Chief Adrian Diaz shared some positive crime news while discussing his plans to battle crime and recruit additional officers in 2023.
On a positive front, Seattle saw a drop in shootings in 2022. The police department also recovered 1,260 guns, including 136 in December alone.
Chief Diaz expressed frustration that people often do not report property crimes, making it harder to know the full extent of the problem. The Chief hopes that success in recruiting new officers – and retaining existing ones – will enable SPD to make meaningful progress against crime in 2023. The department was down about 375 officers as it entered the new year.
