Seattle’s ‘Stay Out of Drug Area’ legislation aims to enhance public safety

Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison has introduced legislation to reduce drug-related criminal activity and make public spaces safer and more accessible.

The legislation, called “Stay Out of Drug Area” (SODA), authorizes courts to ban individuals who commit drug-related offenses from entering specific zones.

The SODA legislation allows courts to issue exclusion orders as a condition of pretrial release or as part of a sentence.

“The Stay Out of Drug Area legislation is a mechanism to reduce illegal drug use, so our public spaces can be safer and more accessible for everyone,” said Davison.

It focuses on specific areas in the city where there is known, established drug-related activity.

Two zones have been designated under the proposed ordinance:

SODA Zone 1 covers the area bordered by Stewart Street, University Street, 6th Avenue, and 1st Avenue.

SODA Zone 2 includes the area bordered by South Main Street, South Dearborn Street, Boren Avenue to Rainier Avenue South, and the westernmost edge of Interstate 5.

“These areas are burdened with illegal, dangerous, public drug use and other criminal activity,” said Davison. “This ordinance addresses a serious gap in existing law and the persistent public drug use in our City.”

It’s an issue that’s frustrated business owners and residents in the surrounding areas for years.

“This stretch of 3rd Avenue is worse than anything else that you can possibly find,” said Maria Coassin, the owner of Gelatiamo.

For 28 years, Coassin’s shop has sat at the corner for 3rd Avenue and Union Street. She says she’s had a front row seat to the drug crimes that have overrun the area.

“Dead men walking. They can’t stand up; they can’t sit down. They are really taken from these incredible drugs that are literally killing them day in and day out,” she explained.

The SODA zones would encompass Coassin’s store, if passed. She told KIRO 7 that drug use and sales have made a dent in business, even shuttering the shops that surrounded her for years.

“Remove these people that need help, first and foremost. And allow other people to really populate, this otherwise lost part of town, I think it would be beneficial for everybody,” Coassin added.

Despite all the issues, Coassin believes the zones could help bring business back to how it all started.

“When you walk in here, we’ll take care of you. Just make the stretch to 3rd & Hell, 3rd and union, come and see us because what we do is unique,” Coassin added. “I still believe in it. It’s a beautiful place to be, we’re so lucky to be in the Pacific Northwest. Where else do you find this beauty, you know minus the fentanyl.”

Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle, who sponsored the legislation, emphasized the importance of the ordinance.

“Stay Out of Drug Areas provide law enforcement, prosecutors, and our courts a tool to protect our neighborhoods and incentivize individuals struggling with addictions to stay on the track to recovery,” he said.

The legislation will be introduced to the Seattle City Council’s Public Safety Committee on August 13. If approved by the full City Council, it will require the Mayor’s signature and will take effect 30 days later.

Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson and Downtown Seattle Association President/CEO Jon Scholes expressed support for the legislation, highlighting the need for targeted action to address the drug crisis and its impact on public safety.

©2024 Cox Media Group