200 Beat Cops NOW (Jessie's Public Safety Plan)

Friends,
We've got 35 days until election day and have been out knocking on doors since the primary. We've hit almost 3000 doors in Mt Baker, Seward Park, Columbia City, West Seattle, Sand Point, View Ridge, Phinney Ridge.

It has been wonderful. It has been what politics should be: face-to-face. A few updates since we began the doorbelling frenzy:

1. I now wear tennis shoes with everything. Patty Murray watch out!
2. I've lost five pounds and have a deep respect for West Seattle's hills.
3. And most importantly: I've heard hundreds of personal stories from residents concerned about the safety of their community.

I wanted to share a few of these stories with you: The Mt. Baker woman who called 911 on behalf of her elderly neighbor as she was witnessing a man entering the neighbor's house in broad daylight. It took the police 45 minutes to get there because the nearest available cop was in Rainier Beach. The friend who was watching television, heard a noise in the back room only to find a someone climbing through the bedroom window. An absolutely horrifying story about a Wallingford woman who was attached while her husband went out to buy diapers for their newborn.

These are the stories that drive me to win. Because we know that the best way to fight crime to have a sharp focus on prevention. For this we need all hands on deck. Property crime has gotten out of control, youth violence has skyrocketed. To me, the problems are clear and the solution is even clearer.

That’s why I’m calling for the addition of 200 more patrol officers immediately, complemented by a strong, strategic focus on mentoring programs.

The fact is we have significantly fewer patrol officers per capita than other cities of our size. We also know that the best indicator for crime is high school drop-out rates and ours are exceedingly high.

Similar to the successful Harlem Children’s Zone strategy, I will fight for a collaborative, targeted approach to blanket our highest risk kids with support from all angles. While the City cannot be a sole source of funding for this type of collaboration, the City must play a leadership role in its success.

I’m encouraged by the Mayor’s budget request for 154 new officers over the next 3 years, but I believe it is not enough and not soon enough. 200 more police officers are needed NOW to deter crime through increased patrols & community outreach programs, and to allow for faster response times to emergency calls.

If we're smart and act decisively, we can turn the tide on crime in our community. Safer communities are stronger communities. To read more about my plan for public safety and how to make Seattle stronger, visit: http://www.jessieisrael.com/default.aspx?ID=49

Best,

Jessie