Thirty-eight Seattle-area business leaders — including executives from Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, Alaska Airlines and the Seattle Mariners — sent a letter last week demanding Mayor Katie Wilson and the City Council adopt a 100-day public safety action plan with measurable benchmarks. A poll cited in the letter found only 34% of Seattle voters are confident the city has an effective public safety strategy.
Wilson responded by telling KUOW the data doesn’t support concerns about police staffing, pointing to about 3,500 applications in the hiring queue and more than 100 officers hired this year, while pushing back on Councilmember Bob Kettle’s concerns about ending the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) hiring incentives.
John Curley, host of “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio, noted the political dynamics behind the fight are hard to ignore and suggested Kettle, who chairs the council’s public safety committee, sees an opening…