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Seattle Neighborhood Group on KOMO 4 News
"Drug Market Initiative in Columbia City"—The Seattle Times
"New city budget putting some neighborhood services at risk"—Central District News
"Increased GOTS Funding Helps More Folks"—Central District News
Seattle’s "Drug Market Initiative"—Central District News
April 25 Southeast District Council Meeting
April 26 Mayor’s Town Hall Meeting
April 28 Little Brook Park Community Meeting
May 1 Columbia City Business Association Meeting
May 2 South Seattle Crime Prevention Council
May 6 API Heritage Month Celebration
May 15 West Seattle Crime Prevention Council
May 22 West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network
May 23 Southeast District Council Meeting
Seattle Drug Market Initiative - SPD/SNG partnership
SNG is involved in supporting a new initiative focused on eliminating drug markets in the Central Area.
The program is led by the Seattle City Attorney’s Office, and SNG partners with the City Attorney and Seattle Police Department in addressing
chronic drug dealing in the Central Area. The DMI program offers non-violent, low risk drug dealers a chance at
chemical dependency and mental health treatment, job training, and housing support if they will stop dealing drugs.
In June of 2009, SNG and SPD teamed up to distribute 1800 surveys to Central Area residents to assess major safety concerns. Results of the survey indicated that residents were highly concerned about street level drug dealing and drug use. The Central District News offered an informative article describing the DMI startup efforts.
In early August, local drug dealers, social service agencies, City Attorney, and Law Enforcement met to discuss the problem, and outline the project. In early August, the first meeting with service providers, city officials, and drug dealers was held. SNG, SPD, and the City Attorney hosted a press conference after this initial meeting of the Drug Market Initiative. In this video from the press DMI press conference, SNG Executive Director Kay Godefroy speaks about community impacts and service coordination for this program.
For another view of the meeting, you can read two accounts from the Seattle Times, and Seattle P-I.
Seattle Neighborhood Group provides case management for dealers choosing to participate in treatment and training programs, forgoing their roles as drug dealers. Those whoe do not comply with the terms of the diversion will be arrested and prosecuted.
Search Google News for current DMI information
