Seattle Crime Program’s Results Questioned After Years of Taxpayer Funding

A new analysis from the Washington Policy Center is raising questions about the results of Seattle’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, or LEAD, program. Washington Policy Center Director of Public Safety Solutions Eric Zimmerman says his review of years of research found that some widely cited claims involving reduced arrests and recidivism, increased employment and improved outcomes for participants may not be as strongly supported by the underlying data as proponents have suggested. LEAD was developed as an alternative to traditional prosecution and incarceration, particularly for people dealing with issues such as drug addiction. The Seattle model has since been expanded elsewhere in Washington and replicated in communities across the country. Zimmerman says he supports programs that effectively help vulnerable people turn their lives around, but argues policymakers need to determine whether taxpayer-funded programs are actually delivering the results they promise. The Center Square reached out to LEAD co-founder Lisa Daugaard and the program’s media contact for a response to the criticism. #Seattle #SeattleCrime #WashingtonState #WashingtonNews #PublicSafety #LEADProgram #Crime #CriminalJustice #SeattleNews #Taxpayer #GovernmentSpending #WashingtonPolitics #KingCounty #CenterSquare #WashingtonInFocus