Trending...
- Heritage at South Brunswick Introduces New Ferndale Floorplan: The Largest Single-Family Home Design in the Community
- Statement from Tacoma Mayor Anders Ibsen on Spokane Wildfires
- Avenue Dental Care North Spokane Offers Free Emergency Care to Firefighters
~ The City of Spokane is taking steps to ensure that its public spaces remain safe and healthy for everyone. Mayor Nadine Woodward, along with councilmembers Jonathan Bingle and Michael Cathcart, have proposed the Safe Open Spaces Act, an ordinance that would make open drug use in public spaces illegal.
The ordinance, which was introduced Monday at the City Council's Finance and Administration Committee, would make use of a controlled substance in public spaces without a prescription a gross misdemeanor. If passed, it could be voted on next month.
"Open drug use in our public spaces while families, visitors, workers, and others who use our public spaces is not acceptable," said Woodward. "We need to re-establish the expectation that our sidewalks are safe and healthy for everyone."
Recent changes to state law based on a state Supreme Court case have made prohibitions on possessing user drug quantities enforceable only after police officers refer the individual to treatment twice. The state legislature is considering a fix to the so-called "Blake decision" that would make drug possession once again arrestable as a first offense, but that legislation still must be approved by the state House and signed by the governor.
More on Washingtoner
Bingle noted that open drug use is encroaching on others in their community against their will and Cathcart highlighted the extreme power of fentanyl which can lead to severe physical disfigurement, amputation, or death even with only small amounts.
Spokane is categorized as a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and open drug use is occurring at a greater rate in lower income neighborhoods including downtown. The Spokane Fire Department administers Narcan daily to counteract opioid overdose while the Spokane Police Department responds to about one-third of all overdose calls and also regularly uses Narcan.
Woodward has been part of the Spokane Alliance for Fentanyl Education Task Force and led the passage of a resolution at the U.S. Conference of Mayors seeking federal funding for fentanyl prevention efforts while Bingle and Cathcart have been staunch advocates for protecting open public spaces as drug-free areas for everyone to enjoy.
The proposed ordinance aligns with the Neighborhood Quality of Life and Downtown Neighborhood viability section of the City's Comprehensive Plan which calls for promoting actions designed to increase pedestrian use of streets, especially downtown, thereby creating a healthy street life. If passed it would be enforced citywide making it clear that community safety is their utmost priority and any behavior endangering them or their right to live in a safe community will not be tolerated.
The ordinance, which was introduced Monday at the City Council's Finance and Administration Committee, would make use of a controlled substance in public spaces without a prescription a gross misdemeanor. If passed, it could be voted on next month.
"Open drug use in our public spaces while families, visitors, workers, and others who use our public spaces is not acceptable," said Woodward. "We need to re-establish the expectation that our sidewalks are safe and healthy for everyone."
Recent changes to state law based on a state Supreme Court case have made prohibitions on possessing user drug quantities enforceable only after police officers refer the individual to treatment twice. The state legislature is considering a fix to the so-called "Blake decision" that would make drug possession once again arrestable as a first offense, but that legislation still must be approved by the state House and signed by the governor.
More on Washingtoner
- Igbozue Connecticut USA Celebrates 2026 Summer Family Picnic
- KT Medical Staffing Addresses the Questions Families Forget to Ask Before Bringing Private Nursing Care Home
- Private Autopsies Give Arizona Families Answers After Nursing Home and Care Facility Deaths
- OPUS Global Data Solutions Launches Food Trader Plus, Bringing Operational Control and Deal-Level Profit Visibility to Food Brokers
- Phinge CEO DeMaio Unveils Speech to Congress: User Data Sovereignty vs Tech Surveillance Capitalism, Asserting Foundational 2021 App-Less Patents & IP
Bingle noted that open drug use is encroaching on others in their community against their will and Cathcart highlighted the extreme power of fentanyl which can lead to severe physical disfigurement, amputation, or death even with only small amounts.
Spokane is categorized as a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and open drug use is occurring at a greater rate in lower income neighborhoods including downtown. The Spokane Fire Department administers Narcan daily to counteract opioid overdose while the Spokane Police Department responds to about one-third of all overdose calls and also regularly uses Narcan.
Woodward has been part of the Spokane Alliance for Fentanyl Education Task Force and led the passage of a resolution at the U.S. Conference of Mayors seeking federal funding for fentanyl prevention efforts while Bingle and Cathcart have been staunch advocates for protecting open public spaces as drug-free areas for everyone to enjoy.
The proposed ordinance aligns with the Neighborhood Quality of Life and Downtown Neighborhood viability section of the City's Comprehensive Plan which calls for promoting actions designed to increase pedestrian use of streets, especially downtown, thereby creating a healthy street life. If passed it would be enforced citywide making it clear that community safety is their utmost priority and any behavior endangering them or their right to live in a safe community will not be tolerated.
0 Comments
Latest on Washingtoner
- ASSIST Software Becomes One of the First European Companies Certified to ISO/IEC 42001
- The World's No.1 Superstar® Enters the Occult with New Track and Cinematic Visual "Under Your Spell"
- PricZone Launches Online Shopping Platform Offering Electronics, Gaming, and More
- Heritage at South Brunswick Introduces New Ferndale Floorplan: The Largest Single-Family Home Design in the Community
- Lineus Medical Elevates Leadership to Accelerate Growth After Breakthrough Clinical Results
- Gateway Center Arena Announces Duane Curry as General Manger
- Spokane Police Respond to Overnight Shooting in Garland District
- XRPPower Expands Platform Security With Enhanced Brand Protection and Official Verification Standards
- Spokane-Area VFW Posts Open Their Doors to Wildfire Evacuees
- QuickBooks Online Advanced: Features, Benefits Guide
- Cuvo Health, the #1 White Label Telehealth Platform, Surpasses 300 Exclusive Providers Serving All 50 States
- Spokane: City To Provide Extra Garbage Collection for Downgraded Evacuation Zones
- Spokane: City offers guidance on safely returning home after fires
- Qustone Brings Leadership as Infrastructure to the Commercial Space Ecosystem
- Inappropriate Jazz - It's a Musical!
- Spokane: City Testing Shows Water Quality is Safe
- RAS AP Consulting Expands Managed AP Governance™ Ecosystem, Launches Trademark Process, and Secures IFOL Speaker Invitation
- UK Financial Ltd Makes History: Chainlink CRE Circulating Supply Verification Goes Live Across Its Complete Ecosystem Of Nine Exchange-Traded Tokens
- International Rights Groups Raise Alarm Over Freedom of Religion and Expression in South Korea
- WDTA Hosts Landmark DWC Seattle AI Summit in Bellevue, Bridging AI Governance and Innovation