Category Archives: Crime

The Abolitionist

By David Preston One evening last week, a police contact whom I’ll call Officer Terry messaged me to say he’d just finished a mandatory (WAC 130.11.020 (1)(r)) two-hour online “anti-bias” training course. The course, entitled “The Criminal Legal System: Structural … Continue reading

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Community Leaders Support Sawant Recall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 23, 2021CONTACT: Henry Bridger IISawantRecall.org OVER 70 RELIGIOUS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS REBUKE SAWANT’S ACTIONS – CALL FOR “YES” VOTE ON DECEMBER 7TH RECALL SEATTLE, WA – Today, Seattle city leaders representing multiple faiths and backgrounds are releasing … Continue reading

Posted in Corruption, Crime, General, Seattle City Council | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Prostitute Shot in Seattle, Won’t Cooperate With Police

The material below is in an excerpt from private security cam footage taken at the corner of 97th and Aurora Ave North in Seattle on October 20, 2021. Watch the first part of the video paying close attention to the … Continue reading

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Green Lake Treasure Hunt

Seattle’s Green Lake Park boasts everything the modern family could want in an urban recreational opportunity. Campsites galore… First aid stations throughout the park… Handy ID bracelets for visitors… And an online database to keep track of campers’ itineraries… A … Continue reading

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You can’t go home again

This was my first time in downtown in Seattle in over a year. Sadly, nothing has changed. The smell of urine and garbage is overwhelming. It’s a cesspool. Ghostly. That about sums it up. Got a shopping list? I’m sure … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Drugs, General, Homelessness, Squatters | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

“This breaks my heart and infuriates me.”

This drama unfolded last week at an ARCO gas station in Seattle’s SODO district, less than half a mile from two major league sports stadiums and in full view of people walking and driving by.  Scenes like this are now … Continue reading

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Do you think she’s in danger?

May 17, 2021 ~ The following post was removed by Facebook from the Safe Seattle page for allegedly violating the platform’s community standards about sexual exploitation. Even though the pictures were blurred and no locations were mentioned. The story is … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Facebook, General | 2 Comments

What’s your community worth to YOU?

Community Corrections Officers and Public Safety Washington state doesn’t have either parole or probation for state prisoners returning to society. Instead, we have something called community custody, whereby a trained community corrections officer (CCO) will supervise a released offender for … Continue reading

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The Ed McKenna Affair

Dedicated to the Honorable Ed McKenna The glitter of Seattle’s economic miracle has rubbed off. There’s more money here than ever, but with money comes problems that money can’t solve. Homelessness is one. According to a recent “one night count,” … Continue reading

Posted in Corruption, Crime, General, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The LEAD Program in Burien… and beyond.

September 17, 2018 ~ Last week government officials announced they’d be bringing Seattle’s controversial LEAD drug abatement program to Burien, Washington. LEAD stands for Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, and its stated purpose is to lower recidivism (habitual lawbreaking) by using police … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, General, Homelessness | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Preventable Tragedies

Updated September 25, 2018 ~ This is a list of recent (last 5 years) deaths and injuries that can be reasonably attributed to the inaction of the Seattle City Council on the homelessness crisis. The victims include both housed and unhoused … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, General, Homelessness, Recall Mike O'Brien | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Charade: Homeless camps and the abuse of public process

September 8, 2018 ~ The biggest gripe a citizen can have is that their government doesn’t listen to them, and that gripe has never been more on-point than when it comes to transients and drug addicts camping in Seattle parks … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, General, Homelessness, Nickelsville, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

We the Living

June 9, 2018 ~ (Originally published on the Safe Seattle Facebook page) We’ve been talking with SODO business owner Ari Hoffman about his efforts to get the city to keep the area around the Bikur Cholim Jewish cemetery clean of … Continue reading

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No Excuses: How Seattle’s activist judges endanger our citizens

May 13, 2018 ~ In a landmark court case last March, King County superior court judge Catherine Shaffer cited an obscure provision of Washington’s Homestead Act to rule that cities can’t impound vehicles or “excessively fine” their owners when those owners are living … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, General, Homelessness | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Ins and Outs of Recall Elections

November 12, 2017 This article is the first in a series of posts related to removing Seattle Councilmember Mike O’Brien from office. A recall election is one option we have for ridding ourselves of bad politicians. Recall elections are difficult … Continue reading

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Democracy Slouchers ~ Part 2: A complaint is filed

August 17, 2017 ~ Seattle’s new Democracy Voucher Program has a long way yet to go to fix Seattle politics. One could argue that, rather than discouraging corruption, the program is actually rewarding it. The program gives qualifying candidates access to … Continue reading

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Hello this is my daughter…

March 6, 2017 Seen in a Portland shop window in August 2017. It may have been there for some time, given the reference to winter clothes: HOMELESS IN DWNTWN PORTLAND Please help my ill daughter Hello this is my daughter … Continue reading

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ACLU vs. the People

*** TBQ Readers, your help is needed. Please read to the end to find out how you can help make us all safer. *** We were cautiously optimistic when we learned that the Mayor was moving ahead to clear dangerous … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, General, Homelessness, Politics, Squatters | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ballard Bridge Status: 1/10/2017

The Ballard Bridge spans Salmon Bay to connect Seattle’s historic Ballard neighborhood with points south. The bridge and surrounding environs have been a long-term site of homeless camps at both ends. These camps, particularly the one on the north end, … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, General, Homelessness, Squatters | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Hidden Persuaders

Dedicated to Larry Kaminsky December 27, 2016 Even as Seattle voters enact a flurry of laws designed to “get money out of politics,” the insinuation of paid political advocates into local government continues apace. This article looks at how that works … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, General, Homelessness, Politics, Squatters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

C is for Vengeance: A blogger and politician team up to punish critics

December 21, 2016 Have you ever written an angry letter or e-mail to a government official? Most of us have at one time or other. God knows I have. But did you ever think, when you dropped that letter in … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, General, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Seattle Burnin’ Down

December 11, 2016 Last month I began collaborating with Harley Lever on his Safe Seattle Facebook page. The Blog Quixotic and Safe Seattle share many concerns about public safety, but Safe Seattle has a much wider audience and is more of … Continue reading

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Kshama Town

November 25, 2016 Photos of anti-Trump protests in Chicago and Seattle tell two very different stories about political culture. The Chicago crowd (above) is large, varied, and rowdy. The placards there are hand-made, and each one bears a different message, … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Sex, Lies, and the Seattle City Council

November 21, 2016 The presence of transient sex offenders in Seattle points up why the city’s current approach to illegal encampments is so dangerous. In 1998, the man pictured below was convicted of sexual assault on a child. (Reference RCW … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Homelessness, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Homeless Policy Questions for the WA Gubernatorial Candidates

November 3, 2016 Below is a list of ten questions that I and my friend Harley Lever of  Safe Seattle devised for Washington gubernatorial race candidates Bill Bryant and Jay Inslee. The document format is QUESTION followed by ANSWER from … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Homelessness, Politics, Tent City | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

If you see something, trash something.

October 10, 2016 IRONY ALERT! This ad on a Seattle bus tells people to call in if they see trash dumped on the street or sidewalk. I’ve called the number myself, many times; however, the trash I called in about wasn’t taken … Continue reading

Posted in Complaints, Crime, Homelessness, Photos (Stuff), Squatters, Tent City | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Anatomy of a Swindle: How a Rogue Non-profit Captured the Emerald City

September 13, 2016 The Set-up For four years I’ve been investigating a publicly supported non-profit homeless group in Seattle called SHARE. SHARE runs 14 indoor shelters around Seattle, for which it annually gets several hundred thousand dollars from Seattle’s Human … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, General, Homelessness, Media, Nickelsville, SHARE, Tent City | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 64 Comments

Why I’m voting ‘no’ on the Housing Levy

July 29, 2016 Seattle Proposition 1 is a tax levy on the August 2016 primary ballot for Seattle voters. The levy would double the total amount currently levied for “affordable housing.” See the King County Voter’s Guide description on this … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, General, Homelessness, Politics, SHARE | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rest Easy, Devin

At 2 AM on April 7, 2016 an unknown 16-year-old was whizzing downhill on Highland Park Way SW in a stolen car. The cops were on his tail. The odds were not in the kid’s favor, but he may have figured: What have … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, General | Tagged , , | 1 Comment