By: Councilmember Bob Kettle, District 7
In 2023, Seattle voters sent a clear message to City Hall: public safety needs to be a priority. The city returned to its basic charter responsibility of “protecting and enhancing the health, safety, environment, and general welfare of the people.”
Nearly two years later, I’m proud to say we’ve worked hard towards to achieving a safe base – a stable, foundational level of public safety that allows our city – its residents, visitors, and workers – to thrive. The job is not yet done, and there’s more work to be done.
Laying the groundwork for results
Throughout 2024 and 2025, the City Council passed 34 bills alongside the Mayor’s and City Attorney’s work. We have stabilized the police staffing crisis, helped reduce crime, strengthened our police accountability partners, set policy that enabled the termination of the consent decree, and created new tools for law enforcement to uphold our social contracts.
The effectiveness of these efforts is now clear. We’ve seen improvements across the board: police hiring is going up, with a net increase of 94 officers so far this year, showing a renewed interest in serving our city. Perhaps most importantly, crime statistics are showing a welcome decrease, with 36% fewer homicides, 23% fewer car thefts, and 19% fewer burglaries this year compared to last.
Strategy matters
How did we do all this? Since stepping into office in 2024, my goal as chair of the Public Safety Committee was always to build a safer Seattle. We utilized a comprehensive “Strategic Framework ” based on key pillars to guide us. These pillars included strengthening our police department staffing, fixing laws and creating new tools to support law enforcement’s ability to uphold public safety, and enhancing our public health capabilities as they relate to public safety, among others.
This vital work hasn’t been without its challenges. It has, at times, led to intense debates within our city. I welcome this engagement—open dialogue is essential for a healthy democracy.
However, there’s a narrative that our efforts are somehow in vain and any real improvements in public safety can be explained away by national trends. Don’t buy it.
The collaborative spirit in City government on public safety has been a consistent key to achieving these real results. The timing also proves this isn’t a coincidence.
We can’t slide backward
The chaos of the second Trump administration has monopolized much of 2025. We’ve witnessed firsthand federal troops being sent to our major “blue” cities. Immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities feel constantly under threat from federal law enforcement. We will continue to defend our Welcoming City against the administration’s policies, but their antics, purposely done to intimidate, cannot detract from the success of the City’s current pragmatic approach to governance.
Our unified approach of working with stakeholders and focusing on shared goals and practical solutions is a major driver of our success. Moving forward, it’s essential that we maintain this approach and look to work with the Wilson administration. The work isn’t over, and continued vigilance and collaboration are crucial to ensure Seattle continues its path to being a safe and thriving city for everyone.
Bob Kettle is the Seattle city councilmember for District 7. He serves as chair of the Public Safety Committee.