We know that safety in any destination is a critical factor for visitors when planning to travel, regarding both public health and street scene.
Regarding protests and civic involvement, Seattle is not currently experiencing any active protests.
At Visit Seattle, we work in tandem with city leadership, the Seattle Police Department and community organizations to ensure that everyone feels welcome in our city. This includes making sure we have volunteers and people in public spaces to help all visitors get around and feel safe. An example of this effort is the Metropolitan Improvement District, which provides cleaning, safety, concierge and homeless outreach services in six city center neighborhoods. Downtown Seattle is a vibrant and active community of more than 96,000 full-time residents who help to keep our streets active and thriving.
It is recommended to check local news sources to learn more about current events and planned protests before you travel.
Recommended local news sources:
In early March 2022, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, along with local, regional and federal law enforcement leaders announced Operation New Day—a collaborative effort to combat crime in Seattle.
As part of Operation New Day, collaboration between Seattle Police, U.S. Attorney’s Office, United States Drug Enforcement Administration, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and Seattle City Attorney’s Office will be an emphasis in prosecuting felony arrests.
In the first several weeks of 2022, dozens of arrests have been made and more than 100 charges have been filed for prosecution as part of overall and ongoing Seattle Police operations around the Little Saigon neighborhood, for example.
Relative to growing concerns on 3rd Avenue in downtown Seattle, Mayor Harrell has shared immediate steps being taken to prevent harm and further tragedy, including dedicated police officers on site (six officers will be focused solely on specific areas along 3rd Avenue) supplemented by additional patrols, deployment of an SPD mobile precinct, and regional partnerships to enhance tactical efforts.
Chief of Police Adrian Diaz, in a statement to members of the Seattle Police Department, shared that he believes “we have turned a corner and can make a positive impact with the support of Mayor Harrell, City Attorney Davison, and the great majority of the community members we serve.”
Like many cities in the U.S., conversations around police reform are taking place in Seattle, with vital efforts being made to address safety, use of force and crisis intervention.
That said, Mayor Harrell is also addressing the inadequate number of sworn police officers. In the Mayor’s “State of the City” address in February 2022, the Mayor said a holistic approach to fighting crime includes funding for 125 new officers this year and a special Seattle-specific academy class. “The right number of police officers and the right kind of police officers. We can have safety and we can have reform,” said the Mayor.
Additional resources and context on the Seattle Police Department and Mayor Harrell’s plans for safety:
Seattle police to dedicate 6 officers along Third Avenue in downtown, KING 5
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell Holds First State Of The City Address, Seattle Medium
While continued change is necessary, Visit Seattle is confident that Seattle will continue to be a place where both residents and visitors will feel safe and welcome.
Partnership for Zero is a public-private effort to reduce unsheltered homelessness in Seattle. Starting with the premise that housing is a basic human need, and every human should have a safe place to live, Partnership for Zero is an extraordinary collaboration to dramatically reduce unsheltered homelessness in targeted areas of King County. The initial demonstration projects will launch in Downtown Seattle and a set of regional communities, made possible by a public-private partnership from King County’s business and philanthropic communities.
Led by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), Partnership for Zero is funded with significant private investment through We Are In’s business and philanthropic partners—including: Ballmer Group, who has contributed a lead gift, as well as Alaska Airlines, Amazon, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Campion Foundation, Costco, Expedia Group, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, JP Morgan Chase Pacific Northwest, Kaiser Permanente Washington, Madrona Venture Group, Microsoft Philanthropies, Nordstrom, PATH, Puget Sound Energy, Raikes Foundation, REI, Russell Investments, Schultz Family Foundation, Seattle Foundation, Starbucks, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Symetra, T-Mobile, Weyerhaeuser, and Zillow Group. For quotes from We Are In’s partners about Partnership for Zero see HERE.
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