If your loved one gets slaughtered by a schizo with a machete, these cameras would be very helpful.

"For about an hour, SAARPR and Sawant’s campaign got their say,"

What a colossal waste of everyone's time.

"As if to test this, Kshama Sawant
—who just happens to be campaigning
for Adam Smith’s Senate seat—arrived like the ghost of City Council’s past.'

GOOD.
That oughtta give
ol wormmy the appleplexiis

Oh, gawd. speak-
ing of Wasting every-
one's Time -- he's Already Here:

the titular Head of the Anti-Sawantistas

“As if to test this, Kshama Sawant—who just happens to be campaigning for Adam Smith’s Senate seat”

Smith is a congressman not a senator

@3 The only thing Sawant is going to give people this election cycle is a good chuckle. The Stranger doesn't hold as much sway in Bellevue and down south so I seriously doubt Sawant makes it to the general. I'm looking forward to watching the dumpster fire and hear what excuses she comes up with as to why her campaign goes down in flames.

And I am looking forward
to more Conversations about
using this thing we call Our Gov't to
assist its Citizenry in it's Inalienable Right/
Search for Education, AFFORDABLE Health/Childcare
and our Ability to actually Support Our having Families.

you, know, like those Moral/Civilized Countries we keep hearing about?

but, yeah, you can keep Hoping for the USA
to go down in Flames -- looks like your
Hero, the cadet bonespurs's
gonna Grant you
Your Wish.

"turning on more cameras won’t magically make our neighborhoods safer. But it will certainly make our neighbors more vulnerable.”

1) There's no such thing as magic. If the cameras are monitored, they might be helpful in finding criminals, but they won't prevent crime.

2) If we're talking about ICE, I don't think that matters. They are just here to smash and grab. Are they active in the city proper? I've heard of them being in the north and south suburbs, but not in town.

Senators're
Congress-
Peeps
Too,
@4.

the term is
'representative,'
but, good catch.

@1, @9, @10: The Stranger has long fully embraced the abolitionist, harm-reduction approach to criminals who victimize Seattle’s residents with theft and assault. Unless Seattle Solves Crime — and Solves Crime only via the Stranger’s approved, “progressive” methods — Seattle’s residents deserve all of the crime they get.

Or, more succinctly, the Stranger opposes the program primarily because it does help to catch criminals.

@6 well if you want those things Sawant is probably not the right candidate for you. Her campaign revolves exclusively around making her the center of attention.

"Tuesday’s raucous protest..."

These people come across as shrieking toddlers throwing a tantrum when they don't get what they want. Nobody gives a fuck about your "three demands" no matter HOW LOUD YOU YELL THEM!!! Here's what grownups do: write up a clear, concise, well crafted statement based on reason and evidence and read it in a calm respectful voice. Its embarrassing that anybody over kindergarten age acts like these entitled crybabies.

This is probably the first Stranger article, which I've read in a long time, not painting Joy Hollingsworth in a negative light and I applaud them for that. She actually dealt with these protesters in a firm, but mature and respectable manner while maintaining decorum and did so in a better way than her D3 predecessor, Sawant. She also explained that these topics need to be on agendas before they can be discussed. It seems that she's trying to to make sure no opportunity for doubts in her ability to lead can spring up from her naysayers.

Also, kudos for stating and explaining the Open Public Meetings Act that the City Council has to abide by.

Anyone who shows up to a Seattle city council meeting with an “Abolish ICE” sign needs something better to do.
1. The city council has no authority over ICE
2. The United States isn’t going to get rid of immigration officers or customs officers. These are standard functions of countries. You’re not a serious person and you shouldn’t be taking up the council’s time if that’s your message. It’s a shame our council has to bother with these people.

I love to see these council protests, the more time they soak up the less gets done and that's a good thing!

@7 -- Catalina, dear, I've moved my petty crime operations out of camera view so while they are not preventing crime, per se, they are rearranging its locations.

@9/10 -- Thank you very much for this compendium. It's very helpful.

I wonder if these are the same cameras given to Seattle by the feds before Covid?First use was "to prevent illegal immigration via Alki." Although cameras were to be set up facing condo buildings, where folks don't have window blinds. When asked if they could black out some areas, technically it is possible... but no one ever thought to repel invasion from the sea booking out at the water, so no authority structure to prevent image capture inside people's bedrooms was ever thought of, much less created.
If the camera quality can not positively identify every race of human through light misting rain, it is more of an expensive toy (boondoggle) than a public safety program.
This is more of a Mall Cop kind of security: observe and report. It might have use r.e. tracking figures motions vs. preventing or stopping crimes in action.
How much pay, pension and perks do you want Seattle to provide uniformed people to observe and report 24/7/365??