Pub. Note: We’ve encountered a surprising number of people following this series who actually believe that Action Central and its director, John “Action Jack” Shannon, are real! We only wish it were so, but unfortunately this whole series remains an exercise in fantasy. We’re still looking for a public or private individual or organization (or both) with clout to help make Action Central a reality. Until then—the fantasy continues…
One of the most frequent questions we receive is, “What would be the deliverables from Action Central?” If answering that question will help advance the idea from fantasy to reality, we’re glad to oblige.
While homelessness/lawlessness also is epidemic in the county, the state and the nation, the City of Seattle is the ideal Beta Site for a facility like Action Central because it has one of the worst such crises and is uniquely suited to address the problem in leading-edge ways, being the headquarters of both Microsoft and Amazon, with a major Google presence. Like all successful Beta Sites, it then would become the standard for others to follow.
In previous posts, we’ve used several analogies, saying that trying to solve the crisis under current conditions is like trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box, and that it’s a case of “too many cooks (albeit all well-intentioned) spoiling the stew.” And, most recently, we likened Action Central to Mission Control, which NASA created as the first step in the complex challenge of putting a man on the moon. Action Central, too, is a relatively simple “first step” in an equally challenging and complex endeavor—fraught with political, legal and practical pitfalls.
It’s critical to understand that Action Central would not replace any existing public or private functions. Rather, it would provide a constant and up-to-the-minute overview of the “big picture” in the fight against homelessness/lawlessness in Seattle and provide ongoing recommendations for remedial actions by the responsible stakeholders. This would ensure that all efforts to address the crisis achieve maximum effect and create a synergy that is now sorely lacking.
More specifically, Action Central wouldl:
- Be staffed by the cream of the crop from existing City of Seattle Departments—not new hires—as well as volunteers from nonprofits and private entities engaged in solving the homeless/lawless crisis.
- Provide a central control and focus for homeless/lawless activities currently being conducted largely independently by a host of stakeholders.
- Afford a means to monitor and recommend steps to deal with all homeless/lawless-related activities on a real-time basis 24/7.
- Monitor progress against key—and measurable—objectives in the fight against homelessness/lawlessness.
- Develop a Daily Action Report that would conclude with recommended priority actions for the following day(s).
- The No. 1 deliverable unquestionably would be the synergy gained from marshaling the energy of the myriad efforts being directed at the problem. Today, much of the effectiveness of those efforts is being lost through a lack of the coordinated and constant approach that Action Central would provide.
A beginning point in the design of Action Central would be to identify every stakeholder who would staff—or be otherwise represented in—Action Central. The obvious key players are police, fire, the courts, housing and drug treatment. The complete lineup of participants in Action Central wouldl change as conditions change. On a typical day, the Action Report would, in no particular order, provide these deliverables:
• Maintain and track the list of homeless who have been issued identification badges. See The ‘Head Chef’ link below.
• Record removal of homeless encampments (from multiple people to a single individual) and the disposition of each individual (i.e., assigned to housing, arrested, sent to drug rehab, etc., etc.)
• Record the creation of new encampments, including illegal RVs and other vehicles being used as housing.
• Maintain a list of available housing on a real-time basis.
• Track the path of those arrested through the court system, noting impediments to rational treatment of repeat offenders.
• Monitor and relate the impact of criminal activity on the homeless/lawless problem.
• Monitor and relate the impact of actions by the mayor, city and county councils, the state legislature and the federal governments on the Seattle homeless/lawless crisis.
• Evaluate activities by other governments that might be applicable to Seattle. The apparently successful actions taken by Arlington and Marysville are two excellent examples.
I hope this explanation and these examples have made the function of—and deliverables by—Action Central better understood.
P.S. Here are links to prior posts in the fantastical Action Central series: Mayor Durkan’s Address; Homeless Central, a First Step; background on Action (nee Homeless) Central director John Shannon; his distinction between Homelessness and Lawlessness, The Stakeholders; The Perfect Site! The ‘Jigsaw Puzzle’, Reaching For Reality, Town Hall Takeaways, Eric’s National Exposure, ‘Head Chef’ and Our ‘Mission Control.’
Below is Poll No. 2, with the same question as in Poll No. 1, but at a later stage of the discussion. Those who think Action Central is an Excellent/Much Needed Idea continue to hover on either side of the 70% range. If you haven’t voted in Poll No. 2, please do so below.
[polldaddy poll=10341497]
—Larry Coffman