SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson addressed public safety concerns during her first media roundtable following a series of recent shootings across the city.
Wilson acknowledged that the recent violence is a top priority for her administration, as polling data the mayor cited shows public confidence in public safety appears to have declined.
“The string of shootings and homicides in the last few days are a major concern,” Wilson said.
The media roundtable followed multiple violent incidents in Seattle, including a deadly shooting at a downtown 76 gas station, a deadly shooting over Labor Day weekend near 3rd Avenue and Clay Street, gunshots fired near Kerry Park in Queen Anne and a shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle festival.
The Seattle Police Department has made no arrests in the 76-gas station or 3rd Avenue and Clay Street shootings. Although an individual was arrested following the Bite of Seattle shooting, recent court findings indicate that person may have fired a weapon but may not have hurt or killed anyone, which means there are potentially suspects at large.
Mayor Wilson identified late-night parties as a major factor behind recent violence, specifically referencing the shooting near Kerry Park.
“There was one shooting up in Kerry Park, which was related to late-night street parties, and that kind of irresponsible, reckless, and dangerous behavior has no place in Seattle,” Wilson said.
She explained that police will increase late-night emphasis patrols in hotspot areas to disrupt gatherings before they escalate.
“We’ll be working closely with SPD to figure out what we can do to better prevent and address those kind of street takeover late night parties,” Wilson said, adding, “So the immediate step that we’re taking is SPD is going to be doing some late-night patrols to try to kind of break up that activity or prevent that activity before it starts.”
Wilson also addressed ongoing homicide investigations, specifically referring to the downtown gas station incident.
“A really tragic homicide at the gas station downtown and we will be working to find that perpetrator,” Wilson said.
When asked about the lack of arrests in recent cases, she noted the difficulty of building criminal cases.
“I imagine as impatient as the public is for answers, and you know these investigations are complex,” Wilson said.
To address citywide safety long-term, Wilson pointed to her proposed budget, which includes plans to hire more police officers and build up the police force over roughly the next two years.
The proposed budget incorporates community violence intervention into a new department to better coordinate with 911 calls, including funding for two new oversight positions.
“The budget funds two new positions that will be housed within the care department that will help to oversee our gun violence reduction strategies. So hopefully that, you know, those remain in the budget, and we can get that work started,” Wilson said.
The mayor said her administration is also awaiting the results of a surveillance camera audit to guide future technology policies on surveillance cameras. People living in certain parts of Seattle that have seen an uptick in crime have called for more cameras to be in place and turned on to help deter crime and track down criminals.
During the roundtable, the mayor noted a Chamber of Commerce poll indicating that public safety ranks as a top priority among residents.
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