Police and Public Safety

City and school officials promise a tangible change in safety and student supports when the new school year begins. But they're delivering fewer mental health investments than student groups requested.

Hoping to disrupt the drug trade and prostitution, centrist councilmembers are resurrecting regressive exclusion zone policies that have failed repeatedly in the past.

On Wednesday, Seattle Council’s public safety committee advanced Mayor Bruce Harrell’s proposal to contract with the South Correctional Facility (SCORE) jail to house a limited number of people accused of simple misdemeanors, such as criminal trespass and shoplifting. The proposal comes with logistical challenge and its share of critics.

Seattle Councilmember Bob Kettle has asserted that projects intended to improve traffic safety can negatively impact emergency response. The data to back it up is not there.

The Seattle Police Department hired a cop with a record of reckless driving who went on to kill Jaahnavi Kandula while driving recklessly. However, instead of tightening hiring protocols, Seattle officials are looking to loosen them further.

Facing an uptick in gun violence, County officials are rolling out a 100-day campaign aimed at raising awareness, boosting gun violence prevention programs, and piloting new interventions.

Seattle's civilian safety department will quadruple in size by hiring 18 additional responders and 3 supervisors. For now, the CARE department is handling a tiny fraction of 911 calls, but that could change in time.

Since Ann Davison took over as Seattle City Attorney, the office has been much slower in prosecuting drunk drivers. While her office blames the state toxicology lab, it appears her office is not making DUI cases a priority.