Critics asking SPD to back off jaywalking tickets
SEATTLE -- Some high-level critics say jaywalking tickets have led to fights and alleged abuses from Seattle police officers, and now they're asking the department to back off enforcing the law.
From thrown punches to painful concrete tackles, numerous violent confrontations in Seattle have started as simple jaywalking tickets.
John Morgan is an expert on traffic. He's been involved with city committees focused on pedestrian safety for years.
"I think there should be far more controversy over it, frankly," he said. "I've certainly been concerned about enforcement from the start."
Morgan said it's simply a rumbling time bomb let loose with anger. It starts with the belief that jaywalking is no big deal.
"If there's no traffic coming, go for it," said pedestrian Peter Boyle.
Most pedestrians can't believe officers actually hand out the $56 tickets, and it doesn't help when people don't know the rules.
Like running a red light, if a pedestrian steps into an intersection after seeing the warning sign, they are jaywalking and can be ticketed.
On many occasions, those tickets lead to trouble.
The recent Department of Justice report said low-level offenses, including jaywalking, are directly tied to excessive force.
The Office of Professional Accountability shares that opinion. The OPA wrote, "It is distressing to see how many of the excessive force complaints begin with minor street confrontations: over jay-walking."
So police have been backing off. Since 2009, jaywalking citations have dropped nearly in half, from 190 in 2008 to 104 last year, according to the King County Municipal Court.
SPD assistant chief Mike Sanford said officers are changing their attitudes about jaywalking in the wake of those reports.
Sanford said the shift in tickets and emphasis is connected to the violence that can come from jaywalking stops.
"Nothing good comes of that for them," he said. "Nothing good comes from that for the community."
He doesn't buy the idea that police have looked the other way to stave off controversy. He said priorities have changed, but safety is still the number one concern.
"The landscaping of policing is changing in the world," he said.
For his part, Morgan said police may be improving, but some priorities need more attention.
"See what we can do to try to enforce some of the behaviors that really are dangerous like speeding and red light running along with failure to yield," he said.
From thrown punches to painful concrete tackles, numerous violent confrontations in Seattle have started as simple jaywalking tickets.
John Morgan is an expert on traffic. He's been involved with city committees focused on pedestrian safety for years.
"I think there should be far more controversy over it, frankly," he said. "I've certainly been concerned about enforcement from the start."
Morgan said it's simply a rumbling time bomb let loose with anger. It starts with the belief that jaywalking is no big deal.
"If there's no traffic coming, go for it," said pedestrian Peter Boyle.
Most pedestrians can't believe officers actually hand out the $56 tickets, and it doesn't help when people don't know the rules.
Like running a red light, if a pedestrian steps into an intersection after seeing the warning sign, they are jaywalking and can be ticketed.
On many occasions, those tickets lead to trouble.
The recent Department of Justice report said low-level offenses, including jaywalking, are directly tied to excessive force.
The Office of Professional Accountability shares that opinion. The OPA wrote, "It is distressing to see how many of the excessive force complaints begin with minor street confrontations: over jay-walking."
So police have been backing off. Since 2009, jaywalking citations have dropped nearly in half, from 190 in 2008 to 104 last year, according to the King County Municipal Court.
SPD assistant chief Mike Sanford said officers are changing their attitudes about jaywalking in the wake of those reports.
Sanford said the shift in tickets and emphasis is connected to the violence that can come from jaywalking stops.
"Nothing good comes of that for them," he said. "Nothing good comes from that for the community."
He doesn't buy the idea that police have looked the other way to stave off controversy. He said priorities have changed, but safety is still the number one concern.
"The landscaping of policing is changing in the world," he said.
For his part, Morgan said police may be improving, but some priorities need more attention.
"See what we can do to try to enforce some of the behaviors that really are dangerous like speeding and red light running along with failure to yield," he said.
