Happy New Year, Tacoma!

For this month’s newsletter, I’m also doing something a little different. Given the number of community safety issues we’re navigating right now, I want to take a deeper dive into that topic and share more context about what’s happening and what’s ahead. 

Community safety is the most important responsibility of city government, and it has been a central focus of my work since I joined the City Council. Over the years, that has meant investing in a range of approaches, from establishing the HOPE Team and expanding the HEAL Team, to supporting efforts to fill open police officer positions and strengthen emergency response. Safety is not just one program or department. To make Tacoma safe for everyone, it requires everyone in our organization (and our city) to do its part. We have to look at how all these pieces work together to help people feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. 

At our January 27 City Council Study Session, Interim Police Chief Patti Jackson presented her vision for the future of the Tacoma Police Department and outlined the next steps ahead. The City is currently in the process of selecting a permanent police chief, and Chief Jackson has been the sole candidate under consideration during this phase. While the final appointment is made by the City Manager, the City Council’s role is to confirm that appointment, which will come before us in the near future. 

(While Little Chief Annabelle is not in the running to move up to police chief, she won our hearts as “Chief for the Day.” Little Chief Annabelle's joyful time with the Police Department was made possible by Chief Jackson and her team.)

I’ve been deeply impressed by Chief Jackson’s leadership during her time as interim chief. Early on, I shared three priorities I felt were essential for the role: working to fill open officer positions, improving morale within the department, and being present and engaged in the community to rebuild trust. In my view, she has done all three of those things well. She has brought steadiness to the department, focused on staffing and internal culture, and shown up consistently in the community by listening, engaging, and building relationships. 

Because of that, I feel confident in her ability to continue leading the department if she is appointed as Tacoma’s next police chief. I encourage you to learn more about the hiring process and Chief Jackson’s presentation from January 27. And as always, if you have questions, concerns, or thoughts you’d like to share, whether in support or otherwise, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.  

One of the concerns I hear most often from residents, across neighborhoods and across the city, is that too many people feel unsafe walking, biking, rolling, or even driving in Tacoma. Speeding, reckless driving, and driving under the influence continue to put people at risk. When I walked across the city in the summers of 2024 and 2025, this issue came up again and again. That’s why I’ve been a strong supporter of Vision Zero since Tacoma first adopted the policy in 2020. Vision Zero is built on a simple idea: while people make mistakes, serious injuries and deaths on our streets are not inevitable and we should design our system to prevent them. 

Vision Zero guides how the City invests in safer streets through a data-driven approach that focuses on safer speeds, safer roads, and safer behavior. It’s why I’ve supported dedicated funding through our Transportation Benefit District to build sidewalks, improve crossings, and make other pedestrian safety improvements. It’s also why the City continues to lower speed limits in key areas, redesign dangerous corridors, and treat every transportation project as an opportunity to improve safety. If you’re interested in digging deeper, I encourage you to check out Tacoma’s Vision Zero Action Plan and the Annual Progress Report, which show where we’re making progress and where more work is needed. 

As part of this broader effort, I also support expanding automated traffic safety enforcement. After personally lobbying the state in 2021 to give cities more authority, Tacoma now has the ability to place cameras in additional high-risk locations, including near parks and hospitals. Speed and red-light cameras are not new in Tacoma, but this new authority offers us a chance to expand our impact.   

For me, the goal is not to ticket people forever--it's to change behavior in more parts of our city. Any revenue generated from new cameras must be reinvested directly into traffic safety improvements in the areas where the cameras are located, such as street design changes that slow traffic and make walking and biking safer.  

I also know people have questions about privacy, fairness, and penalties. The City has clear policies around data retention, offers reduced penalties for low-income first-time violations, and provides payment plan options. I encourage you to review the City’s automated enforcement webpage to learn more and share your thoughts as we continue working toward safer streets for everyone. 

Talking Trash and Tidying-Up Tacoma 

As many of you know, I’ve been deeply committed to tackling litter and trash across Tacoma. From my early leadership on Tidy-Up Tacoma, to its expansion citywide and my ongoing support for volunteer groups who show up week after week to clean our neighborhoods, this work matters to me. When we talk about public safety, we can’t ignore how people feel in their neighborhoods. Clean, well-cared-for spaces help people feel safer, more welcome, and more connected to where they live. That’s why I see Tidy-Up Tacoma not just as a litter program, but as a public safety effort that improves quality of life across our city. 

This year, I also want to place a stronger focus on addressing graffiti. Reducing graffiti will require partnerships, including with the State of Washington, private property owners, and community organizations. I want to see fewer walls and public spaces covered in graffiti and more neighborhoods that feel cared for and respected. 

At the same time, I’m interested in continuing to explore innovative approaches to graffiti prevention. One strategy that has shown real promise is the use of murals in areas that are frequently tagged. Murals not only beautify spaces, but they have been shown to deter graffiti and build neighborhood pride.  

As Tidy-Up Tacoma continues to move forward, this work isn’t just about removing trash or covering graffiti, but it’s about strengthening community, fostering pride, and helping people feel safe and connected again in the places they call home. 

City Action Days with the Association of Washington Cities 

As part of my role on the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Board, I spent time in Olympia this past month attending AWC City Action Days alongside city leaders from across Washington. This annual gathering gives local elected officials the chance to come together, share challenges, and work directly with state leaders on issues that affect cities large and small.  

Much of our advocacy centered on issues that matter deeply here in Tacoma—public safety and how it’s funded, graffiti and maintenance along state rights-of-way and highways, infrastructure needs like paving, and the overall tax burden on residents. These conversations are critical because many of the challenges cities face require strong partnerships with the state. I value this work and take seriously the responsibility to advocate for Tacoma’s needs in Olympia, ensuring our city’s voice is heard as decisions are made that directly impact our residents.