Mayor Katie Wilson interrupted an interview to justify her decision to block city surveillance cameras, as newly released text messages expose confusion within police leadership following July’s deadly Bite of Seattle shooting.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has defended her decision to block the activation of city surveillance cameras, interjecting during a television interview this week as scrutiny mounts over her handling of public safety. Wilson, who earlier this year halted plans to connect the cameras to Seattle’s real-time crime centre, cited privacy concerns and worries over their potential use by federal immigration authorities. The controversy comes as newly released text messages reveal chaotic internal communication among police leadership in the hours following a mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival in July, in which three people were killed.
Interview interruption over camera policy
Speaking to KOMO News this week, Wilson said her decision not to activate the surveillance cameras would be reviewed, and that she “will be making a decision” on their future use by the end of the month, once an ongoing audit is complete. During the interview, presenter Chris Daniels asked assistant police chief Nicole Powell whether the cameras represented “a tool that could help in any unsolved cases.” As Powell hesitated before responding, Wilson interjected. “Cameras are obviously a useful tool,” she said, pointing to separate footage from local stores that had helped identify the gunmen responsible for the Bite of Seattle shooting.
Wilson’s reference to the July shooting comes despite criticism of her own response to the incident, after she failed to activate the city’s emergency alert system and released information to the public that was later found to be inaccurate, complicating the investigation.
Police chief dismissed after shooting
In the aftermath of the shooting, Wilson dismissed police chief Shon Barnes, a decision that prompted small protests from supporters who accused the mayor of failing to take responsibility for the handling of the incident. Text messages released this week, first reported by Fox13, have since shed further light on the confusion within Seattle’s police leadership during the hours that followed the attack.
According to the messages, Chief Operations Officer Sarah Smith first notified leadership of the mass shooting at 6.39pm, asking nine minutes later: “Is there a conference call on this?” Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis replied at 6.49pm: “I hope not. Let the incident stabilized [sic] 1st please.” An internal briefing was subsequently scheduled for 8.30pm, followed by a separate briefing for Wilson and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson at 9pm.
Delays before public briefing
A press conference had been scheduled for 9.45pm, but texts show that just minutes beforehand, at 9.42pm, mayoral public safety director Alison Holcomb informed police leadership that Wilson had not yet arrived. “Mayor’s on her way. Please wait for her,” Holcomb told the group. By 10.22pm, Smith was informing Barnes that the briefing remained delayed while officials awaited the mayor’s arrival, later adding: “Sigh. Now they are waiting for the Governor to show up before they do it. So it’s gonna happen, but they’re still just waiting for him now.”
The exchanges point to confusion and miscommunication among Seattle’s policing leadership in the hours after the shooting, with criticism since focused on the nearly five-hour delay before officials held a public press conference addressing the incident.
Investigation continues
Police have said the shooting, which killed three people and injured five others, was gang-related, and at least one suspect remains at large. A Public Safety Committee hearing has been scheduled for 22 September to address public concerns over how the investigation and its aftermath were handled.
