The Seattle Police Department won’t be protecting residents or their property during demonstrations this weekend thanks to a new ordinance blocking the use of pepper spray and other non-lethal munitions.
“The legislation gives officers NO ability to safely intercede to preserve property in the midst of a large, violent crowd,” wrote Chief of Police Carmen Best in a letter to residents. “Seattle Police will have an adjusted deployment in response to any demonstrations this weekend – as I will never ask our officers to risk their personal safety to protect property without the tools to do so in a safe way.”
This is a shocking development for Seattle, especially after they witnessed the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) and the violent crimes spawned by the lack of a police presence.
In a separate letter to the City Council, Best warned of the coming violence:
“It is a fact that there are groups and individuals who are intent on destruction in our City,” she wrote, citing events on July 19th and 22nd that “included wide-scale property destruction and attacks on officers, injuring more than a dozen, some significantly.”
Several demonstrations are planned for this weekend, likely involving the same “violent actors from recent days,” continued Best. “There is no reason not to assume we will continue to experience property destruction, arson, looting, and attempts to injure additional officers throughout the weekend and beyond.”
It would be “reckless” for the SPD to “confront this level of violence” without the tools “they have been trained to use to protect the community and themselves,” she wrote, adding that the ordinance will also prevent SWAT teams from carrying less-lethal tools.
“As the City Council’s legislation goes into effect, it will create even more dangerous circumstances for our officers to intervene using what they have left – riot shields and riot batons.”
All precinct buildings in the city are being boarded up to protect against potential damage from protestors.
Author’s Note: Seattle will be lucky if property damage is the only violence to occur this weekend. I expect to see rape, burglary, homicide, and other crimes increase until the ordinance is overturned.