Socialist Seattle mayor orders crime cameras back on, approves expansion after months-long freeze

At the press conference, Wilson and Interim Police Chief Andre Sayles were asked whether there was any evidence that federal authorities had accessed the system during its two years of operation. They said there was none.

Cameras already installed in the Stadium District/SODO will be activated immediately. Purchasing and installation will move forward around Garfield High School in the Central District and in Capitol Hill’s nightlife district, with those additions expected to take several months. The City Council approved the locations in 2025.

The decision comes after months of pressure from businesses, event organizers and elected officials to restore cameras Wilson switched off following Seattle’s World Cup matches.

Wilson’s opposition centered on concerns that federal authorities could obtain surveillance footage and use it for immigration enforcement or investigations involving protected health care. Wilson previously described the system as a “primary threat to immigrants, trans people, or people seeking reproductive health care in our country right now.”

Wilson paused the planned expansion in March. She subsequently authorized temporary operation of Stadium District cameras for the World Cup after citing credible security threats.

Then, on July 7, she announced their shutdown.

“Effective this morning, the Stadium District cameras are turned off,” Wilson said at the time.

She said they would remain offline pending completion and review of the audit, while existing cameras downtown, in the Chinatown-International District and along North Aurora continued operating. The shutdown fulfilled her commitment that the Stadium District cameras would operate only during Seattle’s World Cup matches.

The review, commissioned by Wilson’s office and conducted by the Policing Project at New York University School of Law, recommended stronger auditing, clearer operating rules and tighter controls on retained footage.

They recommended requiring a case number or explanation whenever cameras are accessed, logging uses of artificial-intelligence features, and establishing regular internal audits to identify potential misuse.

The mayor’s office said the city will create an advisory group to help develop additional policies. Planned work includes rules for private-camera integration, use during major events and protests, and criteria for future camera placements.

The NYU review follows earlier findings from Seattle’s Office of Inspector General. That review examined 1,659 saved CCTV clips and found approximately 98 percent involved serious or violent crimes or high-priority incidents. Only 38 involved incidents that were both nonviolent and low-priority, mostly traffic incidents. It reported no instances of improper surveillance-data sharing.

SPD previously reported that officers and detectives receiving RTCC (Real Time Crime Center) assistance were three times more likely to arrest a suspect, and that the center assisted in 17 homicide cases during 2025, helping close 10. The NYU audit cautioned that SPD counts any analyst action as assistance, even when checking a camera produces no useful evidence.

Individual cases have nevertheless demonstrated the system’s investigative value. RTCC footage captured the attack on 77-year-old Richard Vera near Third Avenue and Pike Street and helped investigators identify the men charged with assaulting him.

In December 2025, an RTCC analyst directed officers to a suspect after he allegedly struck a 75-year-old woman in the face with a stick fitted with a metal screw. Deputies detained him within five minutes.

Later that month, RTCC personnel located a suspected stolen-SUV driver on camera after he abandoned the vehicle, sending officers a photograph that helped them find and arrest him at a nearby park.

More recently, RTCC footage captured part of an October machete attack at Hing Hay Park, showing the suspect chasing a victim. Witnesses and victims identified the man to officers, who allegedly found him still holding the weapon.

After gunfire erupted at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle on July 26, major venues and event organizations urged Wilson to reactivate the Stadium District cameras and invest in coverage around Seattle Center.

Seattle Center is separate from the locations covered by Tuesday’s announcement. Councilmember Rob Saka has proposed approximately $1 million in the upcoming budget for additional cameras in and around the campus. More than three months after the shooting, investigators are still asking the public to help supply evidence.