SEATTLE, WA – AUGUST 11: Deputy Chief of Seattle Police Adrian Diaz spoke at a press conference on August 11, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
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UPDATED 10:10 AM PT – Sunday, January 24, 2021
The Seattle police chief vowed to take firmer legal action on rioters taking aim at businesses. Chief Adrian Diaz announced the tighter vandalism policies on Saturday.
This came as a number of recent demonstrations have left numerous businesses severely damaged and business owners have voiced frustration over the lack of accountability for such crimes.
Police are monitoring a group in #DowntownSeattle. Multiple sites have been vandalized. One arrest made for property damage. pic.twitter.com/oLfIsGt5Af
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) January 21, 2021
The police chief said the violence the city he has seen has little meaning or direction and does not coincide with any social justice messages.
“We also just want to make sure that people understand that now people are going to get prosecuted, that this is not just going to end up landing in some black hole, that we are going to move forward on prosecution,” Diaz stated.
Diaz added Seattle police will especially crack down on vandals who have been arrested multiple times and overall increase accountability.
