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....
Category: Public Safety
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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...
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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 Council to hold public hearing on Seattle Police Management Association contract
The Seattle City Council will be holding a public hearing to gather community input on the upcoming Seattle Police Management Association (SPMA) contract negotiations. It will be on August 8 at 5:30 pm inside Council Chambers at Seattle City Hall. It’s a crucial moment, as it will be the public’s only opportunity to give...
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Seattle City Council passes legislation to protect firefighters
The Seattle City Council unanimously passed legislation (6-0) today to protect firefighters and EMTs when they are responding to emergencies. The legislation closes a loophole that excluded them from the same protections given to many other city employees, including police officers. The legislation was sponsored by Councilmember Lisa Herbold (District 1 – West Seattle) and...