Week in Review: SPD, drug decriminalization, and Pike Place Market

Bill Radke discusses the week’s news with South Seattle Emerald’s Lauryn Bray, founder and president of Gamoran Legal Consulting, Saul Gamoran, and founder of Earth Finance, and former member of the Washington state House and Senate, Reuven Carlyle.

This week, the city of Seattle reached a tentative contract deal with its rank-and-file police union. As of now, media are reporting that entry-level officers would make $103,000 a year. That's 23% higher than the old contract, and the highest starting policing salary in the state, if ratified. In addition to the 23% raise, Harrell’s original recruitment/retention plan carved out money for hiring bonuses up to $7,500 for new officers and $30,000 for lateral transfers. Is there any problem with raising the salary for jobs you're trying to fill?

This week, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed a law re-criminalizing drug possession. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported it partly rolls back a ballot measure voters approved in 2020 that decriminalized possession of small amounts of cocaine, fentanyl, and meth. This new law makes drug possession a misdemeanor and it expands funding for substance abuse treatment. What are the pros and cons of drug decriminalization?

Hundreds of asylum seekers came to a Methodist church in Tukwila, which has filled up. The migrants have stayed in hotels and private rentals across King County. Protesters called on Seattle to help them more, and Seattle said, this is not our problem and we don't have the money. Recently, they have put tents on the fenced-in tennis courts at Garfield Community Center in Seattle, and an anonymous donor gave $50,000 to get them back into a Quality Inn in Kent for about 11 nights. What’s the long-term plan?

The street adjacent to Pike Place Market, Pike Place, is confusing to tourists and arguably dangerous. Some people want to completely close Pike Place to cars, or even make it a so-called event street, which mean sometimes it could be closed to traffic. The organization that runs the market, the Pike Place Public Development Authority is pushing back, saying, “It’s not an event street. It’s not a cafe street. It’s a market street. It has been since the Market was founded in that street in 1907.” How should we use Pike Place?