The Seattle Police Department (SPD) said comparatively low wages have hurt recruiting efforts, and worked against a program to offer $30,000 bonuses to attract officers.
In a presentation, already publicly available, the department notes that staffing is at its lowest level since the 1990s even though the city has grown. The same report also suggests that interviews with recruits list the pay as the biggest issue, ahead of any incentives, KOMO reports.
The report said that Seattle is 15th in pay for entry-level officers when compared to cities like Redmond and Kent. Redmond is offering nearly $20,000 more per year for entry-level officers. Seattle is near the bottom of the standings.
