Mayor Wilson Addresses “Unacceptable” Situation on Aurora
Today, Mayor Katie Wilson appeared with city leaders to address concerns about crime on Aurora Avenue and gave the following remarks:
Good morning.
I want to start by thanking the residents, families, business owners, councilmembers, and community leaders who are here today. I also want to thank CMs Juarez, Hollingsworth, and Kettle, City Attorney Erika Evans, and Chief Barnes for being here today. We are unified to our commitment and resolve to address the serious violence that north Aurora is facing.
For weeks, neighbors living near Aurora have been sending a clear message.
People are tired of hearing gunfire in the middle of the night.
They are tired of bullets striking their homes.
They are tired of seeing violence associated with exploitation spill onto the streets where they are trying to raise children and live their lives.
And they are tired of feeling like they have to solve this problem themselves.
When neighbors start building their own makeshift barriers, that’s a sign that people don’t feel like the system is working for them. That’s not where we want to be. People should be able to trust that their city is taking action to keep their neighborhood safe.
The situation on Aurora is unacceptable.
It is unacceptable for the people who live there.
It is unacceptable for the people who work there.
And it is unacceptable to me as Mayor.
When residents took action and installed barriers on these streets themselves, they were sending a message to us in City Hall.
They were telling us that the status quo was not working.
They were demanding immediate action.
We heard that message.
We moved quickly to implement near-term measures.
We immediately installed partial barriers to slow traffic on two blocks. We also looked carefully at how to safely install stronger barriers while still allowing for emergency response, garbage collection, school transportation, neighborhood access, and other essential services.
After analysis by the Seattle Department of Transportation, Police, Fire, and our Utilities, today, we are taking the next step.
I have directed SDOT to systematically close streets at North 102nd, North 100th, North 98th, and North 96th Street . We’ll be working with SPU to ensure trash pickup will continue in a safe and successful manner. SDOT will also be exploring traffic-calming measures in the surrounding blocks. These measures make it harder for drivers to repeatedly circle through residential streets and evade enforcement.
These new barriers will remain in place through the summer.
During that time, we will closely monitor their impact, listen to community feedback, and make adjustments where needed.
We know neighbors’ concerns do not begin and end with traffic barriers. We share their concerns about gun violence, gang activity, and human trafficking in the neighborhood.
That is why we are committed to a comprehensive approach.
As part of our public safety strategy in this corridor, I am directing the Seattle Police Department to intensify the focused enforcement, investigative work, and coordinated operations already underway to disrupt trafficking networks, remove illegal guns from our streets, identify repeat violent offenders, and hold those responsible for this violence accountable.
I am directing SPD to continue working closely with the City Attorney’s Office, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and our regional partners to ensure those driving this violence face consequences.
I am also directing the Human Services Department to ensure our community-based partners have the tools, resources, and support they need to safely conduct trauma-informed outreach, build trust, and help survivors out of commercial sexual exploitation. We absolutely need to stop human trafficking, and we also need to take care not to push women further into the margins, create more danger for them, or blame for them causing this problem.
I know people are frustrated.
Frankly, they have every right to be.
My administration is committed to this neighborhood.
And I am committed to being there personally.
In the coming days, I will be planning a community meeting on Aurora to hear directly from neighbors, business owners, and community leaders about what they are experiencing and what more they need from their city.
I will also be rolling out in a Seattle Police Department patrol car on a ride-along along the Aurora corridor to get a firsthand view of the conditions officers are encountering on the ground and the challenges they are working to address every day.
The people who live and work near Aurora deserve leaders who are willing to show up, listen, and see these challenges for themselves.
That is what I intend to do.
We are committed to doing the hard work necessary to ensure that the people who live there can feel safe in their homes, walk their streets without fear, and raise their families in peace.
This is a collective response.
We will continue listening and we will continue taking action.
Thank you.
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