Posted on 09/13/2022 8:09:43 AM PDT by george76
The King County jail is still turning down almost all misdemeanor bookings, citing King County Executive Dow Constantine’s COVID-19 restrictions. Every non-violent misdemeanor suspect — the type of quality of life crimes plaguing Seattle — gets a pass from jail time.
Suspects arrested for car theft or burglary are let go. If a prolific offender keeps stealing alcohol from the same store, he will not face a booking. Smoking fentanyl on a bus? The suspect may be temporarily removed from the metro, but can continue to consume elsewhere.
What’s worse, many suspects know an easy way out of jail even if they committed a bookable felony. They just say they swallowed drugs or are injured.
The booking policy is not based on science. It’s due to Constantine’s abolitionist ideology purposefully keeping criminals out of jail, and his office doesn’t plan on changing it any time soon.
Rantz: Prosecutor says ‘get used to’ no jail time for teen gun crimes, assault, theft
Get out of Seattle jail free card..
Several frustrated law enforcement officers contacted the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH to sound the alarms. They are not allowed to book suspects, including prolific offenders, who they know are taking over the county.
“Any misdemeanor theft will not be booked at King County Jail,” one King County Sheriff’s deputy tells the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. “They won’t accept it unless it’s felony level (more than $750). So we can’t book any shoplifters when we catch them and we have to just them go.”
Of course, that means the shoplifter, who is almost always homeless, will continue to victimize businesses downtown.
Thanks to the omnipresent shoplifting threat, businesses have struggled to recuperate after the COVID economic shutdown. Some businesses closed up for good, citing the rise in crime. The businesses that stay open are forced to hire security to keep shoplifters at bay. But when you know you won’t get booked, security makes little difference.
Criminals are adapting..
When King County stopped prosecuting for personal possession in 2018, drug dealers adapted by carrying fewer products and replenishing their supply more often. Similarly, criminals know how much to steal without the threat of jail.
“Not being able to book misdemeanors is probably one of the biggest things impacting crime right now,” one Seattle police officer tells the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. “Criminals know we can’t book them for thefts as long as they don’t take a felony amount of product. A few years ago, people were afraid of going to jail (even if just for the day), and they were much less likely to do it. Now they know there is no threat of having to go to jail, so why not do it?”
The officer notes that many of the shoplifting cases are part of organized crime. But it’s also a crime that fuels addiction. It’s wrong to assume suspects will stick with misdemeanor crimes after release. Indeed, Seattle is plagued by prolific offenders with crimes that escalate.
“People tend to think low-level crime has no real impact on violent crime, but when most of the burglaries and thefts occur to fund drug addiction, that leads to more and more narcotic sales, which eventually leads to gang violence over contested territory,” the officer notes, citing the notoriously deadly 3rd & Pine in downtown Seattle.
...
Even felonies can get a pass..
A spokesperson for the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD), which operates the jail, is sure to note that felonies and violent misdemeanors are still bookable, but that’s not the whole story.
When a suspect is arrested, all they have to do is cite a reason to go to the hospital, like an admission that they swallowed drugs or that they can’t breathe. King County jail will not accept them. Officers must then take them to Harborview where they are almost certain to be released.
“If you say you swallowed drugs, it’s a mandatory medical decline, and we have to take them to the hospital,” the deputy explains. “So that’s a mandatory six-hour stay at the hospital for observation, which takes the officer off the road for that amount of time. Many times it’s not worth the time due to staffing, so they just get let go.”
The Seattle officer concurs, saying this is a real problem because it means some felony suspects will be let go. He says the suspect is “told to turn themselves into the jail when released, but they never do.”
The problem is made worse by the low staffing for the SPD. Even if an officer wanted to stay with the suspects, thinking the community is best served by jailing them, they might have no choice but to leave after being authorized by a supervisor.
“Felonies will depend on [the] severity of the crime in most circumstances, but it’s not uncommon to leave felony property crime suspects at Harborview Medical Center if they are declined at jail.”
Blaming COVID..
Under Constantine’s leadership, the county’s jail system pretends nothing has changed since the start of the pandemic.
“The Executive Order regarding jail bookings during the COVID-19 pandemic has remained in effect since March of 2020 and continues at present,” DAJD spokesperson Noah Haglund tells the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.
At the end of August, Haglund said 21 criminal suspects were COVID-positive.
“COVID-19 continues to pose a risk for staff and people in custody at King County jails,” Haglund claimed.
“Congregate settings like jails remain at higher risk as they are confined spaces with lots of people and limited air circulation, and those who are there do not have an option to reduce their exposure risk by going somewhere else. Additionally, we still have significant levels of infection in the community,” he added.
But COVID doesn’t pose any more risk than the flu or a stomach virus for most people. It’s why there are no county restrictions on congregate settings outside of jail. It’s certainly true that inmates have no option to reduce their exposure by going somewhere else, once they’re booked. They did, of course, have an option to choose not to break the law, knowing it could land them in jail.
This is all by design...
Democrats adopted an abolitionist attitude toward jails after the death of George Floyd. They’re using COVID to keep people out of jails, which they view as “systems of oppression” to dismantle.
Constantine was eager to placate the Black Lives Matter crowd, hoping to establish his progressive bona fides to help his future run for Governor. He previously supported jailing dangerous criminals, including youth, but has since had a political change of heart.
Now he’s purposefully going easy on criminals and local media, most unapologetically left-wing, give him a pass.
But the left-wing philosophy on criminals is leading to a surge of crime — including violent crime. Seattle experienced the highest single-month homicides it’s seen since 2008. The city is on track to surpass a 25-year-high. King County is doing just as bad. Unfortunately, there’s no end in sight and the criminals know it.
The freeloaders and malingerers aren’t about to let the Dempanic go yet.
They’re off the hook. They’ll get paid to not do their job.
I feel better about what I did to King County in my fan fiction “The Hall of Dead Gods”.
https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/the-hall-of-dead-gods.158130/
Prosecutor says ‘get used to’ no jail time for teen gun crimes, assault, theft.. King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will not prosecute nearly half of juvenile felonies, even when they bring guns to school or commit assault, motor vehicle theft, or residential burglary.
https://mynorthwest.com/3296228/rantz-prosecutor-says-get-used-to-no-jail-time-for-teen-crimes/
At some point.. Don’t you just say. Ok? IF this is what the people of Seattle want, here you go!
Just contain it maybe to certain areas and let them implode? And hopefully act as a lesson to other areas as to what will happen?
Should the prison/jail system be federalized? I’m thinking all the different levels. Misdemeanor illegals can serve out their terms in their home country. Create our own gulag and staff it with 3rd world staff just like the cruise industry. A jailed felon can share the same cell with his misdemeanor son from another jurisdiction. Gotta be a hundred billion$ spent yearly on this.
If Trump takes charge in ‘25 with a GOP dominated congress I’d empty the illegals within 90 days. Other countries will know who they’re dealing with-experience. In a backwards way that would make Mexico ‘pay’ for the wall.
“Should the prison/jail system be federalized?”
No.
I think he would cry if he could see how his advocacy of a guaranteed annual income, disobedience of disagreeable laws, and accommodating Russian dictators has resulted in unexpected outcomes.
*“Should the prison/jail system be federalized?” No.*
Say me why.
Just give them the addresses of the mayor and city council.
King County is named after the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
That’s what Seattle votes for...
> Should the prison/jail system be federalized? <
No. Dividing power among local, state and federal governments can lead to mismanagement and other problems. But it is, in general, a good idea. We do not want any one entity too have too much power, and the federal government is too powerful as it is.
> Create our own gulag... <
There is something to be said about that. Career criminals either get released or end up sitting in 6 by 8 cell doing nothing. Every state needs some sort highly secure work farm system. The more you work, the more privileges you get.
Just don’t call it a gulag!
FreeVee Channel has a program called Sprung
One day, the guards walked into the prison and selected a bunch of inmates and declared they were free to go. Covid risk was deemed greater for them in prison than out.
To their amazement, they were instantly chucked out the gate. They had no where to go but had $40 to get them there. One enterprising Ex inmate collected the $40 from three of them and provided rooms at his mother’s house.
Having nothing else to do, they reverted to being criminals.
The premise is very funny. The show however is very bad
“Yes, it is, but it was King County long before MLK was born. They changed the name a few years back because the original King wasn’t pure enough to be honored by current standards.”
The original King owned slaves. I understand why that name had to go.
Chief Seattle owned slaves. I understand why the name of that slave owner has to be honored.
The fact that I understand the liberal thought process worries me.
*> Should the prison/jail system be federalized? <
Every state needs some sort highly secure work farm system. The more you work, the more privileges you get.*
I could see where one state would send more convicts of lesser crimes and take advantage of the federal trough. At present there are 2-3 million incarcerated. One or 2 locations. Make them walk to and from it.
True - but most people do not know the full story.
The original King in King County was William R. King, who was elected Vice President of the USA in 1852.
Around 1985, the County Council kicked out Vice President King and re-named the county for Martin Luther King.
Re: The original King owned slaves.
Thanks - I did not know that part of the story.
I did know that William R. King was from Alabama and was a large land owner, so I should have guessed that.
The original King also had an amazing range of government jobs, in Alabama, in the USA, and in foreign posts.
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