The Seattle Medium
Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle and Councilmember Maritza Rivera voiced their support for Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision to audit the city’s surveillance program while urging the review to move quickly ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Mayor Wilson announced Thursday that the city will pause expansion of its Real Time Crime Center CCTV camera pilot program while a privacy and data governance audit is completed. Existing cameras will remain in operation as the city works to strengthen policies governing surveillance.
“I welcome the audit and policy review of the CCTV program. We must continually look for ways to improve this tool to ensure it functions as intended: strengthening public safety while safeguarding our vulnerable communities. However, it’s imperative this review moves quickly so it is completed well ahead of the FIFA World Cup, where Seattle will be front and center on the world stage,” said Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle.
Councilmember Maritza Rivera expressed support for maintaining current surveillance tools while emphasizing accountability and transparency.
“I appreciate Mayor Wilson’s understanding of the value of the existing CCTV cameras, and the Real Time Crime Center, and is keeping most of these public safety tools in place. As someone who always favors accountability and transparency, I support the idea of conducting a credible audit on the use of, and protections around, CCTV,” said Seattle City Councilmember Maritza Rivera.
“However, we need to ensure that this audit is prioritized and completed and additional cameras like the ones at the stadiums are operational before the start of the World Cup,” said Seattle City Councilmember Maritza Rivera.
Mayor Wilson said the decision reflects concerns that the pilot program had been expanded before a full evaluation was completed.
“First, I am pausing expansion of this pilot until we have completed a privacy and data governance audit, and taken significant steps to strengthen those policies,” said Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.
The Real Time Crime Center, launched in April 2025, currently operates 62 police CCTV cameras in downtown, along Aurora Avenue and in the Chinatown International District. The program was introduced as a pilot with a commitment to evaluate its effectiveness.
Mayor Wilson said the cameras will remain in place during the audit, with targeted actions taken in specific cases tied to safety and privacy concerns.
“Given the unique nature of the upcoming World Cup and the current geopolitical situation, I have chosen to move forward with the installation of the cameras in the Stadium District slated for this spring,” said Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson. “However, they will not be turned on and will not be connected to the RTCC unless we are aware of a credible threat which warrants such action.”
Mayor Wilson also said one camera positioned near a facility providing reproductive health care and gender affirming care will be turned off until stronger safeguards are in place.
“I have confirmed that SPD’s current practice is to mask or blur those locations, but until we’ve completed a comprehensive security audit and have stronger safeguards in place, I don’t believe it’s worth taking that risk,” said Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.
Mayor Wilson said additional steps will be taken to prevent misuse of surveillance data.
“In the event of a surge of immigration enforcement similar to what was seen in Minneapolis, I will turn off all cameras in order to prevent them from being abused by federal authorities,” said Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.
Mayor Wilson also announced a temporary pause on the use of Automatic License Plate Readers, which capture and record license plate data, until the city can ensure its practices align with new state restrictions.
“Finally, I am temporarily pausing all use of Automatic License Plate Readers until we can ensure that our practices are consistent with the new state law and reflect the best safety and security policies,” said Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.
Mayor Wilson said the decision is part of a broader effort to balance public safety with privacy and public trust.
“This is a decision about more than cameras. It’s about how we approach public safety, how we build trust, and how we show up for communities across this city,” said Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.
Mayor Wilson will host a town hall next Friday at Town Hall Seattle to allow residents to ask questions and provide input on the city’s surveillance policies.
