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Police and Public Safety

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Rory O’Sullivan Launches Progressive Challenge Against Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison

Rory O'Sullivan is a long-time Democratic party leader and legal aid attorney. He's challenging Republican Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison, who he sees as ineffective and out of step with Seattle values.

Op-Ed: Protecting Democracy Requires Unbiased Law Enforcement — Not Davison’s Extreme Agenda

Republican Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison has used her power to target her opponents and protect her political allies among the rich and powerful. Voters should deny her a second term.
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Seattle’s Embattled Police Accountability Director Resigns, Raising Reform Questions

Office of Police Accountability Director Gino Betts resigned amid police union criticism and complaints of harassment and creating a toxic work environment. The turmoil has raised questions about the effectiveness of the city's accountability system and the police reform it was supposed to advance.

Holiday Video: Ghent Is Making Streets Safer For Kids To Bike and Walk

Streetfilms highlights how Ghent (Gent), a city in the Flemish north of Belgium, is making streets safe so that kids can walk and bike...

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.
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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.