Councilmember Bob Kettle, who chairs the City Council's Public Safety Committee, says a newly released audit of Seattle Police's Technology-assisted Crime Prevention Program should help shape the city's next steps on CCTV cameras and related surveillance tools.

The review was requested by Mayor Wilson and conducted by New York University's Policing Project. Kettle described it as part of Seattle's broader effort to balance public safety goals with privacy and civil-liberties concerns.

Kettle also tied the audit to other ongoing oversight work, including reviews by the Office of the Inspector General and the City Auditor, as well as a University of Pennsylvania study that is still underway. In his statement, he said the Real-Time Crime Center, which includes CCTV, remains limited in scope, while the automatic license plate reader program is still paused.

He said the audit found the Real-Time Crime Center has helped police identify offenders and has aided prosecutions. Kettle said the Public Safety Committee plans to take up the audit's recommendations along with the other findings as the city continues refining the program.

Originally reported by Seattle City Council Blog.