Businesses struggle in Seattle’s Little Saigon, a priority crime clean-up area

SEATTLE — Gun violence rang out across Seattle over the weekend with shootings in Capitol Hill, Little Saigon and a murder in the Rainier Valley.

One of the shootings Saturday happened at 12th Ave S and S Jackson St. Police say a bullet ricocheted off a sidewalk and hit a man in the leg.

Businesses nearby say the shooting itself isn’t all that remarkable. However, the gun violence happened a day after Mayor Bruce Harrell announced 12th and Jackson as a priority area for police to crack down on crime.

It’s an intersection that constantly has a throng of people milling about.

“There will be 100 people over there at any time of the day,” said Eric Wheeler, who was repainting a business in the neighborhood Monday. “I’ve seen people come down here and they turn around and go the other way,” he said.

“It’s a mess over there. It brings a lot of problems,” said Nick Bui, who owns Dong Thap Noodle, across the street from the troubled corner. “It’s a swap meet over there, it’s drug dealings, there are a lot of cases over there. There is just a lot of illegal activity,” Bui said.

Harrell on Friday called the intersection an “area of concentrated crime” and said it’s one hot spot police are focusing on.

“Our police officers  in the first 21 days of January made 23 felony arrests, 14 misdemeanor arrests,” Harrell said during the Friday press conference.

But multiple businesses in the area said they haven’t noticed any improvement.

Sichuanese Cuisine, a restaurant kitty-corner to the intersection in question, said that the arrests have not quelled the crowd.

“There’s been not much difference - it’s like this every day. Because the when the police come, they run. Then they come back immediately,” said Ke Wang of Sichuanese Cuisine restaurant, speaking in Mandarin Chinese.

“Not at all. Of course Mayor Harrell has said he’ll make that a priority over there but we just have to wait out and see what will that lead to,” Bui said.

However, Bui says the promised changes come too late to help his business – and that Dong Thap Noodles has no option but to leave the neighborhood. They plan to move to Tukwila’s Southcenter Mall by next year.

“We are relocating for sure. We’re not staying around here. We’re not taking a chance. The staff – our staff and family members are working here as well and I can’t take that chance on compromising their safety,” Bui said. He added that they’ve been victims of crime so many times that their insurance will no longer provide them coverage.

Neither Seattle police nor Harrell’s office could say on Monday how many of the 37 people arrested in January were still in custody.

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