Trending...
- Spokane Community Urged to Prepare for Inclement Weather
- From the Racetrack to the Boardroom: Aston Martin and Aramco Formula One Partnership Accelerates Circle8 Group: (N A S D A Q: CIRC)
- Spokane: SPD Respond to Several Underage Drivers on Electric Motorcycles
~ 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
- Spokane: SPD is Seeking Assistance in Locating Missing Adult Male
- Tacoma: Hylebos Bridge Closed to Vehicular Traffic
- L2 Aviation Selected for U.S. Air Force KC-46 CASPER Multiple Award Contract
- Leeds Billboard Campaign Drives 188% Traffic Uplift as AI Enquiries Rise 266% for Loud! OOH
- Sister Files Lawsuit Against Georgia Funeral Home for Alleged Mishandling of Brother's Remains
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
- New ProEssentials v11: Native WinUI Charting Library, 100M Points in 15ms, Following Microsoft's Vision for True Native Swap-Chain Rendering
- Salestrics Releases Version 2.0 to Unify CRM, Business Email, and Operations on a Single Customer Graph
- Aderra Opens in Magnolia, Texas, Offering a New Model for 62+ Homeownership
- Spokane: SPD Participates in a Statewide Motorcycle Safety Emphasis
- What's New in Hokkaido, Autumn 2026
- Tacoma: Homicide Investigation – 400 Block of East 75th Street
- Are "Buck Teeth" Hereditary? Spokane Valley Dentist Explains Children's Smile Development
- CRG Awarded NASA SEWP VI Contracts in Categories B and C
- Spokane: Council Member Zappone Awarded Certificate of Municipal Leadership
- Heidi G. Villari of The Villari Firm, PLLC Named to Super Lawyers for the Tenth Consecutive Year
- Spokane: SPD Assists Stevens County Sheriff's Office Locate a Reckless Vehicle
- Elevate Your Sneakers With Crep Protect Trek Laces
- Meet Privateer: Tucson's High-Tech Security Force Built With Paramilitary Precision
- James Richey, CEO of JouleFit, to Be Featured on the July Edition of the Longevity Leaders Project
- Dynamic Dachshund Dog Goes Global: Remember Point Launches a New Bilingual Children's Book
- DARPA Selects NRx Pharmaceuticals Defense Subsidiary for Contract Negotiations on FDA-Authorized SPARC-TMS Clinical Trial Advancing Mental Health Care
- The Great Junk Hunt is Coming Home
- From the Racetrack to the Boardroom: Aston Martin and Aramco Formula One Partnership Accelerates Circle8 Group: (N A S D A Q: CIRC)
- Neighbors' Barbershop Launches New Online Haircut Appointment System for Wedgewood & View Ridge Res
- U.N. Committee Reiterates Forced Psychiatric Detention a Human Rights Violation; CCHR Calls on the U.S. to Implement Protections