Seattle council looks to bring back SPD hiring incentive program
Mar 23, 2022, 5:54 PM | Updated: Mar 24, 2022, 7:15 am
The Seattle police presence at a rally in January 2020. (File photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
(File photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
The Seattle City Council has sponsored a resolution to lift restrictions on the Seattle Police Department’s 2022 budget to fund extra dollars for new and lateral hire bonuses.
The decision follows a report from interim Police Chief Adrian Diaz that the department continues to struggle with staffing attrition: SPD has only been able to bring on seven officers since January, whereas 34 have left.
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The police chief noted that it’s difficult to attract lateral hires from within the state when other Western Washington departments offer competitive salaries.
“Our police force has been losing officers for the past two years. Response times are increasing and crime has been surging,” wrote Councilmember Sara Nelson, the resolution’s sponsor, in a news release.
“Since January 2020, we’ve lost 360 in-service officers, a 28% reduction in force. Many other cities in the region have implemented some form of staffing incentive and we need to do the same to compete on a level playing field,” Nelson said. “The local labor market is tight so we have to be able to recruit people from out of state and incentives could help with those relocation costs.”
Late last year, former Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan offered a similar program to boost new-hire bonuses. With the approach of a new mayoral administration, the council approved the program through the end of 2021.
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“A staffing incentive program is our opportunity to harness real change and rebuild our police department,” continues Council President Debora Juarez. “Rebuilding starts by hiring the next generation of police officers – officers who believe in a community-first approach, reflect our diversity, and lead with their love for our city, its people, and their belief in our bright future together.”
The previous hiring incentive program offered $10,000 bonuses for new hires and $25,000 for lateral hires. The relevant budget restriction would be lifted “later this year” were it adopted by the council.
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