‘It’s the culture of the department itself’: Spike says SPD’s staffing crisis goes deeper than any one chief

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) has lost 69 officers this year, added only six sworn personnel over the last month, and currently has just 929 officers available to answer 911 calls, according to Seattle Red 770 AM. At the current rate, SPD is projecting 113 separations for 2026, which would make it the department’s worst year for officer losses since 2023.

For Spike O’Neill, co-host of “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, the numbers tell a story that goes beyond any single police chief.

“It’s the culture of the department itself,” Spike said. “We’ve had so many stories of members of the command chain who have had issues with lawsuits against the department for sexual harassment or discrimination. You’ve had impropriety alleged against leadership. You’ve had the community itself being very anti-law enforcement, it felt, for a long time.”

Spike pointed to the revolving door at the top as the root of the problem, noting Seattle is now searching for what would be its eighth police chief in roughly a decade.

“You ever heard the term the fish rots from the head back?” Spike said. “It’s a leadership problem. Our eighth police chief in 10 years just got ridden out of town on a rail.”

$50K signing bonus isn’t enough, Jake says

KIRO host Jake Skorheim noted that SPD has made aggressive efforts to recruit, including $50,000 signing bonuses for lateral hires from other agencies, but the numbers aren’t moving.

While SPD counts 1,197 sworn personnel when recruits, students in field training, and unavailable officers are included, only 929 are actually deployable, according to Seattle Red 770 AM.

“When somebody’s sitting on the phone waiting for police to respond to a 911 call, all they care about is how fast can you get here,” Jake said. “And that number is actually only 929. And that’s not good in a city this size.”

Spike says nearby departments are poaching SPD talent

Spike argued that the problem is compounded by surrounding communities offering better working environments, lower costs of living, and leadership stability.

“Other communities around the area, whether it’s Federal Way or Pierce County or wherever else, Bellevue, are also poaching these officers from SPD,” Spike said. “Those are communities that appreciate the police department.”

He noted the practical realities that make Seattle less attractive, from housing costs to school quality to the basic question of how a law enforcement career feels day to day.

“How much house can you buy for that salary in Seattle as opposed to Snohomish County or Pierce County or all these peripheral, outlying areas?” Spike said. “What schools are your kids going to be in? What kind of community are you going to be a part of?”

Jake ties it back to Wilson

Jake said that beyond department culture, the political leadership above SPD is part of the calculus for any recruit weighing Seattle against its neighbors.

“You think about being under the umbrella of Katie Wilson’s leadership, if you can call it that, that would be something that I would go like, ‘Bellevue’s looking pretty good. Snohomish is looking pretty good,'” Jake said.

Spike agreed and said the question answers itself when you compare what SPD offers to what’s available elsewhere.

“In a department that’s got solid, steady leadership? In a community that’s glad to see your face?” Spike said.

“Would any of those things describe SPD right now? Probably not,” Jake responded.

Spike said the department is doing “all the right things” from a nuts-and-bolts perspective, including expanded recruitment, training, and new facilities. But the constant controversies undermine those efforts.

“When you have controversy after controversy after embarrassing episode after embarrassing episode, what kind of culture do you have to offer potential officers, or even retain the ones that you have?” Spike said.

Washington remains the lowest in the nation for per-capita law enforcement officers, Spike noted. And the current trajectory has SPD fighting just to break even.

“Almost as many are leaving as coming in the door,” Spike said. “We’re begging for a neutral push on the numbers.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3