Seattle floats video surveillance in high-crime areas

Seattle considers video surveillance in crime hot spots

Seattle City Council is considering new ordinances to step up video surveillance with the promise of targeting gun violence and human trafficking in high-crime areas.

SEATTLE - Seattle City Council is considering new ordinances to step up video surveillance, with the promise of targeting gun violence and human trafficking in high-crime areas.

The proposed ordinance targets several crime hot spots, including Aurora Ave N, the Chinatown International District (including Little Saigon), and the Third Ave Corridor of downtown Seattle. Many of these areas are already within the boundaries of the City Council's newly-revived SOAP and SODA zones.

Council member Rob Saka has called for the inclusion of Alki Avenue in the list of monitored areas.

On Tuesday morning during the City Council's Public Safety Meeting, Alki residents chimed in with support.

"I and my neighbors face a clear and present danger," said one Harbor Ave resident. "The past 12–18 months we can identify five purposeful killings along Harbor and Alki."

Seattle Police is pushing for the program, saying this technology will improve public safety amid historic department staffing shortages.

"We are at incredibly low rates of officers," testified a Seattle Police spokesperson. "We have to do something else to bridge the gap."

Surveillance footage would only cover public spaces like streets, sidewalks, and parks, with signs posted to notify the public they are on camera.

Video recordings will be kept for a maximum of 30 days unless retained as evidence in active investigations, according to the proposal. The use of face-recognition technology is explicitly prohibited. Even with these assurances, several community members expressed their concern.

Critics say this spying technology is Draconian.

"If your intention is to harass immigrants, people of color and other minoritized communities, then you’re on the right track with these bills," said one Capitol Hill resident.

"I do not want police or artificial intelligence systems to watch me and my family as we go about our lives. Surveillance leads to self-censoring, a loss of creativity, individuality and, of course, privacy," argued a Greenlake parent.

Seattle Police plan to monitor reported crime rates and police activity in these surveillance areas, promising to share data through a public dashboard to assess the program's effectiveness.

The Public Safety Committee appears aligned on both bills establishing this technology program. On Tuesday, they all voted to move forward with it. The full council is scheduled to vote on the legislation.