Seattle leaders announce coordinated crackdown on trafficking and gun violence on Aurora Avenue

Seattle leaders on Friday laid out a coordinated plan to curb gun violence and commercial sexual exploitation along Aurora Avenue, announcing near-term street closures, requests for dedicated prosecutors and stepped-up police investigations.

City Attorney Erica Evans said the city will use criminal and civil tools to target buyers, traffickers and problematic businesses. "If you're coming here to buy children or people, I will prosecute you," Evans said, adding her office will seek funding for a dedicated Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) prosecutor and a deputized felony prosecutor to partner with King County on Aurora cases.

The nut of the briefing was operational: Mayor Wilson said she had directed the Seattle Department of Transportation to "systematically close streets at North 122nd, North 100, North 98 and North 96th Street" for the summer while preserving emergency access and essential services. The closures are intended to slow vehicle movement through hot-spot blocks and make it harder for vehicles to be used in trafficking or to evade enforcement.

Police Chief Shon Barnes described a two-pronged enforcement strategy that combines intensified day-to-day patrols with longer, complex investigations. "We assigned two dedicated officers to actively patrol this neighborhood during the day of every shift," Barnes said, and the department has added bicycle officers and undercover operations as staffing allows. He told the briefing the investigative unit has "23 active shooting investigations" in the area and that four shooting cases were filed last week.

Officials emphasized survivor-centered services alongside enforcement. The briefing called for expanded pathways to healing—treatment, housing and culturally specific services—and asked Human Services to ensure community partners have tools for trauma-informed outreach. Councilmember Rivera urged departments to follow through on budgeted positions, specifically a full-time victim advocate in the Human Services Department whose hiring status she said she had not yet confirmed.

City Attorney Evans also described civil enforcement against businesses that "repeatedly generate crime," citing the Chronic Nuisance Unit's recent actions and saying property-shutdown tools will be used when three reportable police incidents occur within 12 months. She said nuisance orders and other old approaches alone have not been sufficient.

Several councilmembers said emergency legislation is being prepared to expand conditions under which SDOT could close streets, and they urged improved implementation of existing ordinances. No vote or formal ordinance change was recorded in the briefing; officials described actions taken administratively and requests for additional funding and staffing.

The briefing shifted to questions from residents and reporters about staffing, timelines and neighborhood scope. SPD representatives said hiring is ongoing (78 officers hired and 38 separations noted in the recent period) and that the department is pursuing the current hiring plan while acknowledging turnover and budget constraints. SDOT and the mayor's office said new closures would be implemented "as soon as possible" and confirmed temporary measures in place on other nearby blocks would remain.

Officials also acknowledged the broader geographic pattern of trafficking and violence across the city, highlighting Rainier Beach and the Central District as areas of concern and saying the city intends to expand coordinated efforts beyond North Aurora. Assistant Chief Nicole Powell said the department is addressing both in-person and online activity tied to large events, but provided no public evidence in the briefing transcript that traffickers plan to target Aurora specifically during upcoming events.

Next steps described in the briefing include implementing the temporary street closures for the summer while monitoring impacts and neighborhood feedback, pursuing funding for dedicated prosecutor positions and continuing coordinated investigative and outreach operations. Officials said community meetings are planned and that enforcement and service strategies will be evaluated for effectiveness.

The briefing produced specific administratively directed steps but no formal legislative votes; officials said emergency legislation is under consideration and emphasized the need for cross-departmental follow-through and budgeted staffing to turn the plan into sustained results.