Harrell said in his speech that his top priority as mayor has been improving public safety. According to the King County Prosecutor’s Office, gun violence trended downward in Seattle last year, the first time it’s happened since 2018.
The mayor noted that the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) applications, recruitment, and retention are on the rise. For the first time in five years, the department hired more police officers than it lost. Harrell said SPD hired 19 officers last month, compared to six in January 2024.
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SEATTLE — In the four years since taking office, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said Tuesday afternoon during his State of the City address that he believes there’s a new mood in the city.
Harrell said he’s prioritized restoring parks, reducing crime and getting downtown Seattle bustling with new visitors to get the city back on the right track.
“There’s a different mood in the city, a different spirit if you will, a renewed spark, optimism that we are on the right trajectory,” Harrell said. “To put that feeling into words, we describe it as Seattle on the rise.”
Harrell said in his speech that his top priority as mayor has been improving public safety. According to the King County Prosecutor’s Office, gun violence trended downward in Seattle last year, the first time it’s happened since 2018.
Harrell credited a new stratified police initiative that focuses on identifying crime by analyzing short and long-term patterns and community partnerships to reduce violence.
The mayor noted that the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) applications, recruitment, and retention are on the rise. For the first time in five years, the department hired more police officers than it lost. Harrell said SPD hired 19 officers last month, compared to six in January 2024.
“We have momentum,” Harrell said.
Part of Harrell’s public safety focus is the plan to triple spending on fentanyl to address the crisis this year. The funding, Harrell said, will go toward treatment beds, finding new methods of service, building overdose recovery centers and adding to a post-overdose response team.
Harrell said Seattle is the first city in the country where firefighter EMTs can administer Buprenorphine, a potentially life-saving medication to help with overdoses. According to Harrell, fatal overdoses fell about 25% in Seattle last year.
“This is progress but I think all of you would agree: As long as people are dying on the streets and in our communities, there is so much work to do,” Harrell said.
As Harrell used his speech to outline his successes and priorities for the upcoming year, he also used the stage to criticize the Trump administration.
“We can’t talk about the state of Seattle, our city, without recognizing the state of our nation,” Harrell said. “As mayor, my focus has been local, generally leaving national politics to the national pundits. But today, as the other Washington casts a dark cloud over our local skies, we must be loud. We are a polarized country right now. Make no mistake about it. I will not mince words. We have a federal administration focused on division and driving us apart.”
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, Harrell said the city is working to seamlessly welcome about 750,000 visitors for the prestigious tournament. Seattle is slated to host a Juneteenth game featuring the United State’s men’s national team and a Pride Week match.
In addition to a revamped Memorial Stadium this July, Harrell keyed on the investment in sports infrastructure.
“We know we have a lot of work to do, so we aren’t hanging the mission accomplished banner on the door,” Harrell said. “Seattle has never been that way. We will always seek new heights, new firsts, new ambitions, new breakthroughs, new innovations. We learn how to reinvent ourselves with the same soul, but a renewed spirit. Seattle is rising.”
