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Seattle Democratic Mayor Bruce Harrell said during a mayoral debate Thursday night he has “no desire” to put repeat criminal offenders in jail, and he doesn’t know how to answer the question on whether the city is “too lax” on repeat offenders. “So, let me make something very clear. I was the one that sponsored the ‘Ban the Box’ legislation when everyone opposed it because the criminal system has had a disparate impact on Black and Brown communities, let me lead with that,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a mayoral debate Thursday night when asked a follow-up question about...

During Thursday night’s mayoral debate, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said he wouldn’t jail aneight-time convicted offender and would rather learn about that person’s life story. Faced with a shockingly high number of prolific offenders severely harming the city of Seattle’s quality of life, Harrell’s comment was one of the most jaw-dropping, tone-deaf moments I’ve ever seen from a sitting mayor—and that bar is already subterranean in this city. Harrell delivered the kind of response that makes you wonder if he even lives in the same city the rest of us do. No jail time for eight-time repeat criminal The moderator...

Dozens were arrested after violence broke out between woke protesters and police at a religious rally in Seattle. Christian activists from On Fire Ministries hosted their 'Mayday USA' rally at Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. The event was described as 'standing together for Biblical truth and values' as part of the '#DontMessWithOurKids' movement, according to the organization's Facebook. Counter protesters showed up under the theme of 'Keep Your Bibles Off Our Bodies,' according to Fox 13. They brought signs that read 'Republican Lies Kill Trans People' and 'Protect Trans Youth.' Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers arrested 23 people throughout the...

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell released his payroll expense tax (PET) report for 2024 Tuesday, and its projections came up nearly $50 million short. “Today’s announcement that PET revenues collected in 2024 were $47 million lower than projected requires action to ensure our budget remains balanced,” Harrell explained in a statement. Harrell said that his 2025 budget proposal was based on the projections from the independent Office of Economic and Revenue Forecasts. But since they got it wrong, the mayor said for the 2026 budget, “my office will consider all options, including additional revenue sources and appropriate expense reductions, to ensure...

The story of a 1996 altercation in the parking lot of a Council Bluffs casino has seen new light after anonymous tips were made to news outlets in Seattle. Bruce Harrell, who was elected as the mayor of Seattle in 2021, allegedly confronted a person with a weapon and resisted arrest nearly three decades ago while outside the Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs. The now-mayor said the incident was an example of racial profiling, and it inspired his position on police accountability. Harrell moved from Seattle to Omaha in the mid-1990s with his wife Joanne, who had accepted a job...

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes is leaving the department after being selected to lead the Seattle Police Department, the Seattle Mayor’s Office announced. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said Barnes was chosen after a nationwide search. Chief Barnes has been with the Madison Police Department since 2021. Communities nationwide heard from Barnes this week after a 15-year-old student opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School, in Madison, killing two people and wounding several others. “Earlier this week, under tragic circumstances, the nation received its introduction to Chief Shon Barnes,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. “We all saw firsthand what our team...

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell blamed 'guns on our streets' for the heinous slaying of Eina KwonCordell Maurice Goosby, 30, who has a history of mental health issues, has been charged with first-degree murder for the death of Eina Kwon, 34, and first-degree attempted murder for injuring her 37-year-old husband, Sung Kwon, according to prosecutors.Eina Kwon and her husband were on their way to work June 13 at their Japanese restaurant Aburiya Bento House, next to Pike Place Market, when they stopped at a red light at an intersection at 11:15 a.m.

This is the current state of Seattle. pic.twitter.com/jLkwm830p6— Katie Daviscourt🇺🇸 (@KatieDaviscourt) February 28, 2022