Spokane COUNTY has issued an official tonguelashing to the CITY idiots (mayor and council) who insist loudly that they can’t possibly control crime and homelessness because “the jail is full”. Idiot Zappone has been among the loudest supporters of crime.
The county’s press release is worth a long quote.
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“As local governments consider ordinances involving misdemeanor offenses, I want to be clear that Spokane County has capacity within the current system to house misdemeanor offenders, when necessary. This is easily verifiable by looking at the data we publish online, or as easy as making a phone call,” said Don Hooper, Chief of Spokane County Detention Services.
Sheriff John Nowels also weighed in: “It’s time for a reality check: We know one of the best deterrents to crime is an empty jail bed.
Councilman Zappone’s comments about current available jail capacity and operations at the jail that distort reality are unhelpful, irresponsible and put the community’s safety at risk. We have available beds to house people who are disrupting public order and violating the law. All jurisdictions we serve can modify their own policies and utilize these available beds. In the future, I hope Councilman Zappone will check his facts with Jail and County leadership before spreading bad information.”
Chief Hooper continued: “We encourage residents to seek verified information as we work collaboratively to address long-term facility and criminal justice system needs.”
Spokane County’s Detention Services Dashboard displays criminal justice data including daily population of the Downtown Jail and Geiger Corrections Center. The County also maintains operational flexibility to prioritize housing based on offense severity and public safety needs.
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Per the Dashboard right now, the downtown jail has 180 open beds and the Geiger facility out by Medical Lake is full.
Also, Fairness Doctrine kudos to local “news” KHQ for highlighting the county’s correction of the city’s lies. Other “news” outlets featured the city’s lies but not the county’s facts.
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Later: The ballot for council came in the mail today. I normally send it back mostly blank, just to keep the registration valid. This time I firmly and hopefully voted for Chris Savage, Zappone’s opponent. I’ve also donated to his campaign. I doubt that he’ll win, and even if he does win he won’t be able to change much. BUT there’s already one non-criminal on the council, and two out of six might be a strong enough vector to pull the result slightly toward sanity.
This year I’m trying to break out of universal cynicism, trying to do the right thing whether it’s realistic or not.
Polistra's Mill 