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...
Category: Public Safety
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Council President Nelson urges continued focus on public safety in 2025 after record number of bills passed in 2024
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...
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Councilmember Kettle welcomes new Police Chief Shon Barnes
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...
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Councilmember Rivera’s statement on appointment of Shon Barnes as Police Chief
Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4) today released the following statement on Mayor Bruce Harrell’s appointment of Shon Barnes as Seattle’s next Chief of Police: “While I have not had an opportunity to meet Chief Barnes yet, it sounds like he is very experienced and well-respected in his field. I look forward to building a collaborative...
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Councilmember Maritza Rivera’s statement on fatal stabbing of a King County Metro bus driver in Seattle
Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4) released a statement on the stabbing that occurred in the University District: “Today’s fatal stabbing of King County Metro bus driver Shawn Yim is a horrible tragedy, and I want to convey my deepest condolences to his family, and all his co-workers. Our public servants should never be subjected to...
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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 Saka proposes budget item to advance police hiring and retention efforts
Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1) will introduce an amendment in the upcoming 2025-26 Budget process to ensure the Seattle Police Department (SPD) is meeting its goals of hiring new staff and retaining officers. If adopted, the Statement of Legislative Intent would require the department to create a plan that includes: “We need more officers on...
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Councilmember Rob Saka proposes amendments exploring new transportation options in South Lake Union and additional transit security
Today Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1) announced that he’s introducing transit-focused amendments to the 2025-26 Budget package for consideration heading into final stages of the adoption process. With respect to the South Lake Union Streetcar transition amendment: “As Transportation Committee Chair, I’m deeply concerned that residents aren’t getting what they paid for when it comes...
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Councilmember Morales’ Statement on the passage of SODA/SOAP legislation
Councilmember Tammy J. Morales (District 2) made the following remarks regarding the passage of CB 120835 (SODA) and CB 120836 (SOAP) at the meeting of the City Council this afternoon: “The City of Seattle had both SODA and SOAP zones for over 20 years and research has proven these orders did not reduce drug use...
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Seattle City Council passes legislation combatting commercial sexual exploitation
Today the Seattle City Council passed by an 8-1 vote Councilmember Cathy Moore’s (District 5) bill to fight commercial sexual exploitation and the violence associated with it. The legislation includes a prohibition on loitering for buying, selling or promoting prostitution, as well as a separate provision that allows a judge to issue a Stay Out...