Local leaders say new program offering services instead of jail time is reducing crime
SEATTLE -- Leaders of both Seattle and King County heralded a program that has dramatically reduced the crime rate of low-level drug offenders. It relies on social services, not jail.
LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) was once seen as a soft-on-crime approach, but now serves as model for other major cities around the county.
“Everyone agrees on one thing,” said King County Sheriff John Urquhart, “arresting our way out of society’s problems hasn’t worked, and it will never work.”
Four years ago the Belltown neighborhood was Seattle was a hotbed of drug activity. Today, there`s still drug dealing, no doubt, but there's a lot more hope of controlling it because of LEAD.
This effort, started in 2011, was the first of its kind in the nation.
Here`s how the program works. If an officer picks up a small time drug offender in Belltown, that person is given the choice: jail, or report to a case worker who will help them with their problems, including drug rehab and mental health counseling.
“It’s more humane and from a practical perspective it has better results,” said Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole.
Leaders today said that those in this program were 60% less likely to get arrested again compared to those not in the program.
Because of the success of the LEAD pilot program, the service will be expanded throughout the downtown Seattle area.