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MAY 21, 2025
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VOL. 106, NO. 21
Seattle police eye GPS tech as alternative news to high-speed pursuits
& QueenAnne&Magnolia news QueenAnne
Magnolia By Spencer Pauley The Center Square
COURTESY SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Developers of the Seattle Memorial Stadium project ensured city council members that there is little financial risk for the city if there are any cost overruns.
Seattle Memorial Stadium developers promise zero risk of cost overruns to city By Spencer Pauley The Center Square
Developers of the Seattle Memorial Stadium project ensured city council members that there is little financial risk for the city if there are any cost overruns. The city and the Seattle Public School District are funding the replacement of the 78-yearold Memorial Stadium in the Seattle Center due to a lack of reinvestment into renovations. Before construction can begin on the stadium replacement, the city and the school district must approve an interlocal agreement, which the Seattle Parks, Public Utilities & Technolo-gy Committee was briefed on Wednesday. The One Roof Partnership – legally known as Memorial Stadium Redevelopment LLC – is the developer of the stadium. According
to Rob Johnson of the One Roof Stadium Partner-ship, the total project is “derisked” for the public sector by having the developer take on 100% of the construction risk. “Those public sector dollars are protected [and] capped. We are the ones on the hook if any tariff issues or cost overruns arise,” Johnson said during the committee meeting. The stadium project has received approximately $143.3 million in funding, with the city allo-cating $40 million for the new Memorial Stadium as part of its Capital Improvement Plan. Seattle Public Schools allocated $69.3 million in voter-approved funds from Seattle Public Schools’ 2022 Buildings, Technology and Academics/Athletics Capital Levy and capital funds. While public dollars are doing most of the heavy lifting on the project, the developers were able to raise $30
million in private funding for the stadium. Memorial Stadium Redevelopment LLC will operate the facility as a notfor-profit so that rev-enue will go into a maintenance fund and projects that benefit community members, such as eliminating athletic fees for students from low-income families, according to Johnson. Groundbreaking would be set for June 26 if the interlocal agreement is approved by both the Seattle City Council and the Seattle Public School Board in early June. Stadium demolition and construction would begin in mid2025 with a goal of completing the stadium by September 2027, just in time for the fall sports season. The committee did not take action on Wednesday, but is set to vote on the interlocal agree-ments on May 28, with a full city council vote possible on June 3.
The Seattle Police Department is seeking the implementation of a GPS tracking device in some patrol cars to prevent dangerous vehicle pursuits. SPD is required to develop a plan to end a police pursuit that complies with recent state law updates regarding pursuit mitigation. The department is seeking the authorization of StarChase GPS tracking technology to allow SPD to track the precise location of a vehicle with established probable cause or reasonable suspicion of involvement in a crime. The Starchase technology requires approval from the city council and mayor. On Tuesday, SPD Capt. James Britt briefed the Public Safety Committee on the technology, emphasizing that the technology is not meant to provide persistent surveillance of drivers. According to Britt, the battery life on the technology is eight hours, limiting its use. “This is meant to help us locate the vehicle that flees from us and replace the need to pur-sue it,” Britt said during the committee meeting. “It’s also not meant to change our pursuit policy.” SPD currently utilizes cellular devices that track the movements and locations of vehicles in order to gather evidence for criminal investigations. However, the devices can only be uti-lized with a search warrant, unlike the StarChase technology. The department has already received a $250,000 Washington State Department of Com-merce Law Enforcement Pursuit Technology grant meant for pursuit mitigation. If city lead-ers approve the StarChase pilot program, the already-awarded grant funding would go to-ward the implementation of the technology in 25 patrol vehicles. Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle sees an opportunity to use the state funding on the pilot program. “It’s a two-year pilot paid for by the state through the grant, so this is an opportunity at no cost to really demo,” Kettle said. If the city determines that the GPS pursuit mitigation trackers are worthwhile, the ongoing cost to maintain the 25 launchers’ subscriptions is $37,500 annually after the two-year pi-lot. According to the presentation, cost savings may
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The Seattle Police Department is seeking the implementation of a GPS tracking device in some patrol cars to prevent dangerous vehicle pursuits.