Headline USA is reporting that a coalition of businesses in Oakland, California are threatening to not pay their taxes if city leaders don’t address the growing crime problem in the Alameda County city.

City leaders have responded and said that crime is decreasing and the city is hiring more officers to combat the problem. Business owners on the street, disagree and are saying they are not seeing any positive change and rampant crime is continuing to get worse. The numbers don’t lie. Robberies increased by 38% last year according to the Oakland Police Departments annual summary, including an increase of 21% in violent crime.

Closer to home, Seattle is facing a similar crime problem with 2024 shaping up to be similar to 2023 and 2022, with no real decrease in the overall crime numbers.

Multiple businesses closed in 2023 in the downtown Seattle area and with no real change in the crime rates, businesses owners are pleading for help from the Seattle City Council.

Eugene Wasserman, who represents the North Seattle Industrial Association told the council that ‘Property crime is not down’ and explained that incidents are just being ignored since it’s not worth the energy to report them.

How long will it be before Seattle businesses threaten the same action as their equivalents from Oakland?

Compared to Oakland, at least there is light at the end of the tunnel for Seattle. The recently elected Seattle City Council members have the opportunity to reverse the failed polices of their predecessors and turn the tide on crime. The Puget Sound Business Journal reports the council is starting to listen.

Recent actions by the Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee indicate a change in the council’s position on policing. Thursday evening, the council, including Mayor Bruce Harell, held a public forum with the community to hear residents’ concerns about crime, homelessness and drug issues in the city.

Reversing the perception that Seattle City leaders want to ‘Defund the Police’ won’t change overnight or with one forum. Concrete steps have to be taken. Reallocating budget to increase officer salaries and continuing officer hiring bonuses will certainly help to attract new officers. Matching or exceeding competing jurisdictions’ pay will entice lateral hires from other departments.

The city also needs to enforce the laws already on the books. The recent passage of Initiative 2113, allowing police pursuits to resume for reasonable suspicion, will be a valuable tool to help reduce car theft and property crime in the city.

As the number of officers on Seattle streets increase and the law is enforced, the businesses and customers that generate the tax revenue the city needs to provide essential services, will return.

Unlike Oakland, Seattle leaders may have taken the steps necessary soon enough to start the process to clean up the streets. The Washington Policy Center sincerely hopes the renewed focus on decreasing crime from the Seattle City leaders continues, and they are able to return Seattle to a business-friendly environment.