Seattle Public Safety Committee recommends passage of two surveillance ordinances, including 60-day pause for CCTV and ALPR

The Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee on March 24 recommended passage of two surveillance-related ordinances that the committee and public commenters described as an attempt to balance residents’ privacy with public-safety needs. The committee, chaired by Robert Kettle, voted 5-0 to send both bills to the March 31 City Council meeting.

Chair Robert Kettle opened the meeting by framing the agenda around “ALPR, CCTV” and the city’s broader surveillance program, saying the systems “do not have any facial recognition built into it,” and stressing the need for privacy and data-governance audits before large events such as the FIFA World Cup. Kettle said city and council work has produced multiple ordinances and a surveillance impact process, and described a 60-day pause protocol the bills would formalize if systems are at risk or subject to certain legal requests.

The first item, CB 121180, would amend Seattle Municipal Code section 4.18.015 to align local rules with Washington’s Keep Washington Working Act on when Seattle Police Department personnel may inquire into a person’s citizenship or immigration status. Tamaso Johnson of Council Central Staff summarized the bill and told the committee that enforcement of U.S. immigration law remains a federal function and that the proposed ordinance primarily makes technical changes to conform city code with state law. Johnson noted that SPD operational policy currently limits immigration-status inquiries except by exceptional…