Already known for awkward, gaffe-prone interviews and public appearances, Seattle socialist Mayor Katie Wilson is being mocked again for another uncomfortable on-camera moment.
asserted
Wilson → know → moment
This time, Wilson, a Democrat and self-identified socialist, is being criticized for a strange interview about the city’s gun violence reduction plan alongside Seattle Police Assistant Chief Nicole Powell and Amy Barden, chief of Seattle’s Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department.
asserted
Wilson → identify → Department
At one point during the interview, Wilson interjected after a long pause when Powell was questioned by a reporter about the usefulness of new Flock-type surveillance cameras being installed in the city.
KOMO News reporter Chris Daniels had asked Powell whether the new cameras could assist with Seattle’s slate of unsolved cases.
The assistant police chief hesitated, looked down and began to speak twice before Wilson interjected.
uncertain
Wilson → interject → cases
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,” said Wilson.
asserted
Wilson → see → that
Visibly uncomfortable after Wilson interjected, the assistant police chief chuckled, motioned to the mayor and repeatedly looked off camera.
The reporter continued pressing them, saying, “What’s going to be the metric of success?”
asserted
What → interject → success
Powell looked to Wilson, whose voice cracked slightly as she answered, “Ultimately, we want to see zero homicides, we want to see fewer homicides, and we want to see fewer guns shot.”
asserted
guns → look → homicides
While Wilson spoke, Powell nodded along and looked to the side off camera again.
asserted
Powell → speak → camera
The reporter persisted, asking, “Would either of you like to answer that question?” as he motioned to Powell and Barden.
asserted
he → persist → Powell
Barden jumped in quickly, steering the conversation away from Flock cameras.
asserted
Barden → jump → cameras
“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,” said Barden.
asserted
Barden → fire → life
After Barden finished speaking, the reporter turned the floor over to the assistant police chief, who laughed and finally answered, “Just to piggyback, taking a holistic approach, this strategy works.”
asserted
strategy → speak → approach
“It is proven in other cities like this, and it takes all of us,” Powell added, as she looked back at Wilson and Barden.
asserted
she → prove → Wilson
During her campaign last year, Wilson argued against expanding surveillance cameras in the city but has taken a different tone since becoming mayor.
asserted
Wilson → argue → tone
Last September, Wilson remarked that “turning on more cameras won’t magically make our neighborhoods safer.
asserted
neighborhoods → remark → cameras
But it will certainly make our neighbors more vulnerable,” reported The Urbanist.
asserted
Urbanist → make → ?
However, after becoming mayor, Wilson announced that she would pause expansion of Seattle’s surveillance-camera system pending a privacy and data-governance audit, while allowing the existing cameras to remain in operation.
asserted
cameras → become → operation
She said the city would use the audit’s findings to determine whether and how to proceed with further expansion.
asserted
city → say → expansion
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
asserted
Report → start → news
During the KOMO News interview this week, Wilson was pressed on when she would set a date for a decision.
asserted
she → press → decision
She answered, “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.”
asserted
I → answer → expansion
The awkward on-camera moment was quickly called out by many online.
asserted
moment → call → many
Popular conservative account “End Wokeness” called it an “incredible moment.”
asserted
account → call → it
“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)
asserted
who → ask → CCTV
Look at the face she gives the camera,” the account wrote.
asserted
account → look → camera
Some voiced their frustration, such as political advocacy group Future 42, which posted, “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.’
uncertain
cameras → voice → 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?”
asserted
she → say → Seattle
The Aporia
