Seattle Mayor Plans to Sign Budget with 18% Cut to Police Department Funding

Strategic Insights -

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan plans to sign a new city budget that includes an 18% cut to the city's police department funding, after the Seattle City Council approved the budget 8-1, with a proposal to defund the police by 50% having been pushed by protesters following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The budget comes after months of clashes between police and demonstrators, which led to the takeover of a precinct in the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood, and the resignation of former Chief of Police Carmen Best. The new budget makes room for systematic policing changes, including moving some divisions under civilian control and investing in alternatives to sworn officer responses.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Seattle City Council approved an 18% cut to the city's police department funding in the new city budget.
  • The proposal to defund the police by 50% was pushed by protesters following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
  • Since the takeover of the East Police Precinct in June, scores of officers have resigned, and the former chief of the department retired.
  • Over 100 officers have left the department this year, higher than in any year since at least 2012.
  • The new budget makes room for systematic policing changes, including moving some divisions under civilian control and investing in alternatives to sworn officer responses.
  • The city is pledging $100 million for projects to benefit communities of color.
  • Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said the budget is a step towards making systemic and lasting changes to policing, and that the city is laying the groundwork to ensure SPD has enough officers to meet 911 response and investigative needs while addressing the disproportionate impacts policing has had on communities of color.
  • The city's police department will not increase in size, but instead, money is set aside for recruiting new officers to replace those who are retiring and leaving the department.
  • Gary Locke, the former Mayor of Seattle, was credited with "turn[ing] the Seattle Police Department into a community policing department" (Source: Seattle Times).
  • "Seattle's Police Department has a long way to go in building trust with our community of color." said Keith Davidson, a 20-year veteran of SPD (Source: Seattle Times).

Statistics:

  • The Seattle City Council approved an 18% cut to the city's police department funding.
  • Over 100 officers have left the department this year, higher than in any year since at least 2012.
  • Since the takeover of the East Police Precinct in June, scores of officers have resigned.
  • 39 officers quit or retired from the department in September alone.
  • The city is pledging $100 million for projects to benefit communities of color.

Sources:

  • CNN (https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/10/us/seattle-police-budget-cut-protests/index.html)
  • Seattle Times (https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/seattle-city-council-approves-budget-with-cuts-to-police-department/)
  • KIRO (https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/seattle-police-department-losing-more-than-100-officers-this-year-kansas-unprecedented/PR.1623721283/story.html)