Yesterday, Gov. Inslee, Attorney General Ferguson, former Attorney General McKenna, and several Democrat and Republican legislators announced they would introduce legislation repealing Washington's death penalty statute. I hope the legislature passes this measure; it's long overdue. I wrote about this...
Tag: Public Safety
Home » Public Safety » Page 7
Post
August 12, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember O'Brien
Do No Harm and Do the Most Good
On July 27, in what felt like one of our warmest evenings of the summer, I joined almost 200 neighbors and community members in Ballard to have a conversation about the issues I’ve been hearing most about in recent months – homelessness, property crime, and drug addiction. The Safe and Healthy Communities Public Forum (video […]
Post
July 8, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
Mourning
This week has been difficult for me to process. On Tuesday and Wednesday, two more black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, were shot and killed by police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota. As I struggle to balance my emotional...
Post
June 13, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
More Tragedy, More Inaction
Tragedy struck our country early yesterday morning in Orlando, Florida. Forty-nine people killed in an attack on that city’s LGBTQ community, dozens more injured. This was a hate crime and an act of domestic terrorism, just like the mass shooting...
Post
April 26, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember O'Brien
Encouraging Safe Environments
As you may have heard, last Saturday afternoon a young man, believed to be using methamphetamine, smashed a window of La Isla Restaurant in Ballard and proceeded to use a shard of glass to attack and injure two people on the sidewalk outside. It is upsetting to see this happen in our community, and I […]
Post
April 8, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
The Long Road to Effective Management of Our Police Department
When Kathy O’Toole assumed command of the Seattle Police Department in June, 2014, she inherited a police department rife with staggering management challenges. For years, ineffective management had led to inconsistent practices, a lack of accountability, very poor tracking of...
Post
March 24, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
Curbing Prescription Drug Abuse: A Practical Step
Yesterday the Council’s public safety committee approved a resolution supporting a new prescription drug take-back program in King County. The County is currently recruiting pharmacies willing to host drug take-back drop boxes. Pharmaceutical companies provide funding for the program; pharmacies...
Post
February 2, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
Some Good News About State Prisons
The following article was sent out in my City View Newsletter, which you can sign up to receive here. The state’s Department of Corrections (DOC) has been in the news a lot recently because of the data errors over prisoner...
Post
January 28, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
Real Police Response Time Figures by Precinct
The Council’s public safety committee was briefed yesterday on police department response times to high priority 911 calls. It was refreshingly transparent and candid. The briefing was prompted by an article in The Seattle Times on January 2 that contrasted...
Post
January 22, 2016January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess
The Confusion Surrounding Encampments
Once again, our city is struggling with how to best respond to the very real crisis of unsheltered people living outdoors in unauthorized encampments. The “One Night Count” on January 29, an annual survey of the homeless population, is sure...