In an effort to tailor approaches to neighborhood safety and foster a closer relationship with the community, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has announced a new series of community conversations named "Our City, Our Safety 2026," according to SPD. The series, comprised of ten monthly gatherings kicking off on January 14, seeks to gather feedback directly from Seattle residents on how the department should address public safety at the most local level. Each event is slated to take place from 6 pm to 7:30 pm at various community centers across the city.
The specifics of the program, as detailed by SPD officials in their planned agenda, indicate a bifurcated structure where one meeting will present ideas and gather community input, while the subsequent will share updates and reflect on previous discussions. This design aims to create a continual loop of feedback and enhancement for precinct strategies. "Safety means different things to Seattle’s more than 800,000 residents, whether you live in Rainier Beach, Ballard, or Capitol Hill, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Having honest conversations – and being accountable for our actions – is critical to moving forward," SPD Chief Shon Barnes told the Seattle Police Department’s blotter.
The initial meeting will be held at the Rainier Beach Community Center, with subsequent meetings at the Green Lake Community Center on February 11 and at the Alki Beach Boathouse on March 11. The SPD aims to provide a hybrid of a town hall and neighborhood watch experience for participants, encouraging roundtable discussions on concerns and potential solutions. Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis said, "This is our opportunity to go beyond analyzing data and hear stories and potential solutions directly from the people who live, work, study, and play in Seattle’s diverse neighborhoods." Their approach draws on research suggesting that collaboration between residents and police on safety strategies can better meet neighborhood-specific needs.
Notably, the SPD piloted the concept earlier at the South Precinct, garnering positive feedback from community members for the level of engagement and the agency's attentiveness to locals' voices. "People were able to say what they wanted to say and felt that they were heard," Agness Navarro, executive director of the Filipino Community Center, reflected on the pilot event. This series of meetings comes as a complement to the department's ongoing advisory councils and business engagement efforts, which include unique setups such as Coffee with a Cop and various advisory councils that cater to different community groups, like the LGBTQ Advisory Council, among others.
With the "Our City, Our Safety 2026" series, the SPD and the Department of Neighborhoods are leaning into a collaborative model of public safety, where solutions are not preordained by officials but rather co-developed with those for whom the safety strategies will ultimately serve. The hope articulated by the department, aligning with that of residents, is to forge a deeper trust and make not just tangible but lasting strides in public safety that resonate on every block and byway of Seattle.
