Major Corporations Press Seattle City Leaders for Stronger Public Safety Measures
Seattle Today Newsroom
September 12, 2026
Photo Credit: Felipe Galvan
Multiple top Seattle business executives are putting direct pressure on the city, demanding swift and transparent measures to tackle the city’s worsening public safety environment.
In a joint letter sent on Thursday to Mayor Katie Wilson and the City Council, prominent corporate executives including the Vice Chair of Microsoft Brad Smith, Chairman of Starbucks and CEO Brian Niccol, CEO of Costco Ron Vachris, Co-CEO of Nordstrom Erik Nordstrom, CEO of Seattle Mariners John Stanton, and Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci, insisted that local officials should roll out a concrete 100-day safety action plan. The group, organized by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, is asking for restored security cameras in high-activity areas and strict tracking of police response times.
The group of businesses pointed to an August public opinion poll showing that only 34% of Seattle residents have confidence that the City has a workable safety strategy. According to the survey, the majority of residents support visible solutions, many favor a structured 100-day public safety road map, and also bringing back security cameras to deter crime in spots like Pioneer Square and the Stadium District.
Beyond surveillance, the business executives outlined several specific demands; some of them are: increased foot and bike patrols in trouble spots like Saigon, an initiative backed by 90% of the residents who took the survey, recommitting to the seven-minute response target for emergency 911 calls, with public accountability when the mark is missed. A structured approach to drug diversion that enforces treatment first but permits arrest for repeat refusals to said treatment, and also increasing funding for public safety during upcoming budget talks.
Responding to the pressure, Mayor Wilson’s office defended its record, while acknowledging the public frustration. In a statement, her administration emphasized that foot and bike patrols have already been expanded across vulnerable corridors, including Belltown, Little Saigon, Rainier Beach, the Chinatown International District, and North Aurora. The Mayor also pointed out that officer applications have surpassed 3500 and assured that a new police chief is being recruited. She then highlighted that overall shootings and homicides have reached a ten-year low according to police data.
“Seattle is making progress, step by step. While any violence is too much violence, it is important to understand that SPD data show shootings and homicides at their lowest in a decade. And yet, we have far too much crime and disorder, and people have the right to be frustrated. I like everyone in Seattle want to see that progress happen faster and steadier,” Wilson said after highlighting that her office plans to unveil a comprehensive gun violence reduction initiative and shelter strategy in the coming days.
