As dozens of Seattle business leaders call on the city to crack down on open-air drug markets, one small-business owner says he has been dealing with the consequences firsthand."It's not getting better, it's getting worse despite the statistics," Matt Humphrey, owner of Steele Barber and Steele Salons, told Fox News Digital in an interview Tuesday."What I've seen even this past week, I had to call 911 a couple days ago for some open-air drug use right around the corner from one of my shops, and they hijacked a whole shipment of produce from a local restaurant and had it strewn all over, were shooting up and smoking something.I called 911 and never saw the police.
We just encounter this really every day or every week, and it's, it's dangerous for our staff, and it's not great for our customers, and I just keep pressing on to, you know, tell everyone we can't move, pick up and root up our businesses and just move them."INSIDE SEATTLE’S OPEN-AIR DRUG CRISIS AS FENTANYL RAVAGES CITY AND ACTIVISTS BAIL OUT ALLEGED CRIMINALSMatt Humphrey, a Seattle barber who has locations in the Ballard and Roosevelt areas.(Nik Lanum/Fox News Digital)Humphrey says public drug use, harassment and slow emergency responses have become recurring problems near his businesses and home.Humphrey said he was encouraged to see an open letter sent Thursday to Mayor Katie Wilson and the Seattle City Council.The letter, signed by 38 business leaders in the Seattle area including executives from companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, Nordstrom, the Seattle Mariners and Alaska Airlines, requested a 100-day public-safety action plan, more surveillance cameras, increased police staffing and faster response times.
It also asked the city to prioritize treatment and shelter while pursuing arrest and prosecution for people who repeatedly refuse help."I saw several things in the letter, the open letter to the mayor that were published here locally, that I think are all encouraging," Humphrey said...