Seattle accused of turning blind eye to rise of homelessness, drug dealing
< < Go Back
Impressive job growth and high wages have people flocking to this city. The population has increased 18 percent since 2010, the most of any big U.S. city. But along with the economic surge, Seattle has experienced a dramatic rise in homelessness. The city ranks third in the U.S. with more than 12,000 homeless, trailing only New York and Los Angeles.
Leaders blame fast-rising rents, driven by a high tech building and hiring boom that is leaving the less-skilled behind. But increasingly, local residents are pointing the finger at lax or non-existent enforcement of a host of laws and routine policies.
It’s against the law to camp in public, yet the ordinance is rarely enforced. Thousands of people live in tents all over the city. Many are addicted to heroin and meth, drugs often consumed out in the open, which is against the law. But City Attorney Pete Holmes said his office will not prosecute any drug possession crime when the amount is less than a gram.
Some are now pushing back.
More From FoxNews: