Editor:
We are at a critical crossroads concerning public safety in the county. We’ve seen our communities deteriorate bit by bit over time. Earnest Hemingway once said, “It happened gradually, and then suddenly”. Yes, we suddenly find ourselves deep in it. About five years ago, along with a group of caring folks, I helped clean up the area on I-5 by Shawn O’Donnell’s. Recently a friend did so again and found that the problem has grown exponentially — more needles, drug paraphernalia, used condoms. It’s tragic, it’s pathetic. Personnel working in dental and medical offices by O’Donnell’s are afraid to leave the buildings for a walk to the coffee shop as they are often accosted.
It’s time to say enough. This is not about you. It’s not about me. It’s about us, the collective US. Each and every one of us has a responsibility to ourselves, to our families, and to our community. We have a civic duty to get involved. We can’t stand around looking to our neighbor whom, you might see as a hard worker, an involved citizen, a go-getter who is going to solve this problem for you. No, it is you whom also has a responsibility to do something. Yes, “do something.” Collectively, we can make a positive difference. We just have to have the will to do it.
Our children should not have to sacrifice their health and safety by going to play in their neighborhood park to find it riddled with needles. Folks out for a walk should not have to be afraid of being attacked. Folks who break the law should finally be held accountable according to the law and brought to justice.
As a nurse whose worked in emergency rooms, I’ve seen the devastation caused to families, to children as a result of domestic violence – wives, husbands, children with head injuries and broken bones, and in some cases death. Working on a psychiatric unit I saw what drug abuse can do to the human brain – in some cases leaving the person permanently incapable of making any type of coherent decisions. A life lost, a family destroyed.
It’s time to restore public safety and get rid of the soft on crime policies which have done nothing to help anyone who has committed a crime against society or harmed themselves. And it has done nothing to make us a more caring society. We have virtue signaled and enabled to the point of being criminal.
Brett worked with the Seattle Police Department for 18 years and completed law school during those years. He became experienced and knowledgeable in police tactics, crime, investigations and law enforcement policy and accountability. All this makes him uniquely qualified to be our next Snohomish County Prosecutor.
Public safety is Brett’s number one concern as it is for many county residents. Victim protections, and stopping the present “catch and release” approach which seems to be the new way of dealing with crime in many of our cities is high on his list of priorities. His vision is to restore justice, and to implement justice system accountability while being transparent with the people of Snohomish County.
Together we can be part of the solution. Join me in voting for Brett Rogers as our next Snohomish County Prosecutor.
Theresa Campa Hutchison
Edmonds
We need a new approach to dealing with criminal behavior. We have tried the “nice guy” approach and it does not keep the citizens or the criminals safe….it works for no one. Justice system accountability is the approach I will vote for this election. Let’s put safety for all at the forefront and vote for Brett Rogers.
It goes further then just electing Brett Roger’s, we needed to elect people who are not soft on crime such as the Governor and his state Legislators !!!
No doubt that the status quo is not working. I would really struggle to find common ground with anyone who thinks things are better off now than they were before the decriminalization movement in this state. Please folks do not focus on the (D) and (R). Focus on the approach to keeping your community, you, and your family safe. That currently isn’t the people who have been in charge for the last few years. We will be voting for Brett Rogers.
I totally agree with Fred in regards to his statement. It is my opinion that the criminals always seem to get the benefit of doubt while victims get left trying to pick up the price of the assault, theft or other so called “victimless” crimes. Criminals are allowed to get out and just reoffend on the public. This should not be allowed and our legal system needs to change.
They should have to pay restitution even if they move out of Washington. Their should be an active collection system with “teeth” to track them wherever they go. Let’s get this to change and if picked up elsewhere brought back to pay the price for reoffending. Tough on crime helps the public and holds people responsible for their actions.
I’m convinced – I’m voting for Brett Rogers. I was a social worker, then a prosecutor, in the past. Most homeless people are hard drug addicts. A wise paramedic once told me: “most hard drug addicts are either going to jail or the graveyard. It’s more compassionate to put them in jail then wait for them to go to the graveyard.”
Brett Rogers was “boots on the ground” in Seattle and worked his way up the ranks in law enforcement as a police lieutenant and later pursued a law degree. It shows that Brett has experience in abundance and perseverance to put that to work for our communities. We have this opportunity to vote for Brett Rogers who has an interest in restoring safety to our communities. The current climate of “catch and release” repeat offenders as well as violent offenders being let back into our communities are things that need to get addressed in ALL of our Snohomish county cities. Law-abiding citizens are the ones who pay the price of repeat offenders being let in and out of jail. Some citizens have become victims of those offenders and our tax dollars have been going to fund the revolving door of criminal activity. We must get a grip on these actions being allowed to happen and say, “no more”. I know Brett is the right person to tackle these tough issues that have been forced onto our communities. Brett Rogers cares about our communities and I hope we can count on other residents to help restore peace of mind to us all by voting for Brett Rogers.
Drug abuse, both legal and illegal, is so ingrained in our society that addicts will fairly easily maintain their habits even while in jail. Much, if not most of our property crime and violence are the result of mental illness, self medication and domestic violence augmented by substance abuse. Lock ’em up and throw away the key is nothing but a feel good remedy. Right up there with “just say no” and “the never ending war on drugs.” As long as mental illness goes largly untreated and all mind altering substances, legal and illegal, profit powerful and basically amoral people; who we elect to any office isn’t going to help much.
I beg to differ Clint. It will certainly clean up the crime in theft and personal safety. Time to clean up the streets from those who can’t or won’t pkay by the rules. Enough is enough.
From Brett Rogers Web Site:
“Brett’s Vision
As Snohomish County Prosecutor, Brett will primarily focus on public safety, law and order. He wants his family –and everyone’s— to live in safe and stable communities.”
From Jason Cummings Web Site:
“As your Prosecutor, I will prioritize the safety of every neighbor, ensure the Prosecutor’s Office provides accurate and unbiased legal services, and will exercise prosecutorial discretion to best serve our diverse community.” “Jason”
Both have “safety” as a focus. We all need to understand how they plan to achieve “safety”. Great goal but having the candidates spell out their ideas, plans, methods, and the budget impacts to achieve their priorities will give us all more information on which to make our decision.
Reading web sites is a good start, but we all need to go beyond the “campaign messages” to make informed decisions.
I’d like to know more about Brett Rogers’ law practice. How many people does he manage in his firm? How many criminal and civil cases has he tried in superior court? The county prosecutor manages a law firm of some 200 people~ a big job that requires some relevant experience, seems to me.
Perhaps you would like to know that Brett Rogers’ larger management/team leadership skills were developed, tested, and honed in Seattle, the highest crime district in our state. Here’s a snippet from a larger interview: https://youtu.be/_uaN2XN7byc?t=135 The whole interview is from the same source. I hope this helps. Brett Rogers is the best choice for Snohomish County Prosecutor. Thanks for your time and kind consideration.
I very much agree with Darrol on this. You can hire police, build jails and over fill them forever, but you aren’t going to really solve anything until you elect people into office who have actual plans to get to root causes of property crime, violence of all kinds and increasing homelessness in our society.
Years ago a man named Seth Dawson was elected Sno. Co. Prosecutor. He recognized that much of our youth crime and substance abuse of that time was coming from domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and run away youth. He took steps to get a youth treatment and housing center built to really address the root causes of our problems. That sort of approach is what is badly needed now more than ever.
In our current time we need two things, or nothing of any real substance in terms of change will happen. We need regional well thought out and well staffed centers for the un-housed for whatever reasons and laws that allow us to make people go there when they are trying to live (survive) in public spaces. We also need some mechanism for taking the profit out of mind altering substances and illegal activities such at catalytic converter theft. Many supposedly legal business’s and business owners profit greatly from illegal activities in terms of pay offs, bribes, smuggling drugs, and creating both white markets and black markets where they otherwise would not exist.
For example the family doctor prescribes legal opiates for pain, the kid left alone at home steals them, takes some and sells some to his friends so he can buy more down the road. Stolen cat. converters create a nice little legal parts and car repair market that otherwise wouldn’t exist since, under normal circumstances, very few converters would ever need replacement. It’s all a vicious circle that must be interrupted to really change anything.
I just want to hear from both candidates more details of how they plan to approach their stated primary focus. Both may have some really good ideas but the “messages” on the web sites lack specifics.
Mr. Haug makes sense. Some of us may be unfamiliar with either candidate and prefer to rely on direct detailed information from candidates such as open forums or the like to make best informed decisions.
I’ll offer you a comparison perspective and hopefully you’ll search the timeline of what each contains:
Jason Cummings’ FB Page https://www.facebook.com/cummingsforprosecutor , has infrequent posts “thanking his campaign team,” while, in stark contrast, Brett Rogers’ FB Page, https://www.facebook.com/BRSnoCoPro , has daily content responding to community questions, adds details of how and what he will do if he were elected using current events as examples, and so much more. He also holds regular public events where many can gain personal access and ask him questions. It’s hard to find Cummings on the campaign trail. If you ask me, he may not want to be held accountable and may possibly believe he has the win secured because of his “years in an office” while Brett is unafraid to field the concerns of today from all citizens. Additional proof is readily available in the lines of each person’s FB page and I hope you’ll agree … voting for Brett Rogers for Snohomish County Prosecutor is the best choice for today’s needs. Thanks for your time.
We need Brett in Snohomish County. I had a high school friend who died last year. Scott was let out of Jail early, he was an addict. It’s unfortunate that the court system didn’t keep him full term and try to help him make good changes in life and see his value. Scott was released went right back to the streets and he died.
Scott died while driving a stolen car, he took from a single mom. Scott was on drugs hit a motorcycle and ended up ejected from his vehicle. I hope the Motorcyclist is recovering.
If Scott had received scared straight help, when he first started breaking the law he could be alive today. At one time he was a quarterback for Woodway High School. Scott’s father played for the UW. Parents didn’t want drug testing for sports, but what if it was a requirement? How many kids would have valued the drug free life more because it allowed them to play their sport?
Anyway being tough on law breaking humans helps keep the human and the community safe. Brett could help turn peoples lives around, by stopping this catch and release cycle. Help Brett save lives and make citizens safer.
The million dollar question to me is, what does ” being tough on law breaking humans” mean? If it means creating some sort of police state and locking people up for the slightest infractions and never letting them out again after a repeated offense, count me out. If it means creating meaningful ways for people to actually change their criminal life style (drug treatment, access to mental health care and treatment, job training and more importantly job access after incarceration), count me in. Just saying you are going to be “tough on crime” is easy. Doing something to actually change criminal life styles, address poverty and domestic violence, and change a society that is literally fascinated and enthralled by the joys and adventure of obtaining and abusing mind altering substances (both legal and illegal) will be hard, if not impossible.
In my view, Scott above, was a victim of a hypocritical society that glorifies and romanticizes substance abuse and makes lots of legal profits off of illegal activity and then marginalizes and criminalizes the people who become addicted and can’t handle the responsibility of caring for themselves and others. You can argue that keeping Scott locked up for an entire sentence would have saved his life, but I doubt you can prove it with facts and figures for the success of that particular tactic.