to the east by Boren Avenue and to the west by the westernmost edge of Interstate 5, including all off-ramps, under the freeway and adjacent sidewalks.
Davison said the zones were crafted to avoid locations that provide substance abuse treatment and permanent supportive housing.
Jon Scholes, president and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association, is optimistic the new legislation is a step in addressing issues in downtown.
"We need to take action. What we're doing now is deadly and is expensive and its having an impact on the heart of city. Everybody deserves to have a safe, clean, delightful neighborhood to come to and that's what the neighborhood asking for," he said.
But Purpose. Dignity. Action., a nonprofit focused on community-based response to public safety, believes this is the wrong direction for Seattle. In a statement, the organization wrote that it appreciates the city attorney's efforts to address safety concerns, but "this sort of approach has never been an effective response to these dynamics. The most troubling aspect of SODAs is they can prohibit future, lawful conduct in some, according to the organization.