Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell talks city changes, public safety
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell promises change in State of the City address
Seattle Mayor Brice Harrell focused on how he plans to keep every member of the community safe in his 2025 State of the City address.
SEATTLE - On Tuesday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell addressed issues with crime, drugs, homelessness, and concerns about the Trump presidency during his State of the City address.
"Public safety is my highest priority as mayor," he said to the crowd at Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle.
Violence has plagued the city for years.
Violent crime, drugs and homelessness in Seattle
By the numbers:
Seattle police data FOX 13 Seattle obtained shows that 268 people were murdered between 2020 and 2024.
That is a 90% increase when compared to the previous five years. There were 141 murders in Seattle from 2014 to 2019, according to the same SPD numbers.
With a new police chief and crisis care response unit, Harrell said he is hopeful for the future.
"EMS dispatches are down 15%. Violent crime is down 14% across downtown, with a projected 20% decreasing along Third Avenue and the Pike-Pine corridor," he said.
It’s not just violent crime devastating families, Harrell said the opioid epidemic needs to be stopped.
He said he plans to invest $32 million towards public health. That is nearly triple the city’s spending in 2024.
"Funding treatment beds, new methods of service and medication, an overdose recovery center, an expanded post-overdose response team, while still, of course, arresting traffickers and those causing the most harm," Harrell said.
Big picture view:
Across the region, the homeless crisis continues to destroy lives.
Data from 2024 shows 16,385 people are homeless in King County. That is 23% more than the homeless county in 2022.
Harrell said he plans to continue to create affordable housing.
"While not every person will say, ‘yes’ and come in doors this time, we will continue to ask and create spaces for people to recover because, ‘no,’ perhaps it means just not now, because we believe every person deserves shelter," said Harrell.
Finally, Harrell put an emphasis not on Seattle, but his concerns from the other Washington.
"I’m not being an alarmist when I say we should have grave concerns for what the Trump administration has in store for our city and its people," he said. "Let me be clear, when Seattle’s local values, and our policies, and our priorities are challenged by unlawful federal actions, we will not hesitate to do everything in our power to defend our people and our rights."
Harrell also discussed expediting the expansion of the light rail to West Seattle and Ballard and revitalizing the Aurora Avenue area.
The Source: Information comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter AJ Janavel, as well as previous coverage by FOX 13 Seattle.
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