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KING 5: Expansion of Seattle police cameras uncertain after Mayor Wilson address
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This story was originally published by KING 5 on Feb. 18, 2026.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s softened stance on these surveillance cameras has reignited debate, balancing crime-solving benefits against privacy concerns.
SEATTLE — The future of police surveillance cameras in Seattle is uncertain after Mayor Katie Wilson signaled a possible shift in her position during her State of the City address this week, softening campaign promises to limit their use as the Seattle Police Department pushes to expand the system.
On the campaign trail, Wilson vowed to curb surveillance cameras, but in Tuesday’s address she acknowledged competing concerns about safety and privacy. “I know this is a contentious issue, and I want to get it right,” Wilson said. She added she still has concerns “about data security and how surveillance cameras could be abused to target vulnerable communities,” while also saying she has been “moved by what [she’s] heard from families and communities impacted by gun violence.”
Police Chief Shon Barnes said cameras have aided homicide investigations. Detectives handled 37 homicide cases last year, which Barnes described as “the lowest number of homicides since before the pandemic.” He also said, “Ten of those cases have been solved because we caught something on a real time crime center of cameras.”
There are dozens of cameras around the city monitored by officers at police headquarters.
Still, the technology has drawn criticism from community members and advocates who fear over-policing and civil liberties violations. Taryn Darling, who serves as the policy director at Seattle Community Police Commission said in September, “Black and brown people are disproportionately represented in our carceral system.”
She and others also question whether federal immigration authorities, such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), could access city footage. Darling said, “The feds are accessing this data in other communities short of subpoena.”
Business leaders downtown argue cameras are necessary to improve safety. Jon Scholes, the president of the Downtown Seattle Association said, “We need more cameras, not fewer — in downtown and in other parts of our cities,” adding they have already helped create a safer downtown.
Scholes continued, “We’re setting our officers up for success when they’re headed to a crime scene and they’re in touch with a real time crime center, and they have not just a description of the suspect, they have the video of the suspect. They know who they’re looking for.”
Wilson has not announced a final decision. She said she recognizes “CCTV cameras can be useful tools to solve crimes,” and that they “can reduce profiling and protect witnesses.” She called both sides of the debate valid.
For now, the mayor’s comments have reignited debate over how Seattle balances public safety with privacy as officials consider the future of surveillance cameras across the city.