Seattle City Council Approves Legislation Establishing SODA and SOAP Zones

The Seattle City Council passed legislation Tuesday night that creates “no-go zones” to crack down on prostitution and drug crime in some of the city’s most congested areas.

“Stay out of drug areas” — known as SODA zones — would prevent people from re-entering parts of Downtown Seattle that have been linked to drug crime. The legislation names six SODA zones across the city.

The creation of the SODA zones would give courts the authority to prevent a defendant from entering one of the designated areas in the city if he or she commits a drug-related offense in that zone, a press release the council issued after the vote explained. The bill, introduced in collaboration with City Attorney Ann Davison, would provide additional ways to reduce drug-related criminal activity in key public areas.

Seattle’s “Stay Out of the Prostitution Zone” or “SOAP” ordinance prohibits people convicted of sex trafficking-related crimes in the area from entering Aurora Avenue.

The SOAP bill, introduced by Seattle City Council Democratic member Cathy Moore (District 5), is intended to combat commercial sexual exploitation and the violence that accompanies it, according to a separate council news release issued Tuesday night. The legislation includes a ban on “loitering for the purpose of buying, selling or promoting prostitution. Additionally, an independent provision would allow a judge to issue a SOAP. Currently, the only SOAP zone is Aurora Avenue in the North Seattle area.

“I think this is an important additional tool for the law enforcement that we have,” Davison said Tuesday morning on KIRO Newsradio’s “The Gee and Ursula Show.” “We’re trying to make sure that we restore our public spaces so that they’re safer, more accessible, and available for everyone to move through, to get where they need to go, and to improve safety in the process.”

‘The goal is disruption:’ Davison Discusses SOAP Laws That Curb Sex Trafficking in Seattle

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contributors: Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest; KIRO Newsradio newsroom

Steve Coogan is the Editor-in-Chief of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on Xor send him an email here.