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: 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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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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Councilmembers introduce alternative to I-137 ahead of ballot deadline
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...
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Councilmember Tanya Woo to host Chinatown-International District public safety forum on Sept. 11
In response to persistent community concerns about crime and violence, Seattle City Councilmember Tanya Woo (Position 8) will host a forum focused on public safety in the Chinatown-International District (CID). Special guests and panelists will include Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9), Councilmember and Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle (District 7), Seattle Police Chief...
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Seattle City Council passes legislation diversifying jail options to better address crime
The Seattle City Council today approved legislation, sponsored by Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), to launch a new pilot program with the South Correctional Entity (SCORE) for additional jail services. The new pilot program, negotiated by Mayor Bruce Harrell’s team, authorizes Seattle to house 20 additional misdemeanor detainees at SCORE. That’s in addition to...
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Seattle Councilmember Moore announces new legislation to crack down on commercial sexual exploitation fueling gun violence
Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore (District 5) announced new legislation today aimed at cracking down on commercial sexual exploitation and rampant and escalating gun violence associated with it. “We need to disrupt right now the commercial sexual exploitation ecosystem that is driving gun violence on and near Aurora. We need this for the safety of...
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Seattle City Council adopts new tools to fight illegal street racing
Today, the City Council approved legislation better defining illegal street racing and giving the city new tools to address it. The bill, sponsored by Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7) and Councilmember Tanya Woo (Position 8) in close partnership with City Attorney Ann Davison, creates a new traffic infraction of $500 for registered owners involved in...