(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s new communications plan for public safety emergencies aims to avoid a repeat of the aftermath of the shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival, which left the public waiting for almost five hours for detailed information.
“I believe that Seattle deserves clear, fast communication during emergencies. We fell short of that during the Bite of Seattle tragedy and we’re fixing it,” Wilson said in a statement late Tuesday.
Wilson said there will be a clear line of communication between her and her police chief during emergencies, and the expectation will be to provide information to the media within one hour of a significant incident when it’s safe and possible to do so.
She also said her office and the police department will brief each other on who is in charge of communications before all major Seattle events.
Wilson’s statement put the mayor on record as taking action in advance of an Office of Inspector General report expected in November and a City Council Public Safety Committee hearing scheduled for Nov. 22.
Both the OIG report and the City Council hearing are expected to probe the mayor’s role and the police department’s in the communications breakdown.
It’s still not clear what role the communications breakdown had in the mayor’s demand that former Police Chief Shon Barnes resign.
Barnes missed the delayed press conference on the night of the shooting because he was out of town in Dallas attending a police conference.
Wilson had requested the OIG report and had previously acknowledged that she fell short in communicating to the public on July 26.
“The public should have heard sooner about outstanding suspects and the status of the Seattle Center campus,” Wilson said July 30 in a video statement.
The mayor has faced numerous challenges to her leadership and public safety planning since the shooting, including several polls showing slipping approval ratings tied to her handling of crime, criticism from City Council members and an aborted recall effort over her ability to protect the city.
City Council members, including Public Safety Committee Chairman Bob Kettle, have criticized Wilson for failing to coordinate a more timely public response after the shooting and have demanded an explanation for the communications delay.
Kettle didn’t respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
An initial posting on social media by the Seattle Police Department shortly after the 6 p.m. shooting on July 26 gave the public a snapshot of what was occurring.
“Police are investigating a shooting. Multiple shooting victims. Shots fired at the Seattle Center. More information to come. Please avoid the area.” it said.
Wilson issued her own statement at 8:30 p.m., mistakenly saying that two people were in custody when only one was.
But it wasn’t until near 11 p.m. that a televised press conference was held assuring the public that the Seattle Center area was safe.