‘Unified approach to public safety’: Mayor says it’s time to talk about it

Public safety isn’t just up to the police and fire departments, according to Mayor Murray, whose office sent this news release tonight announcing a plan to start talking about “a unified approach”:

In an unprecedented action, Mayor Ed Murray this morning sent a letter to members of the Seattle City Council, calling for a special meeting of the Full Council to begin the conversation of a unified approach to public safety.

“Public safety is our paramount duty and we must move forward together with a unified approach,” Murray wrote in the letter. “As elected representatives for the people of Seattle, we have a collective interest and urgency to translate vision into action for all of our residents.” Read the letter here.

Murray will address the Council and public in Council Chambers on Wednesday, June 25 at 1 p.m., joined by the executive cabinet and senior staff.

This discussion will take a holistic look at public safety in each community from the perspective of every city department, and will address public perceptions of public safety, changes that can be made to Seattle’s built environment to lessen the opportunity for crime, opportunities for activating streets, parks, community centers and public spaces, creating job opportunities and programs for youth employment, coordinating crisis intervention and mental health services, and cultivating a police model that keeps the community safe.

The Mayor is granted the authority to call a special Full Council meeting under Article 5, Section 6(c) of the Seattle City Charter. This authority has been invoked only three times in the past decade, but never used in this manner: McGinn sent his legal counsel Carl Marquardt to Council to discuss an emergency proclamation (4/3/2012), McGinn spoke in Chambers memorializing the victims of a fire in Fremont (6/14/2010), and Nickels addressed the Council through a pre-recorded video, welcoming everyone to the first meeting in the new Chambers (8/4/2003).

Eric1 June 12, 2014 (11:52 pm)

This city long ago surrendered to the bad guys. Cops have no longer have any interest in enforcing the law as it should be. When they did, the DOJ got on their case. So why put in any effort? If you don’t arrest anyone, how can you get punished for bias?
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The City of Seattle is in a deep hole regarding crime and it will take a lot to dig out. I don’t think the new chief brings a stick big enough to get out. Furthermore, I trust the capabilities of the mayor about as far as I can throw an elephant. He lost me on re-instating Bailey who promptly dismissed any discipline against bad cops. Nothing he has done since has given me confidence that the revolving door at the Mayor’s office stop turning.

roundthesound June 13, 2014 (1:19 am)

Finally this mayor has done something to get my attention, we’ll see if anything actually comes to fruition…

S June 13, 2014 (8:05 am)

Looks like he is going to go hunting after our gun rights. I knew it was only a matter of time before this happened.

KT June 13, 2014 (8:32 am)

Please, please, please, not a new property tax levy!

Jane June 13, 2014 (11:37 am)

Reading the comments of the west seattle blog is like reading the comments of the PI.. is it just rightwing conservatives that sit around commenting on news sites all day while the rest of us are at work or what?

j June 13, 2014 (11:42 am)

Maybe he’s announcing a new line of electronic cops that are able to detach from their poles and service humans in times of emergency. I’m excited. This is what happens when you try to police a growing population with electronics. Bad for people… bad for safety… bad for economy.

ltfd June 13, 2014 (1:39 pm)

Pressure the gangs, target the “Don’t snitch” culture, target the gang members, harass the bad guys, encourage law-abiding citizens to legally carry (and train to use), lose the sanctuary city status, enforce low-level crime laws, place a camera network in high-profile public safety areas (such as 3rd Ave @ Pike & Pine Streets), don’t hire more Park Rangers, hire more police officers, “trespass” the repeat bad actors from their usual hang-out locations, etc. Unified approach.

Born on Alki June 13, 2014 (2:13 pm)

Let’s see if he puts his money where his mouth is.
As far as cultivating a police model to keep our community safe is concerned, not really sure I have much faith in the current administration.
It scares me to think how this “unified approach” would be funded.

Alki Warrior June 13, 2014 (3:00 pm)

Don’t let the wool be over your eyes. Can’t you see the political grandstanding here? Gun violence?(rolling eyes) You’ll never stop guns and people from using them the wrong way. The police can’t stop someone, they don’t read minds. The police is only a reactionary measure.

Top Jimmy June 13, 2014 (3:46 pm)

Alki warrior – the police have (used to have in some cases before DOJ fiasco) proactive teams such as the ACT, etc. To say that the police are only reactive makes you sound uniformed.