Seattle (March 15, 2023) – Marking one year of the High Utilizer Initiative, Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison released a report today examining its first year of operation. The one-year review reveals that the High Utilizer Initiative reduced crime by high utilizers, averting over 750 police referrals, a 57% drop in high utilizer criminal referrals equivalent to 11% reduction of the annual incoming cases to the City Attorney’s Office.
The High Utilizer Initiative was launched on March 15, 2022 by Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison as a partnership between her office, Seattle Police Department, and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to reduce the impact of individuals responsible for repeat criminal activity across Seattle. The initiative closes system gaps by focusing additional prosecutor and police attention on the individuals that commit the most crime, particularly theft, trespass, property destruction, and burglary.
“We know that individuals locked in a cycle of crime need focused attention and intervention. The past year resulted in many positive changes for neighborhoods which had been repeatedly victimized by individuals on our High Utilizer list,” said City Attorney Ann Davison. “As we look forward, it’s critical we continue to improve the High Utilizer Initiative, including better system response in addressing individuals with substance use disorder and effectively engaging them in treatment. I’m thankful to the County and City partners who collaborated with us, in particular Chief Adrian Diaz and King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion.”
“This past year, the High Utilizer Initiative has shown meaningful success in identifying those who most often and egregiously break the law — then helps prevent them from continuing illegal behavior,” said Seattle Police Chief Adrian Z. Diaz. “The High Utilizer Initiative is helping to decrease crime in Seattle. SPD is committed to the great work being accomplished by Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison’s office and thanks her — and all our criminal justice partners — for their work to address the City’s most pressing public safety needs.”
King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said: “The collaboration between the Seattle City Attorney’s Office and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has never been stronger. I am grateful for City Attorney Ann Davison’s partnership. We have met with and listened to community members and small and large businesses. We all want prolific criminal behavior to stop and for our communities to be safe and vibrant. I am encouraged by the decrease in recidivism. We will continue to work together, in a thoughtful way, to address both the criminal behavior and, most importantly, the root causes that are driving that behavior.”
In total, 168 individuals were identified as high utilizers over the course of the past year. This list was updated quarterly to add or remove people based on their latest criminal activity, participation with services, and other factors. The report shows that high utilizers were regularly contacted by the Seattle Police Department and referred to the City Attorney’s Office, but that number dropped significantly after they were identified as high utilizers under the initiative.
Before the initiative, the High Utilizer cohort averaged 6.3 misdemeanor criminal referrals to the City Attorney’s Office per year. During the initiative, that number dropped to 2.7. And for individuals who exited the initiative, the average was 0.6. Over the past year, 142 of 168 high utilizers were booked into jail at some point.
The High Utilizer Initiative also worked with service providers to coordinate services for many individuals, including shelter and housing options after exiting jail and mandatory treatment programs in lieu of jail. The report identifies high utilizer engagement with services as a significant area of improvement as the program evolves.
The full report can be found here City Attorney HUI 2023 Report