Mayor Katie Wilson of Seattle has a habit of interrupting public officials mid-sentence. This time, she cut off a police chief during an interview about surveillance cameras, and the video is already making the rounds.
Wilson, a Democrat who identifies as a socialist, was joined by Seattle Police Assistant Chief Nicole Powell and Amy Barden, chief of Seattle’s CARE Department, during a KOMO News interview about the city’s gun violence reduction plan. When KOMO reporter Chris Daniels asked Powell whether new Flock-type surveillance cameras could help solve unsolved cases, Powell hesitated, looked down and began to speak twice before Wilson jumped in.
Wilson’s Interjection
Wilson responded directly to Daniels’ question. “Cameras are obviously a useful tool, right? We’ve seen in the ‘Bite of Seattle’ shooting there’s been camera footage from businesses around Seattle center, we have cameras at Seattle center, those cameras have been useful tools in solving crime, there’s no doubt about that,” she said.
The assistant police chief was visibly uncomfortable after Wilson interjected. She chuckled, motioned to the mayor and repeatedly looked off camera.
The Reporter Presses On
Daniels kept pressing the trio, asking, “What’s going to be the metric of success?” Wilson answered, her voice cracking slightly: “Ultimately, we want to see zero homicides, we want to see fewer homicides, and we want to see fewer guns shot.” Powell nodded along and looked to the side as Wilson spoke.
The reporter then turned to Powell and Barden, asking, “Would either of you like to answer that question?” Barden jumped in quickly, steering the conversation away from the cameras.
Barden’s Answer
Barden offered a broader measure of success. “From my side, in addition to shots fired and homicides, you want to look at referrals in the services and whether or not somebody is making meaningful improvement in their life,” she said.
After Barden finished, the reporter handed the floor back to Powell, who laughed and answered, “Just to piggyback, taking a holistic approach this strategy works.” Powell added, “It is proven in other cities like this, and it takes all of us,” as she looked back at Wilson and Barden.
The Camera Debate
This exchange comes amid ongoing debate over surveillance cameras in Seattle and other cities. Last year, during her campaign, Wilson argued against expanding the systems.
But her position changed once she took office. Last September, she remarked, “Turning on more cameras won’t magically make our neighborhoods safer. But it will certainly make our neighbors more vulnerable,” according to The Urbanist.
As mayor, Wilson announced she would pause expansion of Seattle’s surveillance-camera system pending a privacy and data-governance audit, while keeping existing cameras operating. She said the audit’s findings would guide further decisions.
When Will the Decision Come?
In the interview, Daniels pressed Wilson on when she will set a date for a decision. Her response echoed a familiar refrain. “I’m going to sound like a broken record on this but we’ve been conducting this audit of our data security and storage and privacy practices, we’re expecting the results of that audit around the end of this month and so, at the end of this month, we’ll be making that information public and then I’ll be making a decision about that expansion.”
The Reaction Online
The awkward moment was quickly called out by many online. Popular conservative account “End Wokeness” called it an “incredible moment.”
The account wrote: “Seattle Assistant Police Chief Nicole Powell gets asked if turning back on Seattle CCTV cameras would help, she looks nervously at Mayor KatieWilson (who turned off the CCTV) Look at the face she gives the camera.”
Political advocacy group Future 42 expressed frustration. “Daniels asks the SPD Chief sitting beside the mayor if the crime cameras ‘could be a tool to help in any of these unsolved cases.’ The Chief’s facial expression and silence say it all, which is then followed by Katie Wilson interjecting that cameras are in fact a ‘useful tool,’ even though she personally made the decision to turn them off,” the group wrote, adding, “What else can we say, except Katie Wilson still has no idea what she is doing as Mayor of Seattle?”
What Happened in Order
- Daniels asked Powell whether Flock-type cameras could help with unsolved cases.
- Powell hesitated and began to speak twice.
- Wilson interjected that cameras are useful tools.
- Powell chuckled, looked at Wilson and repeatedly looked off camera.
- Daniels pressed on with questions about metrics.
- Barden redirected the conversation to service referrals.
- Powell answered after Barden, laughing and nodding toward Wilson.
Key Facts
- Interview: KOMO News, reporter Chris Daniels
- Officials: Seattle Police Assistant Chief Nicole Powell, CARE Chief Amy Barden
- Cameras: Flock-type surveillance cameras being installed in Seattle
- Audit timeline: Results expected around the end of this month
The awkward moment has already drawn attention online, with critics pointing to the chief’s discomfort and the sudden shift in the conversation.
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