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Seattle City Council approves expansion of crime cameras

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Published  September 9, 2025 7:02pm PDT
Seattle
FOX 13 Seattle
Seattle City Council approves expansion CCTV cameras

Seattle City Council approves expansion CCTV cameras

The Seattle City Council passed two ordinances aimed at fighting crime through the use of surveillance cameras with a 7-2 vote.

The Brief

    • The Seattle City Council approved ordinances to expand surveillance cameras in public areas to combat crime.
    • The measures faced opposition from the public and groups like ACLU, citing privacy concerns and questionable effectiveness.
    • The program's impact will be reviewed in 2026 and 2027, with data retention limited to five days unless needed for investigations.

SEATTLE - The Seattle City Council passed two ordinances aimed at fighting crime through the use of surveillance cameras.

Both measures passed with a 7-2 vote on Tuesday.

What's next:

The crime prevention bills allow the installation of cameras in three new public spaces, including Capitol Hill, the Stadium District and near Garfield High School. It also now allows Seattle Police to use traffic cameras from the Seattle Department of Transportation at the Real Time Crime Center.

A pilot program using the Closed-Circuit Television Camera (CCTV) systems is already used in parts of the Chinatown-International District, Aurora Avenue and 3rd Avenue in downtown Seattle.

Seattle CCTV cameras

Some city leaders supported the bills, saying the cameras have been an impactful crime fighting tool. They claim they've played a role in more than 600 investigations and are supporting more than 90 criminal investigations.

"Today’s legislation supporting the Real-Time Crime Center strikes an appropriate balance between public safety and privacy protection. Unfortunately, in this unprecedented era of federal overstepping, we need to be diligent," said Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7). "I want to thank my colleagues for their thoughtful work on this complex issue. As Public Safety Chair, my goal is to give the Seattle Police Department the tools it needs to protect our neighborhoods and provide a safe base for everyone in Seattle."

The other side:

However, many expressed disapproval of the ordinances during public comment, with more than 120 people signing up to speak at the meeting. 

The ACLU and several other organizations are against the measures, saying in a statement:

"Research shows CCTV cameras do not reduce violent crime or make our communities safer. Instead, they violate people's privacy, harm communities and waste resources."

Dig deeper:

The ordinance also includes an amendment aimed at avoiding any cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement, sponsored by Councilmember Kettle.

CCTV data can be retained for up to 30 days, however Seattle police limit data storage to five days unless required for an investigation.

The Seattle City Council plans to evaluate the effectiveness and results of the program in 2026 and 2027.

Seattle City Council to vote on CCTV program expansion

Seattle City Council to vote on CCTV program expansion

Two ordinances are up for a vote from the Seattle City Council, aimed at fighting crime with surveillance cameras.

The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle City Council and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

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