Seattle, the Emerald City, has been marred by a surge in violence, with the city's 50th homicide of 2023 marking a grim milestone.
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) reports that the city is on track to surpass a record high of homicides not seen since the 1990s.
The Labor Day weekend was particularly bloody, with four fatalities reported from a shooting and house fire incident. Additionally, two suspicious deaths were reported on Sunday, one near a homeless encampment and another in a park.
Last year, the city recorded 57 homicides, the highest in 25 years. With four months still remaining in 2023, and a current rate of 6.5 homicides per month, Seattle is poised to eclipse the 1994 record of 69 homicides.
The Council on Criminal Justice Crime Trend Mid Year Update reveals that Seattle was one of ten cities to report an increase in homicides in the first half of 2023. The city's homicide rate rose by 7 percent, outpacing New York's 4.9 percent increase. Furthermore, between 2019 and 2020, Seattle's homicide rate surged by 63 percent, surpassing New York's 43 percent and Chicago's 55 percent increases.
Mike Solan, President of the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), expressed his concern to KOMO News, stating, They no longer fear the police because they understand that the police are literally handcuffed for being able to effectively do our jobs, so theyre emboldened."
Jim Fuda of Crime Stoppers Puget Sound attributes the spike in homicides to a shortage of police officers. The SPD has lost nearly 600 officers since the Seattle City Council began defunding the department in 2020. This shortage was evident when gunfire was reported near a homeless encampment at 3 am on Sunday, but officers were not dispatched until approximately 10 am, as reported by KOMO.
Fuda further explained to the outlet that due to the shortage of officers, cases are piling up and remain unsolved. He said, Theres people out there that think that theyre not going to get caught. I mean you see it in the robberies that are going on and even the children that are stealing cars and now the home invasion robberies are up."
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