On January 14, the Seattle Police Department will launch the first of its 10 monthly community conversations, “Our City, Our Safety 2026” across the city, with each gathering designed to influence how the department will approach safety neighborhood by neighborhood. In partnership with the Department of Neighborhoods, the department is holding the first meeting at the Rainier Beach Community Center, followed by a second on Feb. 11 at the Green Lake Community Center, and the third on March 11 at the Alki Beach Boathouse. Each meeting will take place from 6 pm to 7:30 pm.

While the Seattle Department constantly engages with community partners, the Our City, Our Safety series is intended to enhance our efforts.

What differentiates this series is how the information will be used and, eventually, shared back with stakeholders. At the first of two annual meetings in each Seattle precinct, police officials – including Chief Shon Barnes and each precinct captain – will present information and gather feedback and ideas from attendees. And at the second meeting, they will share results, lessons learned, unexpected impacts, and other updates to continuously improve and create accountability.

“Safety means different things to Seattle’s more than 800,000 residents, whether you live in Rainier Beach, Ballard, or Capitol Hill, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Having honest conversations – and being accountable for our actions – is critical to moving forward,” said Chief Shon Barnes. “My goal with Our City, Our Safety is to emphasize how dedicated SPD employees are to earning trust and building the partnerships we need to change peoples’ perceptions.”

“Every neighborhood in Seattle deserves to feel safe and connected, and the only way we get there is by listening to the people who live that experience every day. This partnership is about meeting residents where they are, across languages and cultures and building solutions with them,” says Department of Neighborhoods Director Jenifer Chao. “When we lead with community, safety endures. I’m hopeful about what this series can unlock: deeper trust, shared understanding, and real progress.”

What can you expect?

The Seattle Police Department and Department of Neighborhoods designed a 90-minute meeting that combines the best of a town hall with the best of a neighborhood watch program. Participants will have the chance to hear directly from police officials and each other. The meeting also features a roundtable portion where they can have more in-depth conversations about urgent concerns to try to co-develop solutions or examine the department’s past efforts.

“This is our opportunity to go beyond analyzing data and hear stories and potential solutions directly from the people who live, work, study, and play in Seattle’s diverse neighborhoods,” said Asssistant Chief Tyrone Davis. “Their input will let us co-create solutions to current – and hopefully potential future – problems.”

The concept is grounded in research that indicates that when residents come together with police to discuss their concerns, solutions, and ideas, they can create collaborative safety strategies that truly reflect the unique needs of each neighborhood. The series is designed to complement the Seattle Police Department’s current efforts, including its active advisory councils such as the West Seattle Advisory Council, the LGBTQ Advisory Council, and the Belltown Advisory Council and local business engagements such as Coffee with a Cop.

Concept reflects community feedback

The department piloted this concept in the South Precinct in October, holding a community event with the Department of Neighborhoods at the Filipino Community Center. About 80 people attended, with South Precinct Captain Heidi Tuttle, Davis, and Barnes presenting updates to the audience. During the meeting, people exchanged ideas, addressed complex challenges, revealed their unique perceptions about public safety, discussed first-hand experiences with criminal activity, and shared their thoughts about the root causes of crime.

“People were able to say what they wanted to say and felt that they were heard,” said Agness Navarro, the Filipino Community Center’s executive director.

Academic researchers from the Seattle University Crime & Justice Research Center who specialize in studying residents’ perceptions about public safety also join these meetings.