Police and Public Safety

Nelson displays a letter showing the logo of several busines sgroups including the Chamber, Downtown Seattle Association, NAOIP, and others.

Seattle Council Narrowly Rejects ‘War on Drugs’ Bill

Councilmembers Nelson and Pedersen, with scant evidence, claimed jail and forced treatment would make a dent in the opiate epidemic. The push to reignite the...

SDCI Delivers Vacant Building Monitoring Report

A year after the city adopted new vacant building maintenance and demolition laws, the city council received a monitoring report and briefing on the...

Police Shootings And The Livability Agenda

On Wednesday evening, Philando Castile's life ended in his car as he bled out from five bullet wounds still buckled in his seat following...
Nelson stands at a lectern with a row of providers standing behind her.

Seattle Council Targets Nuisance Properties, Graffiti, and Safety-Themed Sales Tax Bump

Last Tuesday, the Seattle City Council voted 7-1 to pass changes to the city’s 16-year-old nuisance property ordinance that will expand the powers of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to declare a business or residence a “chronic nuisance.”  As Council ramps up criminalization and weighs funding more addiction treatment services, do their plans add up to a cohesive strategy?
Shaun Scott at Gas Works Park. (Photo credit: Alex Garland)

Protest, Policing, and the Prospect for Change: Shaun Scott Breaks It Down with The...

Our monthly meetup guest this month was former Seattle City Council candidate Shaun Scott. On Tuesday, he touched on a wide range of topics...

Mayor Durkan Boosts Funding for Police and Transit in Proposed Budget

Mayor Jenny Durkan delivered her first budget address today at Fire Station 10. While the mayor had broadcast her desire to trim department budgets...

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...

Seattle High School Students Fight for Safety

Mayor Harrell may have come around on the Youth Violence Prevention Initiative he helped defund during his time on Seattle City Council. In 2020, guns...