More cameras are on in Seattle. But who is watching The Watchers?

Once again, surveillance cameras in the Seattle area are in the news, and this time, the question is, who's watching, and who is in charge of oversight of those who are watching? 

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According to axios.com,
‘Seattle's growing surveillance network is raising new questions about privacy and oversight, according to three city reports released in late September.
Seattle police can now see footage from hundreds of cameras, but city policies meant to guard against misuse have gaps. 

How many cameras? 

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The number of cameras that the Seattle Police Department has access to seems to be increasing exponentially. It wasn't that long ago that they had access to 60 live cameras. Now their access is up to 427, and other cameras might be (Using an official request) available that are privately owned, up to 893.  

So, what is the problem? 

Three reports Identified oversight problems in 2025. One city auditor report, and two Office of the Inspector General reports. 

A few problems. 

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Analysts were allowed to view images on live and private cameras “without logging a case number or justification”. Police are also looking into the possibility of using private camera feeds throughout the city without any clear guidelines. 

There seems to be no written agreements regarding traffic camera feeds and their use by transportation and police officials. 

License plate readers in Seattle were shut off in March of this year, but in 2025 almost 47% of all police database searches were conducted without the required justifications. 

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New rules for access are being planned by both SDOT and SPD sometime next year.