On February 25, the Seattle City Council’s Public Safety Committee heard a presentation from Interim Police Chief Shon Barnes.
The Interim Chief opened with his vision for the Seattle Police Department (“SPD”):
“The Seattle Police Department will aim to create and maintain a safe and supportive Seattle through our commitment to Excellence, Selfless Public Service, Resilience, Community Partnerships, and Evidence-Based Policing Practices.”
Next, he discussed his approach to improving officer retention, which has been a major challenge over the past 5 years. Chief Barnes pledged to:
- Listen and Respond to Employee Feedback
- Negotiate Timely Labor Contracts
- Invest in Officer Safety and Wellness
- Promote Internal Procedural Justice
- Develop Our People
It’s worth noting that the Seattle Police Officers Guild worked for three years on an expired contract before a new contract was approved in 2024. This contract made the Seattle police the highest paid in the state. However, this retroactive contract only covered the time period in which officers worked without a contract. The City is now negotiating a contract to cover 2024 and future years.
The Interim Chief shared good news about police recruitment efforts. Last year, SPD saw a 123% increase in unique applicants and a 139% jump in applicants who passed the police exams. For the first time since 2019, SPD achieved a net gain in officers, although it was just a net gain of a single officer. In terms of total officers, SPD peaked in 2017 with 1,316 officers before plunging the following years. With 907 officers, SPD reached its low ebb last year. Chief Barnes projects having 970 officers in 2025, jumping to 1,024 in 2026.
Beyond the drop in officers, SPD has seen a slew of lawsuits by officers and senior leadership in the department over the past few years. With new leadership at the top of the department and improved recruitment and retention, SPD could be facing a much brighter future with more police officers to improve public safety.
