Seattle saw a staggering 525 percent spike in crime as a result of the violence that swept through the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone, according to Mayor Jenny Durkan.
Durkan’s emergency order booting protesters from the six-block cop-free zone makes mention of the “narcotics use and violent crime, including rape, robbery, assault, and increased gang activity” within the CHOP since it first emerged in early June.
June 2 to June 30 saw the 525 percent jump in crime compared to the same period last year.
It includes “22 additional incidents, in person-related crime in the area, to include two additional homicides, 6 additional robberies, and 16 additional aggravated assaults (to include 2 additional non-fatal shootings),” Durkan’s order on Tuesday says.
The CHOP crime spree includes the deaths of two black teens, ages 19 and 16, who were fatally shot in separate incidents.
Durkan authorized police to take back the streets, saying conditions in the CHOP “have deteriorated to the point where public health, life, and safety are threatened by activities in and around this area.”