Seattle Police Chief sheds light on plan to enforce new drug law

Chief Diaz sheds light on plan to enforce new drug law

FOX 13's Lauren Donovan sat down for an exclusive interview with Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz to talk about his plan to enforce the new drug law.

SEATTLE - The King County Medical Examiner’s Office reports so far this year there has been 847 fatal overdoses involving opioids. The majority of these victims had fentanyl in their system. The staggering number sets a frightening new record for the county.

Beginning Oct. 20, Seattle Police will have the authority to arrest anyone publicly using or possessing drugs. An executive order issued by Mayor Bruce Harrell, gives them this authority. However, it also directs law enforcement to emphasize diversion over jail time.

Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz is shedding light on how his officers will put these new rules into practice.

"I think that we’ve allowed people to have been left on the streets way too long," said Diaz. "I think this ordinance allows us to be a lot more effective in our work."

According to Chief Diaz, the first step in enforcing the new law is identifying harm. Officers will focus their attention on public spaces like schools, parks, and transit centers. If law enforcement identifies someone causing harm, they are told to take a two-pronged approach: arrest or diversion.

"We might not necessarily be able to book them," said Diaz. "The jail has staffing issues and there’s challenges with that."

The Chief stressed routing people to services is the top priority. The department will work hand in hand with Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) an alternative for low level drug offenders.

"We’re trying to be very mindful how we go about this approach," said Diaz.