Following today’s public safety briefings on policy considerations related to the proposed 2027-2028 city budget, Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), chair of the Public Safety Committee, released the following statement. 

“Mayor Wilson’s budget, with additional details, context, and analysis provided by the departments themselves and City Council Central Staff policy experts, makes it clear that this budget is an ‘Unfund’ budget with respect to public safety. It’s as if the lessons of the ‘Defund’ era half a decade ago have not been learned, and the ‘hard choices’ in the mayor’s budget will undercut our public safety posture.

“These decisions, such as the Seattle Fire Department’s overtime cuts or the undermining of the necessary work of the Unified Care Team — which includes substantial outreach and trash mitigation of encampment sites — cover the range of public safety efforts. These decisions share a common thread in being rooted in what can only be described as a ‘wish’ and ‘hope’ strategy to make our city safer.

“Our city neighborhoods are in crisis, including but not limited to Little Saigon, North Aurora Avenue, Belltown, and now Uptown/Queen Anne. These neighborhoods deserve a comprehensive public safety approach with a single public safety plan to face the challenges in front of all of us, like gun violence, public drug use, copper wire theft, and more. That means that the city, in turn, needs a strong public safety budget.

“Moving forward, I will be working with my colleagues on the council to ensure that these public safety concerns are addressed. And again, I urge the mayor’s team to come up with a viable public safety strategy that addresses the challenges faced by many communities throughout the city. Finally, I strongly urge community members to pay close attention to this budget process. It’s critical that you make your voice heard by contacting the City Council and the Mayor’s Office and testifying at the next public hearing on Nov. 5.”

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