From Seattletimes · · 1m 50s
Seattle police budget debate
Seattle council splits over police funding boost and staffing goals.
In brief
Seattle council splits over police funding boost and staffing goals. Seattle City Council members disagree on whether mayor's 13.9% police budget increase will actually grow the force to 1,250 officers by 2028. Originally reported by Seattletimes.
Budget proposal
Seattle City Council members disagreed Thursday about how much the mayor’s proposal to increase the Police Department’s budget by 13.9% would actually grow the agency.
Budget boost
Mayor Katie Wilson’s proposed 2027-28 biennium budget includes a $68 million boost for Seattle police.
Staffing goal
Council members’ dispute focused on a proposed $12 million within the Police Department’s budget to reach Wilson’s goal of funding 1,250 full-time employees by the end of next year.
Deployable officers
The number of deployable officers funded through Wilson’s proposed budget would remain at least 125 officers short of 1,250 through 2030.
Unfilled positions
Among the unfilled positions facing cuts are nine parking enforcement officers, three Real Time Crime Center employees, seven civilian members of the department’s Criminal Investigations Bureau, and two positions tasked with hiring more women and…
PR number
Councilmember Bob Kettle called Wilson’s staffing goal a 'more of a PR number' and said it was an un-funding of public safety.
Population growth
Seattle police reported having 1,281 deployable officers in 2019, at least 150 more than the agency is projected to have in 2030 under Wilson’s budget proposal.
Response
Councilmember Eddie Lin said the budget proposal adds officers and that the Police Department is not being defunded.
Overtime issue
The Police Department expects to go $2.1 million over budget for this year due to overtime, which will not decrease under Wilson’s plan.
Overpayment error
A June payroll error overpaid more than 900 police employees by more than $13 million, which the city is bargaining with the union over how to return.
What it means
Seattle City Council members disagree on whether mayor's 13.9% police budget increase will actually grow the force to 1,250 officers by 2028.
