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The City of Seattle issued a press release yesterday announcing they are cracking down on several notorious Aurora Ave motels, several of which are along the Wallingford / Fremont border (Wallingford Inn, Fremont Inn, Italia Motel and the Isabella Motel):

The city of Seattle has taken action against the operators of five Aurora Avenue motels that have been the scene of drug-use, prostitution and other illegal behavior. Last week, the City Attorney’s Office filed 152 criminal charges for various tax violations. In addition, the motels are behind in utility payments.

Drug use and prostitution, we knew about. But the utility payments? Will the atrocities never cease?

Outreach workers were dispatched today to offer motel vouchers and relocation assistance to eligible individuals staying at the motels. […]

The motels are frequent crime scenes. In 2008, there were more than 460 calls for police service for the five motels:

• Wallingford Inn: 82
• Fremont Inn: 110
• Isabella Motel: 31
• Italia Motel: 80
• Seattle Motor Inn: 160

Officers routinely confiscate drugs and drug paraphernalia in the motel rooms and former motel employees have reported widespread drug use. In April 2008, officers made 32 arrests at the Inman motels. Officers seized 11.7 grams of marijuana, traces of heroin, 42 grams of cocaine, some liquid cocaine, 4 drug scales, and numerous items of drug paraphernalia – in just a 16 day period.  Robberies and assaults have also occurred.

Since 2005, Seattle Police and City Attorneys have met with the owners to discuss criminal activities in and around their motels. After promising to take action, they continued to ignore the problems. In fact, in 2008, a sign was posted in the office window of the Isabella Motel warning residents to not cooperate with the police or City Attorney’s Office.  This behavior stands in stark contrast to the positive relationship developed between other area motel operators and city officials.

Posted a warning in the office window not to cooperate? Perhaps they’ll be charged with dumb, too.