Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, Alaska Airlines call for Seattle public safety improvements

Key Points:

• A coalition of 38 Seattle-area business leaders, including executives from Microsoft, Starbucks, and Costco, has urged Mayor Katie Wilson and the City Council to implement a 100-day public safety action plan with clear benchmarks and monthly progress reports.
• The group called for reactivating surveillance cameras in high-event areas like Pioneer Square and the Stadium District, citing broad public support and the cameras' role in deterring crime and identifying offenders.
• The letter highlights poll results showing only 34% of Seattle voters have confidence in the city's public safety plan, while over 86% support a new action plan and 90% back increased foot and bicycle patrols in problem areas such as Little Saigon.
• Additional demands include recommitting to a seven-minute 911 response time with public reporting on failures, a clearer drug diversion policy prioritizing treatment but allowing prosecution for repeat offenders, and banning camping near parks and schools with rapid encampment removal.
• The business leaders emphasized the need to protect and increase public safety funding, noting Seattle's police officer ratio is significantly lower than comparable cities, and stressed that a credible safety plan must be matched by a supportive budget.