Seattle business owners warn violent crime is happening on a near hourly basis: ‘This is madness’

Seattle residents and business owners are voicing their concerns about crime "perpetrated on a nearly hourly basis" and say people who commit assaults reemerge after their arrests to cause further chaos.

Members of the downtown Seattle community that spoke with the Puget Sound Business Journal offered their own "horror stories" regarding crime and have called on the city to take swift action.

They said that their concerns stem from increased drug activity and other crime in the downtown area of the city.

In 2023, the number of violent crimes in downtown Seattle fell by 10% from 2022. It was the lowest number since 2018.