I didn't even bother asking lol. It's a big deal that Jim Britt is being promoted to lead the East Precinct, not least because he'll no longer be in charge of the Real Time Crime Center. Will SPD be bringing on someone who is well acquainted with surveillance technology to take his place? Who knows.

On the whole, there were bright spots for urbanist candidates all around the region, with major gains seen in Burien, Redmond, and Tacoma. There was also some backsliding in places like Sammamish and Bainbridge Island. Story: www.theurbanist.org/2025/11/06/p...

Federal judge saying in open court that ICE and CBP lie so much she simply does not believe them—bc the evidence clearly show they are lying. And to be clear: this is all too common police culture. Do something wrong, lie to cover it up.

The momentum is building. That said, it's important to remember that the issues around surveillance are not limited to just Flock.

It's worth checking with King County Elections that your ballot was counted. If not, you can probably cure ballot so that it is counted. info.kingcounty.gov/kcelections/...

Redmond Police posted an update earlier regarding the #Flock suspension. www.redmond.gov/2400/Automat... NB. This states RPD *access* has been disabled, but until they are physically disconnected/removed, the data is still being sent to #Flock. 1/2 #deflock #surveillance #alpr #flocksafety

There's a lot going on here, almost none of which is contained in this statement.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell gained another point on progressive challenger Katie Wilson in today's ballot drop, which added about ~21,000 ballots. She trails by 8 points. Expected bigger counts tomorrow and Friday, which are typically more progressive-favoring. Comeback still possible.

My latest about contingency plans (or lack of them) for increased ICE enforcement and/or National Guard deployment in Seattle. If you've been hoping SPD might intervene on behalf of Seattle residents, you might want to read until the end.

Not a fan of people coming to my door to sell a service I might be interested in, but I have to decide *today.* I will never decide today about a pricy and important service. In fact, the stress of being forced to artificially decide with a tight deadline makes me less likely to ever decide.

Tbh I'm not surprised by this news, but it does represent a big shakeup at SPD.

I've already been missing Cascade PBS's coverage. High quality reporting and not locked behind a paywall, which meant I could share articles knowing folks wouldn't have a problem accessing it.

This is huge news and illustrates the power of advocacy.

billionaires have invested in media not because they support journalism but because they want to control it. there is only downside to a free press for people with that level of wealth. journalism is a great equalizer and they don’t want us to be equal.

Some of the concerns I referenced earlier.

Noooooooo

I have concerns about this annual public safety survey, but the article's points about SPD's abysmal legitimacy ratings and folks' concern over traffic safety above all else are interesting.

Crosscut is dead. Long live Crosscut. Today’s the official last day for me and my Cascade PBS newsroom colleagues. We did good work over the decades and it is supremely sad to see it shut down.

In reality, these logs are almost certain to become less useful as a genuine check on surveillance as time goes by. Probably should write more about this at some point.

For Seattle readers... you already know you have big races on the ballot in 5 days. But don't miss our reporting on why it matters! 1. @amysundberg.bsky.social on the local prosecutor race, where the only GOP official in Seattle is up for reelection: boltsmag.org/city-attorne...

City Council begins budget gymnastics as alternative response in Seattle takes another blow from the new SPOG contract notesfromtheemeraldcity.com/city-council...

I've been curious if there would be a special legislative session for months, but so far, Washington's governor has been silent on that point.

It's interesting to observe the parallels between the NYC and Seattle mayoral elections. In both cases, I'm seeing people saying the race is all about turnout, with the understanding that young people's votes are needed for the progressive choice in both cities to win out.

My latest, about the youth diversion program Restorative Community Pathways, which is looking poised to be replaced during King County's budget process. I have been following this story for months so I'm glad to finally get to pull it all together for you all.

The dangers of surveillance technology just keep growing.

New: Videos show ICE/CBP agents are scanning peoples' faces on the street to verify citizenship. ICE has tool to instantly look up unprecedented number of databases with just a photo “I’m an American citizen so leave me alone” “Alright, we just got to verify that” www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...

I can't get over both Bruce Harrell and Sara Nelson taking a victory lap on emergency legislation approved today to ban restricted covenants on grocery stores as "boost[ing] food access in Seattle Neighborhoods"...days before nearly 1 million Washingtonians are set to lose their SNAP benefits.

More public comment on the Seattle budget on Thursday morning, 9:30-10:30am, on CM amendment proposals that aren't yet public.

Listening to all this public comment asking for money in Seattle's budget. There's hardly any extra unprogrammed money this year, so any new spends, including proposed amendments, will require cuts somewhere else.

I was just thinking this. AI makes a great excuse for layoffs that a corporation wants anyway.

Rob Saka wants to take money *directly* from transit service funding to pay for a new "Chief Transit Security and Safety Officer" at the City of Seattle. That's despite the fact that King County is directly in charge of many of the things this new position would be trying to direct.

They can't help themselves.

Tbh, the KUOW story did give me an inaccurate impression of the facts. That Wilson's parents started helping with daycare costs this year, specifically due to Wilson's mayoral campaign, seems relevant to me and was left out of the original version that I read.

Whenever anyone has asked my opinion of Seattle's mayoral race over the last few months, I've said the same thing: it could go either way. And last week's polls agree with me. Getting out the vote will likely be a huge factor in determining the winner of this race.

I just discovered this podcast by Nora Kenworthy and Marcus Harrison Green. If you've been interested in my AI reporting or AI in general, I really recommend giving this episode (from August) a listen.

We tested out Zenni's anti-facial recognition glasses coating. It actually (kinda, technically) works? "ID Guard" adds a pink sheen to the surface of the glasses that reflects the infrared light used by some facial recognition cameras. So, only threats like that www.404media.co/zennis-anti-...

I can't believe how many of these meetings I have willingly listened to.

Think I will give my annual food bank donation early this year.

Moody's chief economist says Washington State is either already in a recession or at high risk of one. I remain concerned that Seattle's revenue forecast last week may be overly optimistic. fortune.com/2025/10/24/r...

I'm at that stage of grief where I don't really feel like doing anything. I can work, exercise, do maintenance tasks, but I feel pretty meh and have to force myself to do "optional" things. Anyway, I just did some seasonal baking, which feels like an accomplishment.

I'm sure they'll respect Seattle's law "protecting" all the footage from our new police surveillance cameras, though www.theverge.com/policy/80642...

Every candidate is talking about how critical the CARE team is, while the mayor and council are set to ratify a contract that continues to hamper the CARE team’s ability to respond

As a reporter whose main beat is called "public safety," I have learned that I can write about a wide assortment of topics not in any way limited to the criminal legal system. I also learned early that you can't have public safety without adequate housing. The two go together.

Today I got my annual flu shot. I will get my Covid vaccine in a few weeks when the election and most of budget season is over.

My analysis of the new proposed SPOG contract is now available @theurbanist.org. There's a lot going on with this contract! www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/23/h...

This was always going to be a challenge for ICE, given that previous hiring drives—when the agency was facing FAR less public anger—had really struggled. The more ppl keep protesting ICE and making the job socially toxic, the worse the recruiting problem will be for them.

It is me. I caused the wind. I'd been carrying it around since the revenue forecast meeting on Monday morning.

An action against surveillance for those living in Redmond:

Aaaand my bus troubles continue. Once again my scheduled bus just didn't show up. I suspect it was several minutes early but who knows.

This new SPOG contract sure is something.