Mayor Harrell says Seattle is ‘on the rise’ in State of the City address
Feb 18, 2025, 5:29 PM | Updated: 5:36 pm
Capitol Hill entrepreneur and community figure Rachael Savage announced her candidacy for Seattle mayor in February, joining the growing list of challengers to incumbent Bruce Harrell. (Photo by KIRO Newsradio's James Lynch)
(Photo by KIRO Newsradio's James Lynch)
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell presented his 2025 State of the City address at Benaroya Hall Tuesday afternoon. In his words, the state of the city is “on the rise.” His speech was peppered with successes under his administration over the past year.
“A new report from the King County Prosecutor’s Office shows gun violence levels are trending downward for the first time since 2018,” Harrell said.
The mayor credits, in part, his ever-expanding Downtown Activation Plan that he says has led to safer downtown streets and an enhanced quality of life for residents, workers, and visitors.
“Priority one calls are down 50%. EMS dispatches are down 15%. Violent crime is down 14% across downtown, with a projected 20% decrease along 3rd Avenue and the Pike/Pine corridor,” Harrell said.
More from MyNorthwest: Major PNW drug case ends with nearly 13-year federal prison sentence.
State Of City of Seattle… “On The Rise”
The mayor also touted progress on light rail, climate change, and SPD officer recruitment.
“We are seeing the tide change on police recruitment. Applications, retention, and recruits are on the rise. In 2024 for the first time in half a decade the city hired more officers than it lost, along with a ten-year high in applications, so we have momentum,” Harrell said.
The mayor also acknowledged challenges ahead with federal funding cuts, immigration, fentanyl, and DEI. And the Mayor promised to protect Washingtonians from what he calls illegal overreach by the federal government.
“When Seattle’s local values, and our policies, and our priorities are challenged by unlawful federal actions, we will not hesitate to do everything in our power to defend our people and our rights,” Harrell said.
The mayor invited all of Seattle to join him in making the city the best it can be, and he thanked all of his partners who help make the successes possible.
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