Omari Salisbury of Converge Media Reflects on a Year of Covering our Community
Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee Meeting
The Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee will hold a discussion on the police chemical weapons ban today (January 12, 2021) at 9:30 this morning.
Sign Up for public comment starts at 7:30 am and is open until public comments ends.
This would be the first discussion about the police use of tear gas, blast balls, chemical weapons and other crowd control weapons used against Black Lives Matter protests.
Seattle George Floyd Protest
Protests of the police involved killing of George Floyd have swept the country since last week. KBCS’s Gol Hoghooghi went to one of these protests in Seattle on May 30th and brings us the voices and sounds from the event. She also talks with KBCS’s Yuko Kodama about what she observed and experienced there. (more…)
WTO Protests 20th Anniversary Special
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the World Trade Organization or WTO ministerial conference in Seattle. The WTO is an international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. Decisions made by unelected trade delegates at this conference impact the worldwide economy, working conditions and the environment. Leading up to the WTO ministerial, hundreds of organizers, farmer, workers, students, and artists from throughout the world planned a massive demonstration to disrupt the negotiations. The protesters opposed what they interpreted as the unregulated power of multinational corporations through free trade agreements Tens of thousands of people used a diversity of tactics in the streets of Seattle throughout the last week of November, 1999, shutting down the event for the week, and sending a message worldwide of their presence.
Listen in on this one-hour KBCS WTO 20th anniversary special.
Producers: Yuko Kodama and Jesse Callahan
Thanks to story contributors, Gol Hoghooghi and Sam Britt. Special thanks to Jill Friedberg for assistance with the special
Photo: Steve Kaiser
Unmute the Commute: The Ferry Riot
In 1987, a riot on a Washington State ferry resulted in over $30,000 worth of damage to the SV Kitsap. On this week’s Unmute the Commute, we talk to people who were there about what happened, and more importantly, why there was a riot in the first place.
Military Gear and Local Law Enforcement in our Region
The Trump Administration is rolling back Obama-era restrictions on the federal government giving military gear to local police forces. KBCS contributing reporter, James Trimarco spoke with former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper about what this means for our region.
Initiative for Police Officer De-escalation Training
Local organizers have prepared Initiative 940 for the 2018 ballot to require additional police training, first aid application to a victim of an officer involved shooting, and other points. KBCS’s Yuko Kodama spoke with Leslie Cushman from De-escalate Washington about the initiative effort.
Local Opinions on Law Enforcement
KBCS’s David Joseph asked some college students about their experiences with law enforcement. (more…)
The IF Project Volunteer Mentor Program
About 7200 prisoners are released from Washington state prisons each year. Of those released, 30% end up back behind bars. The IF Project provides a mentorship program started by Seattle detectives in 2008. The program provides a volunteer mentor to support and assist incarcerated individuals when they’re released from prison.
KBCS Producer, Yuko Kodama interviewed Ashley Thiessen, Renton Technical college student and IF Project Mentee and Tanya Wachena, Thiessen’s IF Project Volunteer Mentor at the KBCS studios.
episode 1 – Ashley Thiessen and Tanya Wachena talk recount how they met and picked each other as their mentorship partner
episode 2 -Ashley Thiessen reflects on her apprehensions about re-entry to life outside prison walls as she approached her release date.
episode 3 – Tanya Wachena supported Ashley Thiessen during the critical first weeks out of prison; getting food stamps, finding a doctor, getting a job… She shares her experience.
episode 4 – Ashley Thiessen reflects on navigating family life after prison.
