Police and Public Safety

Restorative Justice is a Vital Component of Livable Urbanism

Last week I wrote about Pooja Vaddadi’s race to oust incumbent Judge Adam Eisenberg from the Seattle Municipal Court. Vaddadi contrasts her competence and...

Mayor Harrell Passes the Buck and Unloads on Enemies in Leaked Police Precinct Speeches

The cracks are showing in Mayor Harrell's "One Seattle" brand as he pledged to unseat his enemies and withhold funding from the Regional Homelessness...
A mother and her two sons walk on a pedestrian path between a row of townhomes. She wears a headscarf and her older son wears a Lebron James jersey. The younger is on a skateboard.

License Plate Readers Proliferate in Washington, Bringing Concerns over ICE Overreach

Automatic license plate readers have proliferated across 81 cities in Washington State, and audits have shown federal agents and anti-abortion states are using Washington plate data to hunt abortion seekers, immigrants, and refugees. This is despite state sanctuary laws intended to shield such vulnerable populations.

CHOP’s Juneteenth ‘Black Out’ Disrupted by Shooting, One Black Man Dead

Black organizers planned a Black takeover or "Black Out" of the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) during Juneteenth. However that celebration of Blackness was...
Three officers standing around a squad car

New Seattle Police Contract Punts on Accountability, Delivers Big 23% Raise

Mayor Harrell's contract would make Seattle police the highest paid in the region, but no more accountable. The long-awaited new proposed contract between the City...

Judge Demands Seattle Police Reform Crowd Control Before Lifting Federal Oversight

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge James Robart convened a consent decree hearing and found that the City, after 12 years, is close to compliance once the Seattle Police Department submits revised crowd control policy. He does have lingering concerns about bias-free policing and accountability, particularly given the most recent police guild contract.

Council Poised To Approve $149 Million North Precinct Design

The controversial, expensive, and seemingly rushed-through North Seattle police precinct is now headed for a vote of the full City Council on Monday, which...
Protesters marching on Ballard Avenue with signs

Dear Seattle City Council: Override Mayor Durkan’s Veto and Divest from Racist Policing

Dear Seattle City Councilmembers, The Urbanist implores you to do the right thing, hold the line, and take an important step toward racial justice. The...