Still from new SPD recruiting video

By Erica C. Barnett

Monday, October 13

Harrell Says King County Public Health is “Failing Us,” Talks Tough on Trump, and Muses About an AI Wall Where You Can Ask MLK What He Had for Breakfast

Speaking to a friendly audience at the We Heart Seattle-sponsored “Great Debate” at the Washington Athletic Club, Mayor Bruce Harrell was cheerful and expansive as he complained about the healthy department, talked about how “cool” it would be to project an interactive AI version of MLK on a downtown wall, and suggested he’d be open to prohibiting protesters from wearing masks.

Tuesday, October 14

Seattle Spent Thousands on “Organized Retail Theft” Operation at Marshall’s, Arresting Five and Recovering $400 in Merchandise

An SPD operation that involved a stakeout to catch shoplifters at a Marshall’s discount store in West Seattle cost the city thousands of dollars‚ including pay for the 10 officers involved in the sting, and netted low-priced merchandise like knit beanies, children’s shoes, and two sweatshirts—the highest-value items, at $30 each). Police made five shoplifting arrests.

Seattle Nice: CoLEAD Brings a New Approach to 12th and Jackson

This week’s special guest on Seattle Nice, Purpose Dignity Action’s Director of Outreach and Special Initiatives Nichole AleThis Week On PubliCola: October 18, 2025xander, spoke with us about the work PDA’s CoLEAD program is doing with drug users at a longtime “hot spot” in the Chinatown International District.

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Wednesday, October 15

Council Takes Up Harrell’s “Inherently Unsustainable” Budget; New Spending Includes $800,000 in Speculative AI Spending

Mayor Bruce Harrell’s proposed budget is unsustainable and relies heavily on fiscal sleight-of-hand to come up with a balanced budget in 2026, a city council staff analysis concluded These tricks include relying on a one-time $141 million fund balance left over from 2025, which won’t be there to balance the budget next year; funding programs that will be necessary long-term with one-time resources, and assuming a $10 million “underspend” every year in the future,.

One of many new spends in the budget is $800,000 to implement unspecified new AI software at the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections that, the city believes, will speed up permitting times by pre-checking applications and automating some functions currently provided by city employees.

Thursday, October 16

“It Was Cold”: Mothers Who Lost Children to Gun Violence Say Harrell Ignored Their Pleas for Help

Mothers who lost their sons to gun violence told PubliCola they felt ignored and disrespected by Mayor Bruce Harrell, who they accused of exploiting their tragedies for political points. Several described a healing circle where Harrell turned out to be a special guest, but left early after a verbal clash with one of the women, telling the group “I didn’t even want to come here.”

Friday, October 17

SPD Can’t Find Funds to Recruit Women While Spending $3 Million on Macho Ads; Affordable Housing Tax Will Pay for Police Surveillance Instead; Pro-Harrell PAC Goes Low

Harrell’s proposed budget for the police department includes more than $3 million in annual costs for (yet another) recruiting firm that has created (yet another) series of high-octane, macho ads; meanwhile, it fails to fund a staffer to advance recruitment of women, on the grounds that SPD doesn’t have enough money.

Meanwhile, Harrell’s budget uses the JumpStart payroll tax—originally earmarked for affordable housing, Green New Deal programs, and equitable development—for policing at next year’s World Cup games and the expansion of CCTV surveillance cameras into the Stadium District.

A new mailer from the pro-Harrell PAC headed up by his deputy mayor, Tim Burgess, sent out a condescending, misleading mailer featuring his opponent Katie Wilson’s resume as of 2015, when it went back to 2006 and included jobs at a bakery and as resident manager of an apartment building. The flip side featured Harrell’s resume, which revealed that he hasn’t applied for a job since 1990 at the latest.