With Seattle continuing to struggle in its attempts to recruit sufficient numbers of police officers, Councilmember Sara Nelson’s resolution was passed, creating a recruitment incentive program for hiring new officers. The resolution passed the Public Safety and Human Services Committee by a 4-1 margin, with Councilmembers Nelson, Herbold, Lewis, and Pedersen voting “yes.”

Although the Seattle Police Department’s 2022 budget funded the hiring of 125 new officers, at this point, the department has hired only 13 officers so far this year. At the same time, SPD officers continue to leave the department for jobs elsewhere, causing the most severe staffing crisis in SPD’s history at a time of rising property and violent crime rates.