Seattle City Council rejects budget proposal to cut 101 more police officer positions
(KOMO) — The Seattle City Council on Thursday voted to kill a budget amendment that would have eliminated 101 police officers from the Seattle Police Department, a proposal that interim Chief Police Adrian Diaz said would be "devastating" if approved.
The fiscal spending item about the police budget was on the council's agenda of items being considered during an afternoon meeting that lasted well into the evening. The 5-4 vote came at the end of a marathon meeting about the police department and vacant positions.
According to a post on the Seattle police blotter, Diaz said in a video post that the amendment by City Council President M. Lorena González would permanently eliminate another 101 officers from a department that shed 325 officers over the past year because of retirements, resignations and spending cuts.
"This would greatly jeopardize the safety of our communities and have long term impacts on investigating violent crimes and caring for our most vulnerable," Diaz wrote. "In a city with more than 163,000 people than 10 years ago, we cannot have fewer officers than we had in 2012. More cuts mean longer 911 response times, no staffing to adequately investigate violent crime, support large scale events, and if there is a natural disaster or major crisis, we cannot offer support to our local, state, and federal partners."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/seattle-city-council-rejects-budget-proposal-to-cut-101-more-police-officer-positions/ar-AAQSqMi