Mayor Wilson Halts Surveillance Pilot Expansion Pending Privacy Audits
Mayor Katie Wilson speaks at a press conference at City Hall on Thursday, March 19. (Photo: Converge Media)
At a press conference at City Hall on Thursday, March 19, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced her decision to temporarily pause the expansion of the city’s Technology-Assisted Public Safety Pilot Program, also known as the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC).
The core of the decision is a halt to all planned expansion until a privacy and data governance audit is completed and significant steps are taken to strengthen related policies, she said. Existing RTCC operations and cameras will remain in place during this period.
The RTCC launched in April 2025 with 62 police CCTV cameras focused in three areas: downtown, Aurora Avenue, and the Chinatown International District. Mayor Wilson noted that a decision by the previous administration to expand the program to the Stadium District, the Central District (around Garfield High School), and the Capitol Hill Nightlife District was made before the initial pilot was fully evaluated.
The Mayor detailed two specific, targeted decisions regarding camera deployment and one affecting another surveillance tool:
Stadium District Cameras: Installation of cameras in the Stadium District will proceed this spring, in preparation for the upcoming World Cup and current geopolitical situation. However, they will be kept turned off and disconnected from the RTCC unless a credible threat arises, after which they will be turned off once the threat subsides.
Healthcare Facility Camera: One currently installed camera that views a facility providing reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care will be turned off immediately. This measure is temporary, pending a comprehensive security audit and stronger safeguards, despite the current Seattle Police Department (SPD) practice of masking or blurring those locations.
License Plate Readers: The use of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), which capture and record all vehicle license plates in a specific area, is temporarily paused. This pause is to ensure the city’s practices align with new state law restrictions and current safety and security policies.
Furthermore, Mayor Wilson stated that in the event of a surge of immigration enforcement similar to what was seen in Minneapolis, she would turn off all cameras to prevent abuse by federal authorities. She also directed SPD to immediately inform her office and the City Council if any information sharing with ICE is learned of, even if unrelated to the CCTV program.
The Mayor explained the decision to pause expansion stemmed from concerns that key protections rely on standard operating procedures rather than clear, enforceable policy. She also cited concerns about the security of data transferred to off-site evidence.com servers, which could be vulnerable to subpoena.
To address these concerns, the city is pursuing two evaluations, according to Wilson:
Privacy Audit: NYU’s Policing Project will conduct a data governance and privacy audit to examine whether current policies and practices adequately address potential harms to civil rights and civil liberties.
Program Evaluation: An evaluation overseen by the OIG and conducted by UPenn is focused on assessing crime occurrences, investigative outcomes, police operations, and community perceptions of the RTCC.
Mayor Wilson plans to hold a town hall on Friday, March 27 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle to facilitate a more in-depth public conversation on the issue.
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