Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), chair of the Public Safety Committee, released the following statement on today’s announced appointment of Shon Barnes as Seattle’s Chief of Police. “I extend a warm welcome to Chief Barnes to Seattle and congratulate him on the opportunity to lead one of the finest police departments in the country and...
Category: Councilmember Kettle
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Council’s Public Safety and Transportation chairs call for more transit security funding
Today Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), chair of the Public Safety Committee, and Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1), chair of the Transportation Committee, released the following joint statement in response to the early morning fatal stabbing of King County Metro bus driver Shawn Yim. “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family, friends and...
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Seattle Councilmember and Public Safety Chair Bob Kettle’s statement on termination of former police chief
Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), chair of the Public Safety Committee, released the following statement regarding today’s announcement of former Seattle Chief of Police Adrian Diaz being relieved of his duties: “I support Mayor Bruce Harrell’s decision and appreciate the work of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in reaching its findings in the investigation....
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Councilmember Kettle wishes Councilmember Morales ‘fair winds and following seas’ in her next chapter
I want to thank Councilmember Morales for her service to District 2 and the whole of Seattle. I recognize we approach issues from different perspectives but her collaboration and co-sponsorship on our Vacant Building Abatement legislation is particularly appreciated. It’s an example of working together to provide for a safer Seattle from dangerous buildings that...
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City council approves police recruitment bonuses and technology for crime prevention tools
Bills part of the council’s coordinated focus on improving public safety Today the Seattle City Council overwhelmingly approved legislation, sponsored by Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9), to further accelerate police hiring by offering competitive bonuses to attract the new police recruits from across the country. The full Council also passed Councilmember Bob Kettle’s (District...
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Law targeting drug-related criminal activity passes City Council
Legislation marks another major accomplishment for council’s public safety work Today the Seattle City Council adopted the creation of Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) which authorize the courts to prohibit a defendant from entering a designated areas in the city if they commit a drug-related criminal offense in that zone. Introduced in partnership with...
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Seattle City Councilmember Kettle’s Mid-Year Update
At a public safety forum this past spring, moderator Enrique Cerna started his conversation with Mayor Harrell by stating how he was struck while watching a news report on two recent shootings in the Central District. A resident in the report said, “I hate to say this but it’s just another day here in the...
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Council approves expansion of license plate reading technology for police vehicles
Tool aimed at improving public safety, preventing crimes, and helping investigations SEATTLE – The Seattle City Council passed legislation today that will expand automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology to the entire Seattle Police Department’s fleet. This technology is an important tool to help address crime across the city, both in-progress activity and investigations after-the-fact....
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Council Passes Legislation to Demolish Dangerous, Vacant Buildings
The emergency legislation will take effect immediately after being signed by the Mayor SEATTLE – The Seattle City Council unanimously passed legislation today that would allow the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) to swiftly order the demolition or remediation of unsafe vacant buildings that pose risks to public safety. The bill was sponsored by Councilmembers Bob...
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An open letter to all Seattleites: Our first 100 days
The most consequential moment of Mayor Bruce Harrell’s recent public safety forum was at the beginning. As moderator Enrique Cerna started his conversation with Mayor Harrell, he mentioned how he was struck while watching a news report on two recent shootings in the Central District. A resident in the report said, “I hate to say...