Today the City Council adopted a resolution, sponsored by Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1), strengthening Seattle’s commitment to a comprehensive approach to public safety. The resolution expresses appreciation for the community’s first responders, recognizes work done to reform the Seattle Police Department (SPD), endorses accountability measures, calls for diversified responses to 911 calls as offered...
Bill seeks to improve safety of patrons and surrounding neighborhood areas Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), chair of the Public Safety Committee, in close collaboration with City Attorney Ann Davison and Mayor Bruce Harrell, has unveiled a new plan to regulate night lounges that operate after 2 a.m. The proposed ordinance would require lounges to...
The City Council voted 6-3 today to approve final legislation on crowd management guidelines for the Seattle Police Department (SPD). The updated guidelines include several amendments intended to provide additional oversight and accountability, including checks on the use of blast balls. “The crowd management guidelines we passed today strike an important balance of giving our...
Noting the high number of public safety-related bills adopted by the Seattle City Council in 2024, today Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9) welcomed incoming interim Chief of Police Shon Barnes to Seattle and urged a redoubling of city efforts on Seattle’s ongoing public safety challenges in the new year. In its first year, the...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
Alternative seeks to better align with city housing efforts and build in accountability measures Seattle City Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4) today introduced an alternative to proposed ballot Initiative 137 with Councilmembers Cathy Moore (District 5), Bob Kettle (District 7) and Tanya Woo (Position 8). In addition, Mayor Bruce Harrell has voiced support for voters...