Crime and Consequences in Seattle

The new City Attorney gets results by pursuing repeat offenders

WSJ editorial.

"Policy news flash: Fighting crime reduces crime. The latest evidence comes from Seattle, of all places, where City Attorney Ann Davison’s efforts are showing results.

Ms. Davison took office in January 2022 after voters elected her on a law-and-order mandate. She has focused on the 168 troublemakers responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime—nearly 3,500 misdemeanors in Seattle over a five-year period, by her office’s estimates.

These miscreants had an average of 6.3 misdemeanor criminal incidents referred for prosecution in Seattle in a year. Their most common crimes were theft to buy fentanyl or meth, which often led to more serious charges, such as assaults and “robbery if someone attempts to stop them,” the Seattle City Attorney’s office says in a new report.

But new numbers show that on Ms. Davison’s watch the number of annual misdemeanor referrals by this group has dropped to 2.7. What changed?

Well, start with arrests and punishment. In the past year 142 of Seattle’s 168 top recidivists were behind bars at some point. King County jails had limited bookings for most misdemeanors. But last spring Ms. Davison brokered an agreement to make an exception for Seattle’s most prolific misdemeanor criminals.

She also pushed through a reform that excludes from Seattle’s notoriously lenient Community Court anyone who had 12 or more charges referred to the city attorney for prosecution over the past five years, including one in the past eight months. Their cases are now handled by the Municipal Court, where they can face bail requirements and jail time.

Ms. Davison has persevered despite criticism from Seattle progressives, but the facts vindicate her approach. Imagine: Crime falls when you arrest and punish criminals."