Friday, Mayor Bruce Harrell pledged a crackdown on Seattle crime in a mix of “hot spot” policing, more arrests, and more efforts to address core problems of poverty, addiction, and mental illness. “We want to make valid, lawful arrests when appropriate. We want to get people treatment, when appropriate,” Harrell said.

Monday morning, City Attorney Ann Davison unveiled her “Close in Time” plan to prosecute more of those who are arrested in a faster process and dig her office out from a pandemic-bogged backlog of misdemeanor cases.

“Effective immediately,” Davison’s office announced Monday that filing decisions will be made in all incoming cases within five business days. “This change will stop adding to the case backlog which has grown over the past three years and is the most effective way to immediately tackle crime in Seattle,” Davison’s announcement reads.

“This immediate change follows a deep assessment of the City Attorney’s Office processes and structure for addressing our case filings and intake. The best way to interrupt crime happening on the streets today is by quickly and efficiently moving on the cases referred to us by the Seattle Police Department,” Davison said.

According to the new City Attorney, new cases were being sent “to the end of the line until they could be acted on accordingly” creating a case backlog of approximately 5,000 cases “which can mean up to a two year long waiting period for victims.”

Former U.S. Attorney Brian Moran, who has temporarily joined Davison’s team to help clear the backlog, said the new approach “is just the first step” in clearing the case pipeline.

CHS reported here on Davison’s first moves to reshape the office after her elimination of Pete Holmes in the primary as he sought his fourth term and defeat of police abolitionist Nicole Thomas-Kennedy in November powered by a “soft on crime” backlash in the city and concerns about street disorder.

Davison has also made changes to how her office handles its role providing legal advice on new legislation and policies and defending the city against legal threats. Davison’s office announced it has launched a “national search process” for a new civil division chief after firing Jessica Nadelman, the attorney who held the job under Holmes.

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