The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is making contingency plans amid concerns over staffing shortages and emergency response times caused by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
An emergency stage three mobilization plan is now in effect for SPD. People who call 911 could be met by any on-duty sworn employee. That includes detectives, education and training employees and people with patrol backgrounds, King 5 reports.
Seattle's COVID-19 vaccine deadline is Oct. 18, which is in line with the state's mandate. As of Tuesday, data from SPD shows 84% of officers have submitted their vaccine information.
Less than 100 officers have filed for an exemption, but 214 still have not done either, which is why the stage 3 plan is in place.
The department says it fully expects to see some departures of personnel as a result of the mandate and is considering various options for how to adjust its response model through the transition.