A Seattle bakery owner has criticized city leaders for saying she was forced to close her store due to record high levels of crime.
Piroshky Piroshky bakery owner Olga Sagan, 38, made the difficult decision after constantly finding the entrance blocked by drug users refusing to move – and she says the Seattle Police Department has done nothing to help.
The last straw was when a man was shot just around the corner from a bakery downtown.
“How many shots do we have to have to know this is an active emergency in downtown Seattle?” Sagan told The Seattle Times.
“The streets in the center have been abandoned by the government,” she added, “and turned over to criminal activity.”
She added that she was trying to find work for her shop staff at other local companies and would reopen her business when it was safe.
Piroshki Bakery Piroshki has been offering handmade traditional Russian pastries in the region since 1992, the newspaper writes.
Piroshky owner Piroshky, 38-year-old Olga Sagan (pictured), said she was tired of the crime and drug use in the area.
The popular Piroshky Piroshky bakery in Seattle (pictured) closes its location on downtown Third Avenue to another order due to safety concerns
The bakery, which has been open since 1992, is a shop that serves traditional Russian pastries
The store closed after Sagan announced on social media that the violence was “a major emergency and instead of approaching it as such, all politicians do is just talk.” In another post, she said her patience was running out and she prioritized the safety of her employees.
Seattle Democratic Mayor Bruce Harel said in a statement that he was working with local law enforcement to address local violence, acknowledging that he needed to take security measures to make residents feel safe in the city.
The mayor continues to advocate for the recruitment of additional SPD staff so that there are adequate human resources to respond to public safety emergencies, increase police presence in crime-ridden areas, and help restore the center’s standards. of the city and the whole city, “said Harel’s office.
“In addition, it is working specifically to prevent gun violence, including through community-based programs, regional coordination and other innovative solutions,” it added.
“Seattle fire officers and medics have tried to save lives, but the man has been pronounced dead at the scene,” said SPD detective Valerie Carson.
Sagan is active on social media because of her threats to close her popular bakery, as she advocates primarily for the health of her employees. Pictured: A Facebook post shared by Sagan about the closure of her store, along with the caption: “Our patience is running out. We put the safety of our employees first. The street is occupied by criminal activity.
Earlier in February, Sagan hosted newly elected and Republican Attorney General Ann Davidson at her bakery, with Davidson vowing to prosecute and prosecute petty crimes, including crimes, faster and more responsively.
However, Sagan has lost faith that things will change, the newspaper notes.
“It feels safer, but it’s still drug use, and people are yelling at you wherever you go,” Sagan said.
“It’s too dangerous,” Sagan added.
In a report for the end of 2021, Seattle police said that violent crime in the city has increased by 20 percent compared to 2020, which is the first time in 14 years.
According to the SPD, shootings and calls with shots increased by 40 percent (+175) from 2020 to 2021, violent crime increased by 20 percent, and homeless shooting increased by 122 percent.
Some of Seattle’s homelessness is attributed to the cost of living in the city, which has risen sharply over the past decade due to gentrification, lack of affordable public housing and the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the Department of Public and Human Services, 40,800 people in King County have experienced homelessness at some point in 2020. That number is 45,300 in 2019.
The Seattle Police Department said in its year-end report for 2021 that violent crime in the city has increased by 20 percent compared to 2020 – a record high of 14 years. Pictured: Entrance to Bellevue Square Mall visible after a 2020 robbery.
A sign warns of drug killers and rapists who are allegedly persecuting residents of the so-called Capitol Hill Occupied Protest Area (CHOP) in Seattle
Meanwhile, in the first 21 days of January, which were Harel’s first 21 days as mayor, the SPD had 23 arrests for serious crimes and 14 arrests for offenses at the intersection. There were also 24 seizures of stolen property and 10 confiscated drugs.
The Seattle Fire Department is also changing its response strategy. In 2021, the department responded to 400 calls for “scenes of violence” involving shootings, assaults or injuries among homeless communities.
As of this week, Fire Chief Harold Skogins said firefighters wore ballistic vests and ballistic helmets, and watched from at least four blocks when reacting to a violent scene.
“This is a change,” he said. “We often find ourselves in places that are dangerous to our firefighters, where people have been attacked, stabbed or shot, so we are very deliberate about how we contact the Seattle Police Department before we enter these scenes.”
The Seattle Police Department has published its report on crime at the end of 2021, which shows a 20 percent increase in violent crime to its 14-year high. Severe attacks increased by 24 percent in 2021 compared to 2020, and robberies by 18 percent