Dozens of major Seattle-area business leaders, including executives from Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, Alaska Airlines and T-Mobile, are calling on city officials to take more aggressive and measurable steps to improve public safety.
In a letter sent to Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and members of the City Council, 38 business leaders urged the city to adopt a 100-day public safety action plan. They also urged the city to restore surveillance cameras in high-crime and high-event areas and establish clear benchmarks for police response times.
The coalition includes Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, Costco CEO Ron Vachris, Nordstrom co-CEO Erik Nordstrom, Seattle Mariners CEO John Stanton and Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci.
The letter was led by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Challenge Seattle and the Washington Roundtable. The business groups said an August poll of Seattle voters showed strong support for more urgent action on public safety.
Only 34% of Seattle voters surveyed said they were confident the city had an effective public safety plan, according to the poll cited by the coalition. More than 86% supported creating a public safety action plan, while 75% supported expanding the use of CCTV cameras.
The business leaders are asking Seattle to reactivate surveillance cameras in Pioneer Square, the Stadium District and other areas that regularly host large events. They argue that cameras can help deter crime and assist police in identifying suspects.
The letter also calls for a 100-day plan with measurable goals and monthly progress reports. It asks the city to restore regular foot and bicycle patrols in areas with persistent public safety problems, including Little Saigon.
The coalition is also pressing Seattle to recommit to its seven-minute standard for 911 response times and publicly report when that benchmark is not met.
The business leaders cited data from Nordstrom’s downtown flagship store showing that officers responded to only 29% of its 911 calls. By comparison, the company’s Southcenter and Bellevue stores received officer responses to all of their 911 calls, according to the letter.
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The coalition is also seeking a clearer policy for drug diversion, with treatment and shelter offered first, while calling for arrest and prosecution of people who repeatedly refuse assistance. It wants Seattle police and the city attorney to develop a prioritized strategy for shutting down open-air drug markets.
Another proposal would prohibit camping within 250 feet of parks, playgrounds and schools and require encampments in those areas to be cleared within 72 hours.
The business leaders also warned against reducing public safety spending during the city’s budget process. They said Seattle has about 1.31 sworn police officers per 1,000 residents, a figure they described as roughly 40% below Denver, 43% below San Francisco and 58% below Boston.
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The letter comes as Wilson’s administration faces continuing scrutiny over police staffing, public safety and the city’s response to several high-profile shootings during the summer.
Rachel Smith of the Washington Roundtable said the business community’s concerns were not prompted by a single incident but by what leaders described as a gradual deterioration in public safety.
Former Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire, who now leads Challenge Seattle, said the city needs to take action on public safety. For Seattle’s major employers, the demands reflect growing concern that public safety has become an issue affecting businesses, workers, residents and visitors. The coalition is now pressing city leaders to pair a concrete action plan with funding and publicly measurable results.