Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell speaks at a podium (David Ryder/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"I put police officers on the stand. I’ve cross-examined them. So, whether they commit seven or eight crimes, to me, is not the issue. The issue is, why are they committing these crimes? And so we have a health-based strategy."
Repeat offenders have been a part of the national conversation with respect to crimes in recent weeks after several high-profile murders carried out by suspects with lengthy criminal records, including in North Carolina where Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on a train by a suspect with a long history of arrests going back more than a decade, including charges of felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and communicating threats.
Earlier this year in South Carolina, 22-year-old Logan Federico was robbed and executed during a home invasion by a suspect who had 39 charges on his record.
The Seattle skyline (Reuters/Jason Redmond)
Widely known for her role in helping establish and continuing to lead the left-wing Transit Riders Union, Wilson champions progressive positions such as minimum wage increases, better access to public transit and affordable housing. She has also pledged to "Trump-proof" Seattle and has been likened to New York City's Zohran Mamdani by political pundits.
When asked about her plan for addressing repeat offenders, Wilson touted the city’s "diversion" program "where if someone is arrested they have the opportunity instead of going through that booking and jail process to be diverted" into case management processes for drug treatment and shelter.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/seattle-mayor-rejects-locking-up-repeat-criminals-during-tense-debate-maybe-theyre-hungry