Focus on Public Safety

Since taking office in 2024, the new City Council has worked collaboratively with the Mayor's Office and prioritized legislation that addresses public safety needs throughout the Seattle community. This important work includes:

2025

• Seattle Police Chief Barnes confirmation and swearing in. On July 9, 2025, Seattle started a new chapter for public safety when Chief Shon F. Barnes was sworn in as the city’s 38th police chief before a crowd of more than 200 police officers, elected officials, and community members. Chief Barnes’ nomination was vetted by the Council and was approved unanimously on July 1. In his remarks at the ceremony Chief Barnes’ pledged “to lead with urgency, empathy, and courage.”
• Council acts to curb graffiti with new tools. In July 2025, the City Council approved a new amended ordinance to combat graffiti on a new level, on both public and private property throughout Seattle. The legislation, sponsored by Public Safety Chair Bob Kettle (District 7) and proposed by City Attorney Ann Davison, would make graffiti taggers subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,500 per violation, and could hold them liable for the cost of graffiti cleanup. In 2024 alone, there were 28,816 reported instances of graffiti vandalism in Seattle with city cleanup costs estimated at $6 million a year.
• Council broadens chronic nuisance ordinance to improve public safety.  In July 2025, the City Council adopted legislation amending the current Chronic Nuisance Properties Ordinance in order to address after-hours venues and establishments that continually violate laws. Council Bill 121006, proposed by Mayor Bruce Harrell and sponsored by Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle (District 7), includes adding liquor violations and the possession and sale of stolen property to the list of chronic nuisance offenses, as well as allowing off-property nuisance activity as a consideration. 
• Vehicle Tracking tools for criminal investigations. CB 120994, passed in June 2025, authorizes approval of and accepts the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD’s) 2025 updated surveillance impact report (SIR) and executive overview for use of tracking devices for investigations. SPD cited pursuit mitigation as reason for using the technology – a way to avoid direct vehicle chases that can endanger suspects, officers and bystanders.  
• Resolution endorsing holistic approach to public safety, Consent Decree work. In April of 2025 the council approved Resolution 32167, which recognizes Seattle’s strategic public safety work over the last year. Endorsed by Mayor Bruce Harrell, 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 by the new Community Assisted Response & Engagement (CARE) Department, and reverses prior “defund” commitments.
• Updated guidance for crowd management with accountability measures. In February 2025 the Council voted 6-3 to approve final legislation on crowd management guidelines for the Seattle Police Department. The updated guidelines include several amendments intended to provide additional oversight and accountability, including checks on the use of blast balls. The new policies could lead to the end of the federal consent decree which has been in place since 2012.
• New safety regulations for after-hours lounges. CB 120956, passed in April 2025, requires after-hours lounges to be up-to-date on all city and state permits and licenses, to maintain two security guards and have video surveillance, draft a safety plan, and allow entry by police officers during business hours. The new regulations were developed following multiple work sessions with impacted stakeholders. These groups included families and friends of victims of after-hours violence, night life operators, SODO Business Improvement Area and a lounge operator. Over the past decade, there have been dozens of shootings and homicides that have occurred in connection with after-hours nightlife lounges that operate between the hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. 

2024

• Updated police contract supporting recruitment and accountability. In May 2024 the council approved and Mayor Harrell signed a new police contract directly addressing Seattle’s staffing crisis, expanding civilian public safety responses, and strengthening police accountability.
• Expansion of tools to accelerate police hiring. On May 21, 2024 councilmembers unanimously passed legislation addressing roadblocks in the SPD recruitment and hiring process. The bill contains provisions creating a new Recruitment & Retention program in the Seattle Police Department, supports a policy for more flexibility and accessibility for exam-takers (lateral and entry-levels positions), increases candidate contacts, and adding a new Human Resources position to follow up quickly with applicants.
• Expansion of license plate reading technology for police vehicles. In June 2024 the council passed legislation expanding automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology to the entire Seattle Police Department’s fleet. The technology would allow the police to address crimes in progress, investigations, locating stolen vehicles, finding missing persons, searching for wanted persons and canvasing crime scenes.
• Expediting the demolition of vacant, unsafe buildings. Also in June 2024 councilmembers unanimously passed a bill that would allow the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) to swiftly order the demolition or remediation of unsafe vacant buildings that pose risks to public safety.
• New tools to fight illegal street racing. In July 2024 the council approved legislation better defining illegal street racing and giving the city new tools to address it. It creates a new traffic infraction of $500 for registered owners involved in racing and classifies the crime as a reckless driving gross misdemeanor, in-line with state law.
• Amy (Smith) Barden Sworn In as Chief of CARE. The Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department is Seattle’s third branch of public safety, established in October 2023 by Mayor Bruce Harrell, alongside the Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Fire Department. The appointment of Amy (Smith) Barden as Chief of the CARE was unanimously confirmed by the Seattle City Council on July 30, 2024, following recommendation by the City Council's Public Safety Committee. Seattle’s unique approach to diversified emergency response is designed to connect people in crisis with help and free up police resources to answer the calls where they’re needed most. Since launching in late 2023, CARE responders have assisted community-members in over 1700 events. 
• Diversifying jail options. Passed in August 2024, the pilot program, negotiated by Mayor Bruce Harrell’s team, authorizes Seattle to house 20 additional misdemeanor detainees at SCORE. The legislation is in response to a dramatic reduction in jail spots available to the city through the King County jail. 
• Stay Out of Area Prostitution (SOAP). On Sept. 17, 2024 Councilmember Cathy Moore’s aimed at fighting commercial sexual exploitation and rampant and escalating gun violence associated was passed by the City Council. 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 of Area Prostitution (SOAP) order for buyers and/or promoters.
• Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA). Also on Sept. 17, 2024 the City Council adopted the creation of Stay Out of Drug Areas 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. Initially proposed SODA zones included areas of Downtown Seattle (Belltown) and the International District. The bill was amended to add additional areas in Belltown, Capitol Hill, the University District, and Pioneer Square.
• Crime Prevention Technologies. Two bills were approved on Oct. 8, 2024 that create the Technology Assisted Crime Prevention Pilot Project – a new public safety program that will combine a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) System with Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) software together in one view. The new technology gives SPD new tools to combat gun violence which has increased since last year and disproportionally impacts communities of color.
• Police Recruitment Incentives. Councilmembers permanently increased hiring bonuses from $30,000 to a maximum of $50,000, among other incentives. The goal of the legislation is to alleviate SPD’s ongoing staff retention and recruitment challenges, which is at a historic low.