Sunday Video: Autonomous Vehicles Deserve Heavy Skepticism
Urbanist circles differ in how they see autonomous vehicles, particularly as they move toward wider adoption. Some see them being a tool that builds...
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.
King County Grapples with Public Defender Crisis
Public defenders are warning that public defense as we know it is on course to collapse in King County and across the state if officials do not intervene with reforms and more resources.
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.
Inspector General Quietly Terminates Audit into Seattle Police Mutual Aid
Downgraded from a full audit and long delayed, the Office of Inspector General’s six-page mutual aid review did not assess if outside police forces patrolling the streets of Seattle would be required to follow SPD bias policies, be held to SPD force review policies, and be accountable for their actions through the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) complaint process.
Harrell Cuts Social Safety Net to Fund 16% Boost to SPD
Mayor Bruce Harrell’s 2025 budget would cut elsewhere to fund a 16% increase to the Seattle Police Department. The cuts to affordable housing and social services could backfire, undermining public safety and homelessness response.
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.
Harrell Swipes Affordable Housing Dollars to Backfill Budget, Reduce Service Cuts
Under the budget for the next two years proposed by Mayor Bruce Harrell, around half of the JumpStart funding originally earmarked for affordable housing and other investments would instead fund Harrell Administration priorities.