Beleaguered Seattle Police Face Possible $10 Million Budget Cut

The Seattle Police Department says it has less than 1,000 men and women who are able to immediately deploy to a call , and that number takes into consideration the 93 officers in limbo who have filed for a vaccine exemption.

The current deployable officer ratio means there are 1.3 officers to every 1,000 Seattle residents.

Fresh off her re-election, Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda has proposed an amendment to Mayor Jenny Durkan’s budget that includes a $10 million cut to the Seattle Police Department in 2022, Fox 13 reports.

Mosqueda told Fox 13 that she is not cutting any current police staffing. 

Mosqueda, however, supports the movement to defund police. Her goal remains to move dollars to alternative policing.

She and others on the council want to recruit and train a civilian force to respond to 911 calls, which in turn they say will lower the calls officers have to go to.

Recently, Mayor Jenny Durkan issued an emergency order approving bonuses to attract recruits. The city says they are offering $10,000 for entry-level recruits and $25,000 bonuses to attract experienced officers to SPD .