They don't have statistics to back their position, this attitude of not working from the data we have is such an issue that it has become local satire in Seattle: http://theneedling.com/2019/02/05/magnolia-named-worlds-most...
No arrest, no statistics. When they do arrest someone, the city and county prosecutors often refuse to press charges. No charge, no statistics.
The needling is also not working from data...
This was linked in that Needling article.
[1] https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/data/mean-world-sy...