[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6188983,"mediaKeyId","5059039-fc5901a445f39a3a191c0b6f67712aca","parentId",5059039,"title","Committee reviews expansion of chronic-nuisance law to include nearby offenses and liquor violations","audioSeconds",1250,"startMs",6445000,"endMs",7695000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5059039-fc5901a445f39a3a191c0b6f67712aca&start=6445&end=7695","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5059039-fc5901a445f39a3a191c0b6f67712aca/thumbnail_6445000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6188983/Seattle/King-County/Washington/Committee-reviews-expansion-of-chronic-nuisance-law-to-include-nearby-offenses-and-liquor-violations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6188983-bd2f94f2c71eb6e2b7f85d4e23c0ba6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154450&Signature=GXZIQZqjhIiq54BOdUgePhYOsWuCzNGLiFWw3DKmED55Dm1oQtuLkL8bLBZJJG~8amODd~gXTnzzmpmNtcI0rroI3utmjWTpGHxNVwZZRxSvtm1TEmLliN7BuU7toXTUCKVl8gPXjaYuo-ztdBv6fyAmXZ00b8WOg6rAy1JHrr7F3wT-fosXAz-ZD6WTGUrckfPQCU5FxzXcqXNntVA197JwyzaOcxI5QMneB9oFkTG7Ra44REgLAQQUEk3KnQ-AjdBn5rni2h2c~Xy~wj0TQvI4AyRMjToRzeGMW7-MZjXtTfpvBF8i9UvG-x7ree6P63PeZnURRphDDGvj5KXBrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Seattle City, WA","date","2025-06-24T21:58:01.88Z","article","Deputy Mayor Burgess and city staff presented proposed amendments to Seattle’s chronic-nuisance ordinance (Council Bill 121006) to the Public Safety Committee on June 24, 2025. The draft would add liquor violations to the list of qualifying offenses and allow certain off-property nuisance activities to be counted when establishing that a property is a chronic nuisance.

The changes matter because they expand the city’s ability to require correction agreements with property owners or operators when repeated criminal activity is tied to a location. Under current law, a property may be declared a chronic nuisance if three or more qualifying criminal activities occur within any 60-day window or seven or more in a 12-month period; the proposed amendments keep that threshold and add two new elements: liquor-related violations as qualifying offenses and the ability to rely on off-premises activities that meet a three-part test.

City staff described the three-part test for off-property incidents: the activity must occur adjacent to or in proximity to the property, there must be a demonstrated relationship between the nuisance activity and the property, and the pattern of activity must meet the existing numeric thresholds. Director Noble and Deputy Mayor Burgess said the evidence standard and due-process safeguards in the existing ordinance would remain and noted the ordinance has been used sparingly — 17 times over 16 years — in cases the city described as producing grave neighborhood harm.

Deputy Mayor Burgess framed the amendments as a targeted tool for venues and properties that repeatedly produce or attract serious criminal behavior. “A property may be declared a chronic nuisance if 3 or more criminal nuisance activities occur in any 60 day window or 7 or more in any 12 month period,” Deputy Mayor Burgess said in presentation remarks summarizing the ordinance’s current operation. Staff emphasized correction agreements typically require mitigations such as lighting, enhanced security, vegetation removal and other steps; penalties for noncompliance can include daily fines up to $500 and a one-time $25,000 penalty in egregious cases.

Stakeholders consulted included nightlife venue owners, business improvement districts, the Downtown Seattle Association, the Seattle Metro Chamber and professional stadium operators. Staff reported no formal opposition emerged during outreach, though some nightlife operators asked for clarity about enforcement and process. City Attorney Anne Davison told the committee that the proximity amendment could be an important tool to address gun-violence spillover when incidents occur in lots or parking areas adjacent to venues and cannot be charged as occurring on private premises.

Committee members signaled broad support but asked for more time to review the draft language and the three-part proximity test. Councilmembers commended the executive for the proposal and said they wanted to ensure that due-process elements and definitions of “proximity” and “relationship to the property” are clear before any enforcement expansion. No committee vote was taken on June 24; staff were asked to return with further detail and potential amendments.

If enacted, the ordinance would give the police chief and city attorney a civil regulatory path to require property-level mitigation when repeated criminal patterns tied to a place — whether on-site or in immediate proximity — produce persistent harm to neighborhoods and businesses.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public Safety Committee 6/24/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Deputy Mayor Burgess and city staff presented Council Bill 121006 on June 24, 2025, proposing to add liquor violations to the chronic-nuisance criteria and to allow off-property nuisance activity to count toward a chronic-nuisance determination under a three-part proximity and nexus test.","taxTitle","Seattle, King County, Washington","taxId",2543,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6188988,"City attorney proposes civil penalty for graffiti; ordinance would allow $1,000 fines plus restitution",1567,4816000,6383000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5059039-fc5901a445f39a3a191c0b6f67712aca&start=4816&end=6383","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5059039-fc5901a445f39a3a191c0b6f67712aca/thumbnail_4816000.jpg","/articles/6188988/Seattle/King-County/Washington/City-attorney-proposes-civil-penalty-for-graffiti-ordinance-would-allow-1000-fines-plus-restitution","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6188988-5fab720882fa49b68a3b1acbd48ceaf2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154450&Signature=m5fkMm7gyfw-g7bExuLpQIWrutzSZLQgJGt-n~TeYQ-aqrOrnU~hUCU9ZH9dScJRdTpEnRZYr9x0t5eAfu8D6gq5ShzsXB5tguYBBzlDKVDoan8HvwqUbNeujgTueMht24es6qlelnTeB7m39UbdZsycg0OmVThuXMCvCtS06TTcGh6IOnK2~EtdIm-29J8sETN1vJzK8h4clGYufEIU2bPCMWpmwWZOlsX83rMkueiEhH9qYy3UpCY18hz31xhbdkror0FHS94EI6M0RzIinoxACyFE3RO62JNNHEp5DFlmo7aZgOyg2vcMmB4L-4gbKVeEgsMi6GYnKrQbxggN~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Attorney Anne Davison presented legislation to the Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee on June 24, 2025, seeking new civil tools to hold prolific graffiti taggers accountable and recover cleanup costs.

The proposed ordinance, Council Bill 120,995, would add a civil cause of action to the Seattle Municipal Code (new section 10.07.055) that allows the city attorney to file a civil claim in Seattle Municipal Court against individuals or entities who apply illegal graffiti. The civil remedy would permit judgments of $1,000 per violation plus restitution for labor and materials; the bill would allow courts to convert monetary damages into community service hours in lieu of payment.

Davison told the committee the proposal is intended to supplement criminal prosecution and target the most prolific offenders when criminal evidence is insufficient to secure convictions. “What I’m bringing to you is a legislative strategy that you can be partners in the support for this topic, in regards to, our city, the illegal graffiti action, that we see happening so much and is so prevalent throughout our city,” Davison said. She told the committee the city recorded more than 28,000 graffiti incidents in 2024 but received only 35 referrals to her office for potential prosecution that year, and that the City spends roughly $6 million annually to clean up graffiti.

Deputy City Attorney Scott Lindsay and Greg Doss of Council Central Staff joined Davison for the presentation. Central staff noted the bill as drafted lacks an explicit reporting requirement and suggested the council could add reporting language or request regular updates on case volume, judgments and restitution collected. Lindsay said the office intends to prioritize the “top 20 or so” prolific taggers the city has already identified through investigative and abatement work.

Committee members asked questions about likely case volume, age and demographic patterns and revenue expectations. Davison said the civil remedy is not expected to generate significant net revenue for the city because many defendants could convert penalties into community service; instead, she said, the goal is deterrence and cost recovery for abatement. Central staff and the city attorney’s office agreed to follow up with more detailed age-based referral analysis and with clarification about how the bill’s “encouragement” language would apply to third-party online behavior.

Public commenters included business representatives and residents. Erin Goodman, executive director of the SODO Business Improvement Area, testified in support of both the nuisance-property proposal and the graffiti bill, saying graffiti near nightlife venues creates pedestrian and vehicle safety problems and imposes cleanup costs on neighboring businesses.

No committee vote was taken on the ordinance at the June 24 meeting; the bill remained under committee consideration for next steps, including possible amendments for reporting and definitions clarifications.","City Attorney Anne Davison presented Council Bill 120,995 on June 24, 2025, proposing a new civil cause of action against graffiti taggers that would authorize $1,000 per violation plus restitution or community-service conversion; city staff cited roughly 28,000 graffiti incidents in 2024 and $6 million in cleanup costs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6188993,"Public Safety Committee recommends confirmation of Sean Fitzgerald Barnes as Seattle police chief",3115,1662000,4777000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5059039-fc5901a445f39a3a191c0b6f67712aca&start=1662&end=4777","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5059039-fc5901a445f39a3a191c0b6f67712aca/thumbnail_1662000.jpg","/articles/6188993/Seattle/King-County/Washington/Public-Safety-Committee-recommends-confirmation-of-Sean-Fitzgerald-Barnes-as-Seattle-police-chief","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6188993-b6a9b83d319f6235580c5a6f6443aff4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154450&Signature=gCT9JhQmm1GkbYrLXns4nQeUUS9LDmv0NEZgnC-rWsTaokzIswXzva~~BAtwuneZs~eQWW4SyI~bD-PnztNUx3oPQvYeQXzi5k~aeE3ZIXWgqQIZRegT9JyLbLgw4UKsHCkkdvD8AXkva9kL2VV5~1rBF0ksMoHiJzXAuPbEmGl8MHREYlid2zhweM5G3mL7iQW5Wq~no78MOjZKbSi91FnOcnJgbXcXL~VCXBcj~38u3OHDIZRnQtbASjThDFJbT9kk62Iz3k0AhlC2CK8Y-rcgobQjnCK3VB3yM1iTPqXstNSBZuS73yNnDvzX4NgcnXCkG5BGs4LIPCNru3r7QQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee voted to recommend confirmation of interim Seattle Police Chief Sean Fitzgerald Barnes on June 24, 2025, sending the appointment to the full City Council after a confirmation hearing and public comment.

The recommendation matters because the committee’s approval moves Barnes a step closer to becoming permanent chief at a time the city is emphasizing recruitment, technology and community partnerships as part of a broader public safety strategy.

At the hearing, Barnes laid out crime and staffing statistics he said reflect early progress under his leadership. “The people of Seattle deserve a police department that is effective, trusted, and continuously evolving to meet their needs,” Barnes said, citing department figures that he said show homicide down 37 percent, robberies down 16 percent and motor vehicle theft down 27 percent. He told the committee the department hired 87 officers in the first half of 2025, producing a net staffing increase of 47 officers so far this year and a recruiting target he described as a goal of 200 hires by year end.

Barnes also discussed technology and investigative tools the department is scaling up, including a real-time crime center, automatic license plate readers (ALPR), public-space cameras and a recently approved StarChase program. He said those systems can reduce dangerous pursuits and strengthen investigative capacity.

Committee members pressed Barnes on several operational priorities. Vice Chair Saka praised Barnes’s emphasis on data-driven responses to gun violence and asked what changes the chief has made since taking interim command; Barnes said the department expanded weekly gun-incident coordination to twice weekly during peak periods and is using task-force and intelligence-led approaches to support prosecutions. Councilmember Hollingsworth and others emphasized tailored neighborhood approaches, officer wellness and partnerships with other city departments, including SDOT for traffic safety and Vision Zero aims.

Public comment before the committee included a mix of support and critique. Erin Goodman, identified as executive director of the SODO Business Improvement Area, told the committee she supported nuisance-property and graffiti measures because of safety impacts around nightlife venues. Several speakers called for stronger accountability in police responses to people in crisis; Tassie Hightower, who identified herself as the sister of Herbert Hightower Jr., said her brother was killed by Seattle police while experiencing a mental-health crisis and asked what the chief would do to prevent further deaths.

The committee moved and seconded a recommendation to confirm Barnes. In a roll-call vote the recommendation carried 4-0: Councilmember Hollingsworth (yes), Council President Nelson (aye), Councilmember Osaka (aye) and Chair Kettle (aye). The committee record shows no votes opposed. The recommendation will be transmitted to the full City Council for final action.

Committee discussion also signaled continued focus on recruitment, officer retention and community engagement as prerequisites for longer-term reductions in violent crime. Barnes said the department will launch women-only leadership training and other retention measures this fall and described an expanded officer-support program including chaplains and counseling.

The committee hearing did not finalize any ordinance related to policing policy; it was a confirmation hearing and question-and-answer session centered on Barnes’s management plans and department priorities.

The appointment will proceed to the full City Council per committee procedures. The committee record and public testimony will remain available for councilmembers as they consider the final confirmation vote.","The City Council Public Safety Committee voted 4-0 on June 24, 2025, to recommend confirmation of interim Chief Sean Fitzgerald Barnes to the full council after a hearing that covered staffing, crime trends and technology investments.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee reviews expansion of chronic-nuisance law to include nearby offenses and liquor violations

City attorney proposes civil penalty for graffiti; ordinance would allow $1,000 fines plus restitution

Public Safety Committee recommends confirmation of Sean Fitzgerald Barnes as Seattle police chief