Seattle Police Department touts 2019 stats, sets 2020 goals

Major crime is down 5% and 108 officers were hired in 2019, the Seattle Police Department touted on Tuesday in its annual report.

In its PowerPoint presentation, the department listed off all the positive work its done in the past year.

Here’s a quick summary:

Major crime down 5%, a previously mentioned
Robbery down 9%
Aggravated assault down 3%
Burglary down 5%
Motor vehicle theft down 5%
1,100 guns were taken off the streets
$5 million in illicit substances were seized, including a quarter million fentanyl pills.
Force was used in only .15% of all dispatches, serious force was only used 20 times in 2019.
Rescued 50 human trafficking victims
The department hired 108 officers
Navigation Team was expanded
An anti-swatting registry was created

Reading between the lines, one could make a few different conclusions, such as assuming crime percentages dropped because Seattleites have learned to understand that officers don’t have time or resources to respond to every report or that hiring 108 officers (surpassing the 2019 goal by four people) doesn’t speak to how many officers quit, retired, or transferred. As KTTH’s Jason Rantz has previously reported, the department has struggled with staff retention.

The department’s 2020 goals are:

Reduction in shots fired
5% reduction in motor vehicle theft
5% reduction in residential burglary
Addressing organized retail theft
Continue to grow the department
Continue focusing on the consent decree
Launch a wellness services unit
Implement cultural and historical competency trainings
Implement tools for integrating more community feedback into operations

Chief Carmen Best presented the data on Tuesday alongside her command staff and new Community Service Officers.

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