‘I’d give her a failing grade’: Jake and Spike assess Katie Wilson’s leadership after Seattle shootings, public safety concerns

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson addressed reporters after a weekend of shootings that included two homicides and gunfire near Kerry Park. A Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce survey of 700 voters also found that 75% lacked confidence in the city’s plan to improve public safety.

Reviewing Wilson’s remarks during “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, co-host Jake Skorheim questioned her response, while co-host Spike O’Neill gave her performance a failing grade but acknowledged the difficulties she has faced.

“I wouldn’t give the mayor a passing grade on her first year, almost her first year in office,” Spike said. “But to be also fair, this mayor has faced challenges that a seasoned mayor may find difficult to navigate.”

Recent shootings bring renewed scrutiny

The weekend violence included a fatal shooting inside a gas station minimart near Seattle Center. Wilson connected the Kerry Park shooting to late-night street parties and announced plans for police emphasis patrols in that area.

“SPD is going to be doing some emphasis patrols late night around that area, and we’re going to just be making sure that we’re using all the intelligence we gather about where these things might happen,” Wilson said in the recording. “See what we can do to prevent that in the future.”

Three people were killed and four injured at the Bite of Seattle on July 26. Three more people were killed and four wounded in shootings in and near Belltown over Labor Day weekend.

Bite of Seattle raised questions about public information

Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis told council members he was ready to brief reporters about 90 minutes after the Bite of Seattle shooting but was told to wait for Wilson. The first briefing came roughly five hours after the incident.

Wilson subsequently requested an independent review of public communications and took steps to change emergency communication practices.

“If you know details about a suspect, and somebody was murdered, if I’m that family member, I’d certainly want to know, like, ‘Hey, can we get this information out there so somebody else isn’t murdered?’” Jake said.

“Let’s reach out to SPD and ask them if there are investigative policies that they go by, the guidelines that they use,” Spike responded.

Voters question progress since the World Cup

Two-thirds of respondents to the Chamber survey expressed concern that Seattle was losing the public safety and quality-of-life momentum associated with the World Cup.

“Immediately after the World Cup, everybody asked the same thing. Why can’t we keep doing this? Why can’t we have this?” Spike said. “The resources were here to clean up the streets and go after people that the city, the police, the law enforcement community already knew were trouble.”

KIRO Newsradio’s James Lynch asks Wilson about the job

KIRO Newsradio reporter James Lynch asked Wilson whether the job had matched her expectations and whether she enjoyed it.

“It’s obviously been a very challenging year for you,” Lynch said, before asking about her day-to-day experience.

“I love this job. Like honestly, it is such an honor to be in this position where day-to-day I get to make decisions that can have a positive impact on the lives of people around this city,” Wilson said. “I’m learning a lot. This is not a boring job, and yes, obviously, it’s also a challenging job that comes with controversy, and there’s always someone mad, right? But overall, I feel incredibly privileged to be in this position, and yeah, I am enjoying it.”

Spike closed his assessment with room for improvement.

“I’d give her a failing grade for the year so far, but hey, there’s always room for improvement,” Spike said. “Nowhere to go but up, as my grandma used to say.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3