Seattle, WA. – The police union for the Seattle Police Department blasted Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan for granting up to $25,000 hiring bonuses for police officers as part of a last-ditch attempt to fix staffing shortages brought on by the defund the police movement and the COVID-19 vaccine mandate that she has imposed.
Durkan is not seeking a second term in office and on Friday she issued an executive order creating an immediate incentive program for the hiring of 911 dispatchers and police officers, citing a “civil emergency” as staffing shortages have worsened in recent months.
According to Fox News, the order allows the Seattle Police Department to offer police officer candidates a hiring incentive of up to $25,000, depending on experience and training level, to be paid after beginning employment. New recruits may be given up to a $10,000 incentive, half of which will be paid in the first appropriate paycheck and the second half to come upon the completion of a probation period.
The Seattle Police Officers Guild argued that the move is too little, too late for the mayor and other politicians the union accuses of “politically betraying” the police department as violent demonstrations broke out last summer.
“The result of this betrayal has caused 350 police officers to flee Seattle since the riots. Many of these former police employees left for lower paying agencies just to escape Seattle’s toxic political climate,” Mike Solan, president of the union, said in a statement. “We also have another 100 officers now off the street due to the Mayor’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate and another 130 officers currently unavailable for service who are out on extended leave. When totaled, that is just under half the department gone/unavailable in almost two years. Seattle’s current police staffing crisis was caused by our current politicians and sadly it all could’ve been avoided. This political betrayal will forever be their legacy.”
Seattle is experiencing a 35% year-to-date increase compared to 2020 in shots fired incidents and a 76% year-to-date increase in shots fired compared to 2019, and also a 29% year-to-date increase in nonfatal shootings compared to 2020, according to the mayor’s office.
The Seattle Police Department has just 1015 officers, its lowest level and Priority 1 response times have increased by almost one minute. Priority 2 calls have increased by almost 13 minutes.
