Councilmember Rob Saka introduces resolution rejecting prior calls to defund or abolish Seattle Police

The Seattle City Council is reaffirming its support for police and first responders and reversing past support for the “Defund Police” movement. The end goal is addressing the next steps in closing out federal oversight of the Seattle Police Department (SPD).

At Monday morning’s Public Safety Committee meeting, Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1) introduced Resolution 32167, which outlines Seattle’s progress under the 2012 federal Consent Decree with the U.S. Department of Justice and charts a path forward focused on diversified response systems and community trust.

“The City recognizes that an effective, professional, and community-trusted police service that upholds the dignity and value of every person and holds offenders accountable is an essential function of city government,” the resolution states. “Through the adoption of this resolution, the City reverses any prior commitments or pledges to defund or abolish SPD services or personnel which led to the resignation of hundreds of police officers.”

Acknowledging the impact of “Defund the Police”

In introducing the resolution, Saka directly addressed past activism during the Black Lives Matter movement, following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“This resolution reverses any prior commitment or pledge by past councils to defund or abolish the police,” Saka said. “We know that these statements were routinely cited by departing police personnel as a reason for leaving. We also know that they are very divisive.”

Since the “defund the police” movement, the SPD saw over 700 officer separations, leaving the department with record low staffing.

Progress from Seattle Police

The resolution emphasizes appreciation for first responders—including SPD officers, Seattle Fire Department (SFD) firefighters, and Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department crisis responders—while renewing the city’s commitment to a multi-tiered public safety approach. This includes the expansion of the dual dispatch CARE pilot program, which deploys civilian responders to behavioral health crises alongside police.

The resolution outlines the progress SPD has made over the past decade: use-of-force incidents in crisis interventions have declined 48% since 2015, data analytics systems have been expanded, and officer training has been overhauled. SPD has met compliance benchmarks in nearly all areas of the Consent Decree, with only two remaining: use of force during protests and ensuring a sustainable accountability structure.

Councilmember Maritza Rivera supported the resolution. She said she’s heard from constituents who asked councilmembers to “take a stance against the defund rhetoric that we’ve seen in the past in this city.”

The Public Safety Committee passed the resolution. It now heads to a full Council vote as early as April 1, where it is expected to pass.

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