Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 9h

My story says that I'll update when I hear back from
1) the mayor's office
2) the police department

Neither of them got back to me today.

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 20h

Reversing Decision, SPD Removes Controversial Captain Tietjen from East Precinct

Police Chief Shon Barnes blamed PubliCola's story, "internal leaks," and "a lack of comprehensive input" from others for the controversy.

publicola.com/2025/10/09/r...

Reversing Decision, SPD Removes Controversial Captain Tietjen from East Precinct - PubliCola

By Erica C. Barnett Two days after PubliCola exclusively reported that Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes had promoted controversial police…

publicola.com

1 23

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

Harrell is raising his voice, conflating his efforts to build a children's playground in cahoots with a wealthy neighbor to eliminate the nude beach used by LGBTQ folks with his advocacy for body cameras and "Block the Box" legislation.

6 29

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

A question about the freakout over nudity at Denny Blaine Park and the city's decisions to delay a Nickelsville encampment in Southeast Seattle. Harrell starts by saying "You have no idea how rough it was for me growing up!"

2 3 16

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

A question about youth homelessness. Harrell says the city funds preschool and two years of college, but needs to do more. "I was that kid coming out of Seattle Public Schools, I know how tough it can be."

1 3

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

"My wife and I have been working on housing, health and human services issues for over 30 years. We donate our personal money, our personal time, our personal resources and our skills to shelter people and we'll continue to do that work despite the challenges," Harrell concludes.

1 3

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

Addressing the audience of human service providers, Harrell continues, "It is offensive—completely offensive—for any of you to think that I would lead the city in a way that's not fully compassionate."

4 2 9

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

Harrell says the city never bases tent removals on a big sports event, and again says they've reduced "tents" by 80%. He's citing his usual talking point about how most of the people "we are treating here in Seattle do not become unhoused in Seattle."

1 5

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

A question about shelter and housing leading up to the World Cup and after. Wilson says "just pushing people around the city" is not working. "We need to urgently open new emergency housing" using models like JustCARE that get people into dignified lodging, like hotels, fast.

16

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

Wilson, ctd: New social housing could include affordable senior housing. Funding for community center programming could help build community and get seniors out of their homes. And the city should work with the state to bolster health care, anticipating the loss of federal Medicaid funding.

2 17

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

Wilson says the city could do more to protect low-income renters, like lowering the threshold for landlords to pay relocation costs from a 10% rent increase to 5%. Also says the city needs to get rid of predatory junk fees, help homeowners build ADUs for income or multigenerational housing.

1 15

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

The moderator restates, since Harrell didn't answer all of it. Harrell talks about the housing levy and the comprehensive plan, saying he built 50,000 housing units and was dealt a tough hand because he was elected during COVID. "I created a sub-housing cabinet... it had never been done before."

1 4

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

Question about the increasing number of senior citizens who are becoming homeless, largely due to rent increases. Harrell cites the amount the city is spending on various programs, including Aging and Disability Services, Fresh Bucks, and his use of existing funds to pay for unspecified reparations.

1 3

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

The moderator repeats the part of the question about immigration status and gender, apparently because Harrell didn't answer it. "every policy that I've authored or proposed in the last 16 years have been supportive of that."

2 1 6

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

Harrell cites 35 groups in his budget being funded with $18 million, and says the city has expanded funding to address human trafficking. Not sure what exactly he's referring to, but the city counts police surveillance cameras and crackdowns on sex work on Aurora as responses to trafficking.

1 1 8

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

A question about ensuring gender-based violence services are available to everyone regardless of gender identity or immigration status. Wilson says the federal government may retaliate if Seattle stands by its values, and use new progressive taxes to backfill funding cuts that may happen as a result

1 10

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 10h

The police contract also gave all officers 24 percent retroactive raises covering three years.

1 2 12

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 11h

"My wife worked in this field as well," Harrell continues. His wife was the CEO of the United Way, for context.

1 3 25

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 11h

Mayoral candidates Harrell and Wilson are up. The first question is about low human service worker wages. (Harrell's budget includes a COLA and a 2% increase in 2026). Harrell says "these invaluable workers are underpaid." The police contract last year boosted brand new officers' pay above $100K.

1 6 15

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 11h

Lin calls banishment laws too, saying that banishing people with behavioral health challenges just traumatizes them further and disrupts their access to whatever human connections, work, and other resources they might have.

1 24

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 11h

Both Ducksworth and Lin oppose police surveillance cameras; Ducksworth notes that when his house got broken into, the guy looked up at the camera and broke the door in anyway. He also opposes SOAP/SODA banishment zones; someone could get sober and jaywalk in an area 2 years later and get arrested.

1 1 23

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 11h

In his message, Harrell misstates the name of his own encampment sweeps team (the Navigation Team was two names ago) and also claims she wants to get rid of all encampment response, which is not true either.

Unfortunately, my opponent would end or delay many of these actions. A strong supporter of 50% reductions of– or even eliminating– law enforcement budgets, she has suggested “a future without” Seattle Police, placing retail theft prevention and basic safety improvements at risk. She has called for these dangerous reductions as recently as 2023, and has even called for eliminating funding for the Navigation Team– the City’s response to homelessness that helps match people to shelter and services, and removes encampments from dangerous or inappropriate settings.

1 4 26

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 11h

Just got an email from a group that supports Bruce Harrell containing a message from the mayor. In it, he claims his frontrunning opponent Katie Wilson, who supports hiring police, is "a strong supporter of 50% reductions of– or even eliminating– law enforcement budgets." This is not true.

3 11 58

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 11h

After a brief interregnum, we have our first two-candidate panel: District 2 candidates Adonis Ducksworth and Eddie Lin both showed!

1 15

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 11h

SPD put out this blog post about a recent success on "organized retail theft."

The TL;DR: Police arrested five people at a mall for stealing a total of $460 in merchandise. Combined.

spdblotter.seattle.gov/2025/10/09/o...

Organized Retail Theft Operation in Westwood Village Nets Five Arrests - SPD Blotter

Seattle police officers arrested five suspects, ages 38-65, during an Organized Retail Theft operation in Westwood Village Wednesday. On the afternoon of Oct. 8, patrol officers and detectives in the ...

spdblotter.seattle.gov

1 5 39

Erica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 11h

Foster says people in the community where this tiny house village would be have expressed overwhelming support for the idea. She says the city could do far more to reduce red tape rather than holding up permits for shelter and authorized encampments. publicola.com/2025/09/18/t...

Tiny House Village in Southeast Seattle Remains Stalled as Winter Approaches - PubliCola

By Erica C. Barnett Plans to open a new tiny house village in Southeast Seattle’s Brighton neighborhood, just south of…

publicola.com

1 21