No more selling stolen goods in the CID, Seattle police say
Seattle is launching a campaign to counter illegal street vending — the selling of stolen goods — in the Chinatown-International District.
The effort is a partnership between the Seattle Police Department the city's Department of Transportation.
The city is placing 19 signs around 12th Avenue South and Jackson Street, which state: "No buying or selling merchandise." The signs will be posted in English, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
"We've noticed that the criminal conduct centers around stolen merchandise being sold on the sidewalks here," Captain Steven Strand says in an SPD video, also noting that a goal of the campaign is a reduction in retail thefts, and a reduction in drug use in the area.
Police say city officials found sellers peddling stolen merchandise on the sidewalks at this location, and that this is a problem for local businesses and people using nearby public transit.
"Individuals block pedestrian access to the public right-of-way by selling predominantly stolen goods on the sidewalk and at bus stops in this area," the police said in a statement. "The project aims to deter crime, through public education on illegal activities, improve safety and accessibility on sidewalk routes for all ages and abilities, as well as ensure access to public transportation."
Police also say they are planning for "outreach and enforcement action" at 12th Avenue and Jackson Street.
Captain Strand says that after all the signs are up, a flier will be distributed in the neighborhood "from the community to the community" about the illegal street vending issue.
"Starting today, I'm going to send an email to each of my officers, letting them know the signs are up and that they can point to them when somebody is violating criminal law related to that trafficking of stolen merchandise," Captain Strand said in the police video.
