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Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is rolling out city-funded security for grocery stores facing theft, break-ins and vandalism, fueling criticism that Seattle is spending taxpayer money to protect businesses from crime instead of doing enough to stop it in the first place.
The socialist mayor announced the rollout of the security funding as part of a $1.7 million grocery-support initiative included in the city’s 2026 budget earlier this week.
“Keeping our neighborhood grocery stores safe and supported is essential to making sure every Seattleite has a reliable, affordable grocery store near them,” Wilson said on social media Monday.
The plan will help 10 independent grocery stores pay for improvements and get a year of business support, while stores hit hard by retail theft can get one-time funding for security upgrades and repairs.
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Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson declared last year at a barista picket line, “I am not buying Starbucks, and you should not either.’” (David Ryder/Reuters)
The security funding is already drawing criticism from conservatives who argue the city is spending public money to help businesses absorb the consequences of crime rather than focusing enough resources on preventing it.
“The best way to support grocery store — and all businesses — is to actually enforce the law with a fully staffed and funded police department. Giving money or resources to fix businesses that are broken by crime is a bandage on a bullet wound,” Seattle-based KTTH host and conservative commentator Jason Rantz told Fox News Digital..
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Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson during the Seattle International Film Festival screening of “The Invite” at SIFF Cinema Downtown on May 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Mat Hayward/Getty Images)
“We don’t need to think outside the box here. Just enforce the law and put criminals in jail. That works like a charm and will save everyone money and headaches,” Rantz added.
“Is there no single human in Seattle willing to identify the criminals and end the crime instead,” asked an X user.
“Seattle is arguably the worst city in the entire country right now, in terms of the rampant crime, widespread degradation and lawlessness that’s apparently gotten exponentially worse across the board over the last 2-3 yrs,” another user chimed in.
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Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s $1.7 million grocery store security plan draws fierce criticism from those demanding the city arrest and prosecute criminals. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
“That used to be called the police department. What are these security guards going to do? Make arrests? Observe & report? The criminals will walk right past the security with their stolen goods. If they detain they will be sued. Cops will not arrest the shoplifters or prosecute,” said one person.
“Goodness! imagine how much nicer the city would be if they simply arrested and charged criminals and put them in jail?Normal people shouldn’t have to shop at stores with security guards. NONE of this was necessary in most parts of Seattle 15 years ago,” wrote an X user.
“So we are working around the problem by increasing security instead of arresting the problem,” said another person.
The city will also work with the Independent Grocers Alliance to study eight neighborhoods for potential new grocery stores, according to the plan.
Wilson floated the idea of exploring a “public option” for grocery stores during her 2025 mayoral campaign, including models that could involve publicly supported or city-run grocery stores. While the new initiative is separate from those proposals, critics argued the city should focus more heavily on arresting and prosecuting retail thieves rather than spending additional money helping stores deal with the damage caused by crime.
The grocery security funding was first proposed by former Mayor Bruce Harrell as $1 million for grocery-store security in his 2026 budget, specifically targeting retail theft, property damage and other crimes.
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City leaders pushed to cut police spending amid the 2020 “Black Lives Matter” movement and the city subsequently experienced a steep decline in police staffing, with the department falling from 1,424 officers in 2019 to 1,054 in 2024 before hiring began to rebound, the Seattle Mayor’s Office previously reported.
The broader theft problem remains significant in Seattle, where police recorded nearly 7,500 larceny-theft offenses across the city’s five precincts through May, making it the most commonly reported crime category in every precinct.
Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office on Tuesday.