Seattle vows quicker charging decisions to deter petty crime

SEATTLE — Seattle’s elected prosecutor on Monday promised quicker charging decisions to help tackle persistent low-level crime that’s plagued businesses downtown.

City Attorney Ann Davison, a Republican who won election in November over progressive former public defender Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, said that her office will make charging decisions on all incoming cases within five business days.

“The best way to interrupt crime happening on the streets today is by quickly and efficiently moving on the cases referred to us by the Seattle Police Department,” Davison said.

Making charging decisions more quickly will help the city avoid adding to a backlog of about 5,000 cases at the City Attorney’s Office, Davison said. Davison’s office reviews misdemeanors and more serious crimes are handled by the King County prosecutor.

Like many cities across the country, Seattle has experienced an increase in crime, especially violent crime, amid the pandemic and as the ranks of officers dwindled.

With retirements and resignations, the Seattle Police Department is down 350 officers following the 2020 mass protests for racial justice and talk of defunding police.

Davison in November was elected Seattle’s first female city attorney after a campaign in which she promised to get tough on low-level crimes.