Seattle’s Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) and Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution (SOAP) laws, passed in September, empower prosecutors to request court orders barring individuals accused or convicted of drug or prostitution offenses from designated zones.
Since these laws took effect in October, a judge has issued a “stay out” order in only one case. In that case, a woman arrested for smoking fentanyl on Capitol Hill was barred from a 25-block area by Municipal Court Judge Damon Shadid.
Police staffing shortages appear to be a key factor in the laws’ limited enforcement. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) has only recently begun hiring more officers than it loses. In 2024, SPD hired 84 officers but lost 83 to retirement or resignation, resulting in a net gain of just one. The department’s current force of about 950 officers is still well below the 1,300 it had in early 2020.
Despite the slow implementation, Downtown Seattle Association President Jon Scholes, a supporter of the laws, remains optimistic. “We still believe that the public safety sector should have a range of tools, interventions, and additional resources, and that’s a good thing.” He also noted a noticeable quieting of downtown in recent months.
In an effort to improve public safety, the city has increased available beds at the King County Jail from 80 to 135, addressing a longstanding challenge of limited jail space.
