I think it's great our outgoing Mayor is finally approving this, and that the reporter that discovered it got credit.

@1 The aim of LEAD is to mitigate recidivism. Recidivism has a huge cost in law enforcement over time, particularly when the crimes are minor, with sentences of no or very little jail time, quickly dumping repeat criminals back on the streets. LEAD is an attempt to break that Sisyphean cycle.

Similar programs in other cities have been shown to be more than cost effective over time, by a factor of 10x or better. Whether or not Seattle's program is similarly successful is something we won't know until the results have been analyzed by a third party-- which is apparently what the mayor's office has been prematurely withholding funding over.

Wait. I've lost track. Are we on tje step forward, or still on the two steps back?

@4 Government doesn't have a finish line, Mr. Mark.