From break-ins of employees’ cars to vandalism to homeless encampments, business owners demanded action from the city to address their concerns.in response to repeated complaints from business owners about crime and lack of police response.
Angela Connelly is a leader of Tacoma Safe and longtime Tacoma resident, married to well-known Tacoma attorney Jack Connelly. Connelly said Wednesday that the event is the beginning of a new path forward where the voices of business owners are going to be heard. She said business owners from across Tacoma were represented.
One of them was Jessica Johnston, director of Court House Square on A Street in downtown Tacoma. Court House Square is a historic building housing two restaurants, a coffee shop, a 2,000-square-foot ballroom, a large community space and dozens of local businesses. “How are we going to thrive and be the community that we can be — supporting commerce, supporting each other — without some sort of plan of attack?” she said.
He added that employees are having their cars broken into and are being harassed by people who are mentally ill and do not have a place to go. According to an end of year crime report from the Tacoma Police Department, the city saw an increase in both violent and property crimes in 2021 compared to 2020.
Tacoma Safe members say they also want to ensure that 911 calls are answered, police are dispatched when called and that it’s mandatory police take reports on every crime reported by businesses. They also want to see a police liaison officer to work directly with businesses. “When you call 911 and wait four or five hours for a response, is that acceptable? It’s not. We have failed you,” Betts said. “I can give you a list of excuses. I can talk about the pandemic. I can talk about police accountability. I can talk about the reduction in staffing. Do any of them change it when you wait four hours for a police officer to get there?”
“There’s homeless encampments, right where I want to do business,” said Michael Okoro, owner of Limitless Apparel on Hilltop. “If I look outside of my window, I can see people, abandoned cars, people sleeping, etc, etc. There’s more businesses in my area that have the same thing where they can’t feel safe during the day or at night.
“I think you can look around Yakima Avenue, different parts of our city, and conclude that there’s simply not enough shelter space or that the shelter space that is available, has too many requirements or too many restrictions,” Allen said. “It’s not a long term solution for those folks, which is why they end up back on the streets. And so I think it would be very difficult to prove. I think it’s theoretically possible to defend it, but I don’t think has the housing right now to do that.
I am owed over $130,000.00 in court ordered restitution from before they changed the restitution laws in 2003. In court the prosecutor said it was assured to be collected and paid. Wa. State & P.C. refuse to honor their own court orders. FRAUD
2003 Court Ordered restitution Laws changed. No longer enforce court ordered restitution be paid to innocent victims. Ask yourself this, if speeding tickets not given outrageous fines, doubled for non payment, or enforced to be paid, how many would drive the speed Limit?
If you voted Democrat- your democrat politicians don’t have the answer. If you voted Democrat, you deserved the shit you’re living in!! You voted for what’s happening!! If you voted Democrat, you have the right to shut up and don’t complain. You got what you wanted.
I say we go back to public hangings and set bounties, wanted dead or alive $50 reward.
It's Mafia/Marxist/Democrat Tacoma stupid. Why do you keep voting for Democrats?
To start with you may want to cajole the police to quit using HB 1019 and HB 1094 as leverage and an excuse to sit on their hands. I suspect however this will be an effort to roll back reforms and a plea for increased money, staffing and resources. Anyone care to take that bet?
These business owners must be mistakenly thinking politicians give a rat's ass about anything they have to say. Odds are at least 50% of people in attendance voted Democrat and they deserve everything they get.
Crime apparently needs consequences. Time out isn’t working. Bring back the chain gang at very least. Maybe we could get a mile of road built for less than a billion$.
Democrats
Half the problems were a mere few hundred feet away beneath the I-705 bridge. Eyes wide shut syndrome.
It is just the beginning. It is going to get much worse.
Always vote for liberal democrats because they are full of the best ideas and everywhere they proliferate never gets ruined ever.
Nothing can be done so long as the criminals have more rights then those they steal from
Tacoma and PC politicians are not good. Have to see how the police chief is going lead…if he can or will be allowed
“Mayor Victoria Woodards said the city is working to create incentives for hiring more police officers and that she is planning to bring forward a package of programs next week aimed at helping businesses” - has the Mayor Changed her tune towards TPD or is this just BS?