Seattle Council Bans Chemical Weapons and Other Brutal Crowd Control Tactics
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) repeatedly tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed crowds during the first two weeks of protests, but the Seattle City Council sought to close...
Washington Legislature Rolls Out Wide Array of Public Safety Bills
The Washington State Legislature is considering a large array of public safety bills, from subsidizing police officer pay to tighter gun control to addressing the state’s public defense crisis. Here's a look at those bills.
Council’s Homeless Sweeps Bill Could Lead To Showdown With Mayor
The Seattle City Council's Human Services and Public Health Committee held a special meeting yesterday (video) to consider legislation to make treatment of the...
The View From Nathan’s Bus: Shawn Yim and Keeping Transit Safe
Nathan Vass shares his remembrances of fellow driver Shawn Yim, who was murdered
during a late-night shift earlier this month. He also urges leaders to prevent future tragedies with robust interventions.
Seattle City Council Passes 2021 Budget with 18% Cut to Police Department
The war of spin is well under way to frame the outcome of a 8-1 vote setting next year's City budget.
After weeks of debate,...
Calls for Mayor Durkan’s Resignation Keep Coming with Recall Blocked by Court
Three official advisory commissions have asked Mayor Jenny Durkan to resign due to her mismanagement of crises around police brutality and homelessness and her...
Op-Ed: Inquest into Faletogo Killing Highlights Seattle Police Accountability Failures
A 2018 traffic stop ended with a horrific Seattle police killing of Iosia Faletogo deemed "lawful and proper." Six years later a jury saw it differently, but the inquest also highlighted the need for stronger police accountability mechanisms.
Op-Ed: Latest Hit-and-Run Shows Harrell’s Failure on Lake Washington Boulevard Safety
A June 15th hit-and-run crash on Lake Washington Boulevard during a Bicycle Weekend makes the case for expanding the event and improving safety features on the boulevard. The reticence of police to investigate hit-and-run collisions may also be contributing to a culture of motorist impunity.