SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Police Department reported violent crime and property crime as declining, but downtown business owners say those reports don’t tell the whole story.
In early September, chef and owner of Zona Blanca Ceviche Bar on Howard Street, Chad White, announced his decision to close his restaurant after eight years. On Monday, he hosted a community gathering to say ‘farewell.’
He cited visible drug-use, crime and safety concerns as some of the main reasons behind the closure.
SPD reported that crime downtown is declining, compared to last year, however, business owners said that just because reports are down, that doesn’t mean crime isn’t happening.
Downtown business owners told 4 News Now they’re less likely to report crime because it can have negative consequences for their businesses.
Spokane City Councilmember Jonathan Bingle said crime rates often affect businesses’ insurance coverage.
“I spoke with Hotel Indigo, and they were just dropped by their insurance carrier because of crime rates in the area, and we also saw this with Camp Hope as well, back when I represented East Central. Many of the businesses there stopped reporting crimes as well because they were being threatened that they would have their insurance dropped,” said Bingle.
Councilmember Bingle wants SPD to enforce public drug-use laws more strictly and vandalism and graffiti cleaned up across the city within 24 hours.
Michael Wiley, owner of Wiley’s Downtown Bistro on Main Avenue said he thinks stricter enforcement is the best way to address the area’s reputation as unsafe.
“What I would imagine is, if you continue to say, ‘there’s crime, there’s crime,’ you’re continuing to reiterate to everyone else ‘don’t come down here, it’s not safe,”” said Wiley.
Chef White said Zona Blanca will remain open Thursday-Sunday, through September 29.
COPYRIGHT 2024 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
