Seattle just took a major step backward, and it did so quietly, bureaucratically, and with language carefully designed to obscure the real-world consequences.

In an email sent to officers last week, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes announced that all charges related to drug possession or drug use will be diverted away from prosecution and into the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program.

“Effective immediately, all charges related to drug possession and/or drug use will be diverted from prosecution to the LEAD program. All instances of drug use or possession will be referred to Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD)—a program designed to redirect low-level offenders in King County from the criminal justice system into supportive social services,” the email said.

Barnes adds that if someone fails to comply, prosecutors can step back in. He also emphasizes that officers are still expected to make arrests when probable cause exists, particularly for public drug use. But this is the same rhetorical sleight of hand Seattle has used for years: yes, officers can arrest, but the system will not meaningfully hold offenders accountable.

The numbers on LEAD are not encouraging, especially since drug crimes and overdoses surged as the city and county leaned into the program. That reality is well known inside SPD. Police are being asked to arrest the same individuals, in the same locations, for the same conduct, knowing the outcome before the paperwork is even finished.

Cops warn of ‘suicidal empathy’ and predictable fallout

Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan was blunt in his criticism of the directive.

“The recent naive, ignorant political decision to not arrest offenders for open drug use in the City of Seattle is horrifically dangerous and will create more death and societal decay. It embodies an enormous flaw in those in our community who think that meeting people where they are who are in the throes of addiction, is the correct path to lift them up,” Solan explained to The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red 770 AM in a statement.

Solan went further, calling the approach “Suicidal Empathy” and noting that many officers avoid LEAD referrals altogether because they view the program as ineffective and ideological.

A return to chaos

Seattle has tried this before. The result was open-air drug markets, rampant overdose deaths, and neighborhoods effectively surrendered to addiction-driven disorder. Rebranding the policy does not change the outcome. This decision does not break cycles of addiction. It breaks the social contract.

Seattle is once again telling drug users there will be no immediate consequence for public drug use. The city will pretend that is compassion. The streets and crime rate will tell the truth.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Seattle Red on 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.