The Mayor agrees and police foot patrols are coming soon to Belltown, the downtown core, Pioneer Square and the International District. Here's a Seattle Times editorial endorsing the added police presence; they're right.
One part of the street disorder problem in Seattle is aggressive solicitation. Not by the homeless who rarely engage in aggressive panhandling but by street thugs and those who prey on people because they have come to believe they can get away with it in Seattle. But, I'm the first to acknowledge that not everyone agrees and we have had a very robust debate over the past few weeks about the best approach to these problems. I've met with community groups, business associations, individuals, advocates for the homeless and those living with poverty and listened to their differing opinions.
Two guest opinion pieces will appear in Sunday's Seattle Times on this important topic. This one is written by a social service provider who strongly endorses the measures I've proposed, primarily because she wants to protect the very people she serves. The other is written by a citizen who was viciously assaulted by an aggressive solicitor last December; he's opposed to part of my plan. There perspectives could not be more different. Read them both, then decide which is closer to your opinion. Let me know what you think.