SCAR Staff

Why not try real solutions?

Spokane could just decide to love its community more. Everyone wants less crime, but leaning on police to do all the work just creates more prisoners. We need to actually…

As Larry Stone stonewalls, Spokane City Council grudgingly invests in shelter he owns

Members of the Spokane City Council say it has become increasingly clear that developer Larry Stone, of the Stone Group of Companies, has no intention of selling the Trent Avenue…

Haskell Backs Off — The role of systemic racism (Part 2)

This is a reposting, originally published via Substack by Jerry Leclaire on May 24th, 2023. On Monday, May 22nd, Kip Hill’s article in the Spokesman reported “Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office…

Prosecutorial Discretion and Racial Prejudice (Part 1)

This is a reposting, originally published via Substack by Jerry Leclaire on May 22nd, 2023. In criminal legal cases (as opposed to civil cases) it is the County Prosecutor’s decision…

“I’ve seen situations where cops need to protect themselves … This wasn’t one of them.”

Rough arrest of unhoused man sparks demands of reform and questions of why de-escalation protocols weren’t followed.

Sexual assault, harassment reports at Trent highlight dangerous oversight gaps at Spokane shelters

The city doesn’t have regular quality control measures, or guidance and protection for whistleblowers.

Update: Tenant-Landlord Ordinance C36330 1/20/23

Over the past week, there have been significant changes made to the Tenant-Landlord Ordinance C36330. As of this post, the current document accessible to the public on the city’s website…

Update on the old East Central Library

Council votes unanimously on Resolution 2023-0001, establishing a specified process, timeline, and criteria for a request for information (RFI) from the community to lease the former East Central Library building…

Spokane Tenant Meetings Week 1/3 – 1/23, 2023

Please register in advance of the meeting and the link will be emailed to you. If you cannot attend you can still register so you will receive updates and Action…

Day Two of Consecutive Police Harassment Inside Camp Hope

Yesterday marked the second day of consecutive harassment from the Spokane Police, Spokane Valley Police, and the Spokane County Sheriff's Office. The Spokesman covered some of the errors on Day…

SRLJC Pushing Ahead With New Jail Proposal

When the Spokane Regional Law and Justice Council met on June 8 – the group’s first meeting after the original Council was disbanded and a new, smaller group was formed…

Camp Hope Update and Ways to Help

Camp Hope began in December 2021 at Spokane City Hall as a protest of the city administration’s inaction to provide warming shelters, beds, and social and health services for people…

Spokane County Prosecutor, an Elected Position

In Spokane County, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, working class folks, and poor folks are often harmed when they are caught up in a court system they do not…

Primary Elections! It is time to vote. In-person Voting and Registration until August 2nd.

Not a Drill! It's Time to Vote! Primary elections are held in Washington State August 2nd. These are extremely important yet often overlooked elections. It’s imperative that those of us…

Lesley Haskell isn’t just racist; she organizes racism.

In the last few months, Lesley Haskell and her husband, Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell, have been in the local news due to racist and troubling statements Lesley Haskell made…

Larry Haskell Speaks for Himself

It's not Lesley, it's Larry. Making the case for the systemic/structural racism displayed by Haskell's County Prosecutor office. This is a data-backed reality.

Racial Discrepancies Under Haskell

Spokane County’s criminal legal system discriminates against people of color and those poor enough to need a public defender. Despite continuous claims by elected officials that this information is contested…

The Mayor, the Police, and the Library – What’s Happening in East Central, and Why It Matters.

The Spokane Public Library at Liberty park opened in November 2021. This new state-of-the-art facility featured large floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Liberty Park, free meeting space, innovative children’s reading…