"You can't miss them. They shoot up with needles against the wall of the upscale Flying Fish at dinnertime. They walk in packs asking, "You OK?" - code for "Do you want drugs?" They're of all races and ages, men and women alike, and in varying degrees of mental health. Some talk to themselves. Others punch the air. Some openly sip drinks called Evil Eye, fortified with 10 percent alcohol, and scream at no one, anyone....You'd think a mayor who wages war on plastic bags and nightclubs could find the political will to address this scourge in plain sight." writes Robert L. Jameson Jr. of the Seattle P-I.
It's no secret that there is a major drug problem in Belltown which is less than discreet. In my experience as long as I avoid certain streets at certain hours I never feel in danger. But what about those people who work or live in those problematic areas? People who can't walk in peace without being aggressively hit up for cash or witnessing blatant drug use?
Donna Moodie, owner of Belltown restaurant Majorie who is no stranger to the brashness of the area wonders whether a crackdown is overdue. She hopes political correctness hasn't handcuffed police.
What's worse is, Belltown's Recovery Cafe, a meeting ground for hope for the neighborhood's recovering addicts, is going away due to new development.
To read the rest of the P-I article which speaks pretty passionately about how things need to change in Belltown, click here.
