Seattle Council Seeks Access to SDOT Traffic Camera Feeds for Police Investigations

In a pivotal discussion during the Seattle Public Safety Committee meeting on July 31, 2025, city officials highlighted a proposal for the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to gain access to existing traffic management camera feeds managed by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). Currently, SDOT operates around 350 cameras across the city to monitor traffic flow, but these feeds are not recorded for police use, limiting their effectiveness in investigations.

The SPD's request aims to integrate these camera feeds into their systems, allowing for recorded footage that could be invaluable during investigations of incidents. As it stands, the SPD can only utilize these cameras for live monitoring, which restricts their ability to review footage after an event has occurred. Notably, this proposal does not include traffic enforcement cameras, such as red light or speed cameras.

Council members expressed concern over the need for formal legislation to access publicly available footage that private companies already commercialize. The discussion underscored the irony that the SPD requires legislative approval to access data collected by the city itself.

Additionally, the committee addressed the potential for bias in camera deployment. SPD officials outlined a thoughtful approach to camera placement, focusing on areas with high rates of gun violence, human trafficking, or concentrated felony crime. They emphasized the importance of safeguards to ensure that the information gathered is used responsibly and ethically.

This proposal marks a significant step in enhancing public safety measures in Seattle, with the potential to improve investigative capabilities while addressing community concerns about surveillance and bias. The committee's next steps will involve drafting the necessary legislation to formalize this access.