Police and Public Safety

Sunday Video: All The Ways Car Dependency Make Things Worse

Ray Delahanty of CityNerd goes through a litany of reasons why car dependency makes American society worse off from public health and environmental quality...
A protester stands just to the right of a gaggle of protesters. A line of police officers approach.

Op-Ed: Those Maimed by ‘Less Lethal’ Weapons Oppose Re-arming Police with Them

The Seattle City Council is set to vote Tuesday to formally re-authorize use of "less lethal" crowd control weapons, like the blast balls that seriously injured folks like me in the summer of 2020. It sends exactly the wrong message around police accountability and reform.

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...
Protestors gather behind a police barricade at the East Precinct building, chanting “Hands up, don’t shoot,” on Sunday, May 31.

Court Monitor Bobb Helped Create Seattle’s Police Reform Mess

Former Mayor Mike McGinn contends Monitor Merrick Bobb's top-down approach doomed Seattle's police reform efforts from the start--long before SPD's recent fall from grace...
A photo shows a row of plate reader cameras over a highway with a truck going by.

Washington Cities Question Use of License Plate Readers Citing Federal Overreach

A recent University of Washington report on data security issues with automatic license plate readers has been creating waves among law enforcement agencies using the technology, including Lynnwood, Redmond, and Stanwood. Other cities remain committed, despite the risks.

Seattle Council Passes Budget Swiping Affordable Housing Funds to Boost SPD

The Sara Nelson-led Seattle City Council passed their first city budget in an 8-1 vote. It greenlit the mayor’s plan to slash investments in affordable housing and social services and trim 48 staff positions in order to boost police spending by 16% and close a large deficit without raising new taxes.

Seattle Council Studies Other Cities Defunding Police Departments

Against the backdrop of national discussion around how to reimagine public safety in the United States, Seattle's local government leaders have been moving forward...
Two CCTV cameras mounted on a pole.

Harrell’s Expanded Surveillance Program Clears Hurdle in Seattle Council

Despite public outcry and limited outreach, Seattle City Council’s public safety committee greenlit Mayor Harrell's pilot program installing 24/7 surveillance cameras in three neighborhoods and purchasing real-time crime center software and staff. The legislation moves to a full council vote on October 8.