Seattle to have more street surveillance cameras after council vote
Sep 9, 2025, 7:37 PM | Updated: Sep 10, 2025, 8:20 am
CCTV cameras set up at an intersection. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
The Seattle City Council voted to expand the city’s street surveillance camera system Tuesday after hours of public comment.
The council voted 7-2 in favor. The City of Seattle already had a network of approximately 50 closed-circuit television cameras throughout the city, specifically downtown and the Chinatown-International District (CID).
The new cameras will be primarily distributed throughout the Capitol Hill neighborhood, the areas surrounding the city’s stadiums, and near certain schools, like Garfield High School in the Central District.
A 17-year-old student was shot and killed on Garfield’s campus last year, with Seattle Police making no arrests in the case since.
Dozens of residents used the public comment period to voice their opinions before the vote was made. One objection to the camera expansion during the lengthy city council meeting was expressed by resident Carl Noff, who told council members that cloud computing companies that collect and save CCTV footage cannot be trusted.
“These vendors regularly share data with ICE and other law enforcement entities beyond our state’s jurisdiction,” Noff said. “Council, if you vote yes, you will seriously endanger women seeking health care who come here from states where abortion is illegal. You will be aiding and abetting ICE.”
Another participant told the Seattle City Council the federal government could use the footage to target vulnerable populations.
“Federal authorities currently use these tools to surveil those who are immigrants and those seeking gender affirming care and violate their rights to privacy,” resident Rachel Snell said.
“Under no circumstances will we be sharing this information for those seeking gender affirming care, those seeking reproductive care, or for immigration enforcement purposes,” Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka stated.
Some argued the cameras were a violation of privacy, while others complained that the pilot program was expanding prematurely, as a study is currently underway to evaluate the effectiveness of this surveillance camera network.
Ultimately, the council voted to expand the camera system due to its assistance in several police investigations.
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