Seattle mayor rejects locking up repeat criminals during tense debate: ‘Maybe they’re hungry’

Fox News via NY Post ^ | 10/04/25 | Andrew Mark Miller

[Libloather]

Seattle Democratic Mayor Bruce Harrell said during a mayoral debate Thursday night he has “no desire” to put repeat criminal offenders in jail, and he doesn’t know how to answer the question on whether the city is “too lax” on repeat offenders.

“So, let me make something very clear. I was the one that sponsored the ‘Ban the Box’ legislation when everyone opposed it because the criminal system has had a disparate impact on Black and Brown communities, let me lead with that,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a mayoral debate Thursday night when asked a follow-up question about repeat offenders in the city.

Harrell’s “Ban the Box” proposal in 2013 prevented employers from asking about an applicant’s criminal history on applications up front.

Harrell then said, “When this person is committing six or seven crimes, I don’t know his or her story. Maybe they were abused as a child. Maybe they’re hungry. But my remedy is to find their life story to see how we can help. First, I have no desire to put them in jail, but I need to protect you, and that’s the calibration that we have.

“I put police officers on the stand. I’ve cross-examined them. So, whether they commit seven or eight crimes, to me, is not the issue. The issue is, why are they committing these crimes? And so we have a health-based strategy.”

Repeat offenders have been a part of the national conversation with respect to crimes in recent weeks after several high-profile murders carried out by suspects with lengthy criminal records, including in North Carolina where Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on a train by a suspect with a long history of arrests going back more than a decade, including charges of felony larceny, robbery with...

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: anarchotyranny; bruceharrell; crime; debate; demagogicparty; demagogue; democrats; domesticenemies; dystopia; hungry; mayor; seattle; washington

[Libloather]

Bruce should invite them over for an evening meal.

[Pikachu_Dad]

So feed them in prison !

[No name given]

And then they can stay in his home as long as they want to.

[Pikachu_Dad]

So feed them in prison !

[Biblebelter]

Never seen a video of a hungry looter.

I have seen a video where a fast food employee gets shot over a dispute of his order.

And yes, it was them again.

[sphinx]

Employers are not allowed to ask about criminal records?

Then I assume employers are shielded from liability for criminal actions, from reckless or drunk driving and on up, committed by government Zone of Secrecy laws?

Right? Right???

Crickets.

[crusty old prospector]

You are so right.

[Vaduz]

Nothing feeds crime more then a democrat.

[frogjerk]

I have never heard of someone being arrested stealing food to eat. In fact, I have seen several videos of cops being called to a convience store for someone stealing food or clothing because their were either cold or hungry and the cop telling them they can't do that and then reaching into their own pocket to buy the person gloves and a hat or something to eat.

Feed and clothe the repeat offendersthem in jail

[FlyingEagle]

“my remedy is to find their life story to see how we can help“

🙄

Idiot.

[Kid Shelleen]

So in a liberal city like Seattle there are no food pantries, food banks or charities like Feeding America?

[alloysteel]

“Hot Baloney, eggs and gravy” - Tom T Hall, “A Week in a Country Jail”

[blackdog]

Every Democrat candidate running for president in the 2020 primary declared during the debate, was for free healthcare for all illegal immigrants, no cash bail, and defunding the police.

Any questions?

[FlingWingFlyer]

Friggin’ far-left mayors, governors and all other local yokel politicians are a bunch of friggin’ clowns trying to be standup comedian jerks.

[tumblindice]

This is right out of Kurt Schlicter’s ‘Kelly Turnbull’ series of dystopian novels describing a split between the states, where the red states thrived and the blue failed, in.part by making criminals into cops and jailing political opponents (thought criminals).

[lee martell]

Seattle elected him. He’s probably always been this way.
Patronizing most minorities, because he figures they are too feral, too innately stupid to act any better.

[ClearCase_guy]

“I put police officers on the stand. I’ve cross-examined them. So, whether they commit seven or eight crimes, to me, is not the issue. The issue is, why are they committing these crimes? And so we have a health-based strategy.”

1) It's a word salad.
2) The issue is never the issue. The issue is always the revolution. The "health-based strategy" is very much part of the revolution.

[nwrep]

He is greatly liked in Seattle.

[plain talk]

"“So, let me make something very clear. I was the one that sponsored the ‘Ban the Box’ legislation when everyone opposed it because the criminal system has had a disparate impact on Black and Brown communities, let me lead surrender with that,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said"

[Sequoyah101]

Sadly, he is a Boomer, born 1958. Second, he is black.

What else do you need to know about his why?

The sooner these people assume room temperature the better. What a fool but not as big a fool as the people who elected him.