Seattle Police Department fundraising for repairs to Harbor Patrol boats

The Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) Harbor Patrol is asking for help from the community as they gear up for the busy summer season.

The Harbor Patrol unit responds to an estimated 1,900 service calls a year helping to save lives on bodies of water around the Seattle area.

Members of the small unit said they need the public’s help to keep doing their jobs, citing budget cuts and a lack of funding for equipment emergencies.

Revenue streams the department previously used to fund maintenance for the Harbor Patrol unit are no longer available, a spokesperson said. The department no longer has officers to work on contracts with outside agencies which used to bring in funds, and the Seattle City Council has restricted how the department can spend money in its budget, meaning it’s difficult to move funds to pay for maintenance emergencies.

The Seattle Police Foundation launched an online fundraiser to help pay for one of its big expenses, repairs to one of the unit’s nine boats, “Patrol Boat 4,” which has been operating since 1998.

Patrol Boat 4’s slow speed is concerning, especially with more people diving into more summer activities in the coming weeks.

The goal is to raise $25,000 and the money will also cover maintenance for the unit’s other boats.