Small-business owner urges Seattle leaders to act now on public drug use and slow emergency response
Seattle Business Owners Demand Urgent Action on Open‑Air Drug Crisis
Seattle, Wash. — A local barbershop owner’s complaints about escalating drug use near his storefront echo a growing chorus of Seattle business leaders calling on the city to step up its public‑safety response.
Matt Humphrey, who runs Steele Barber and Steele Salons on a corner of downtown, told reporters that the city’s open‑air drug problem has worsened in recent weeks. “It’s not getting better, it’s getting worse,” he said. He recalled a recent incident in which he called 911 to report people “shooting up and smoking something” outside a nearby restaurant. “They hijacked a whole shipment of produce and had it strewn all over,” Humphrey said. “I called 911 and never saw the police.” The call left him and his staff feeling exposed.
Humphrey is not alone. On Thursday, 38 business leaders—including executives from Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, Nordstrom, the Seattle Mariners and Alaska Airlines—sent an open letter to Mayor Katie Wilson and the city council. The letter urges the creation of a 100‑day public‑safety action plan that would add surveillance cameras, boost police staffing, and accelerate response times. It also calls for the city to prioritize treatment and shelter for repeat offenders while continuing to pursue arrest and prosecution.
“We’re seeing tent encampments moving around, blocks from my business, blocks from my home,” Humphrey said. “I call 911 last week with a guy 20 feet from my house who looked like he was dead. The operator and EMS bounced the call back and forth, asking if I was comfortable talking to this guy. I said no, because he could have a weapon. We don’t know what’s going on.”
Humphrey stresses that police support is critical to protecting employees and customers. “Employee security for our own employees, and we can’t do that if we’re not supported by the police,” he said. “So, increased police on the streets, increased response times to when we do call. I think those are all really simple things that we can get in place quicker if the mayor and the city leaders put this into action.”
Mayor Wilson, following the July shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival that left three dead, released a statement in which police data indicated that shootings and homicides were at their lowest in a decade. “We’re making progress,” she said, but the data do not reflect the everyday dangers that Humphrey and other business owners describe.
“Think of it as a concerned parent,” Humphrey told reporters. “You’re a mom, you don’t want your kids walking by people with needles lying on the ground or walking into your business. If you were getting a haircut and getting harassed by people who are completely out of their minds and high on drugs, I deal with that all the time.”
The city’s response to the open‑air drug crisis remains uncertain. Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Wilson and the Seattle Police Department for comment but has not yet received a reply.
As Seattle’s business community pushes for a swift, tangible plan, the question remains whether the city’s current priorities and limited resources will allow for a meaningful reduction in drug‑related activity near commercial districts and residential neighborhoods. For owners like Humphrey, the stakes are personal and immediate, and the call for change has never been louder.