Seattle Police Chief Resigns Following Vote to Cut Department Budget

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The chief of the Seattle Police Department resigned on Monday night, shortly after the city council voted to cut nearly $4 million from the agency's budget.

According to CNN , Chief Carmen Best announced her retirement just hours after the city council approved a budget that would reallocate monies originally slated to be put toward the police department to community programs in the wake of the protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.

The budget reduction calls for cutting 32 officers from patrol, reducing specialized units and administrative costs, cutting training and travel expenses, transferring victim advocates to the human services department and removing two sworn officers from the 911 emergency call center.

Best said in a letter to members of the police force, "I am confident the department will make it through these difficult times."

Her retirement will be effective September 2.