The view of Fifth Avenue with a cordon of police officers brandishing billy clubs protecting the block in front of city hall and a stream of protests headed down James Street.

MLK County Labor Council Expels Seattle Police Guild as Contract Showdown Looms

The Martin Luther King County Labor Council voted Wednesday to remove the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) from its ranks, citing a need for...
A light blue SPD police cruiser in a parking lot.

Public Safety Politics and the Even Election Reckoning

The votes have all been tallied and the red wave has officially folded in on itself, leaving even more blue shore than before in...
Police hold nightsticks in full riot gear behind a metal fence as protesters march by.

Solidarity Budget Coalition Asks for Deeper SPD Cuts, No New Cops

Budget Chair Teresa Mosqueda unveiled the Seattle City Council's rebalancing package for the 2021 budget this week and laid out $83 million in changes...
A wall of police with riot shields outside East Precinct.

Streetcar and 101 ‘Ghost’ Positions at SPD Survive Budget Deliberations

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) has a special privilege granted to no other department in the City. The City allocates funding to SPD for...

Seattle Will Defund Police, But By How Much?

Mayor Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best remain at odds with the City Council over reducing the police budget. The Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP)...
Couches and chairs provided area to relax for patients.

Kirkland’s New Mental Health Crisis Center Top Contender for Levy Contract

Kirkland Connections is a new 24/7 mental health crisis center that could prove a model for the five crisis centers a county levy approved and funded in 2023. Such services are rare in the region.
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...

Seattle Council Greenlights Police Surveillance Expansion, Ignoring Community Objections

This week, the Seattle City Council took a controversial 7-2 vote to greatly expand the Seattle Police Department’s surveillance pilot program, as proposed by Mayor Bruce Harrell. Public comment was overwhelmingly against the idea, and progressive candidates also criticized the move.