Urges city officials to maintain public safety investments

Today Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), who serves as chair of the Public Safety Committee, issued the following statement in response to last week’s arrest of a suspect accused of randomly beating a 77-year old man in downtown. Seattle Police detectives used footage obtained by the City’s Closed-Circuit Television cameras to identify the suspects.

“The recent arrest of a second suspect in the assault of a 77-year-old man near Third Avenue and Pine Street is a significant milestone. This development highlights the critical public safety value of the Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) and the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras program. 

“It’s highly probable that this arrest would not have been possible without the RTCC. Given the brazen and callous nature of this attack, it’s also likely these individuals have committed similar acts before and would’ve continued to do so if not for this tool.

“The analysts who staff the RTCC provide a clear contribution to Seattle’s safety that far exceeds the cost of their salaries. Their work is a force-multiplier and demonstrates how technology can enhance the capabilities of the cop on the street. We’re making significant progress to achieve our goal of 1,250 officers by the end of this year. It is imperative to maintain these types of investments in the City’s public safety programs. We must continue our forward progress on public safety.”

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