[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6225314,"mediaKeyId","3539096-78a974b6e8d079e6e88d020fba0bad42","parentId",3539096,"title","SPD reports hiring surge but flags potential $6.8M—$10M salary shortfall; 911 response time improves to 7 minutes","audioSeconds",4528,"startMs",44000,"endMs",4572000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3539096-78a974b6e8d079e6e88d020fba0bad42&start=44&end=4572","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3539096-78a974b6e8d079e6e88d020fba0bad42/thumbnail_44000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6225314/Seattle/King-County/Washington/SPD-reports-hiring-surge-but-flags-potential-68M10M-salary-shortfall-911-response-time-improves-to-7-minutes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6225314-bca0a6f45ebddc9d27120603e82252e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181395&Signature=QvY-Ng3RWY6p12KkJaTQYLvoc~z44XDq3FmWFysW10QKqzN8R5VhZ24jbw7It6CdeRAgmVsSoY1tI6DJGQinaDKR00EGk6S3Zw7171uAcSSJN66cC6rIGEiALO~cSiKdglHgXyVd-FY0utgd-f6J4HBTJN-AHEGO6M6SuvUH2z1nf9BG4E2IEco847Kj54rEtH0CuT8OeeEOObGEjlE3HmdaB-SVvL76uVM6cS1amgoqKqvlLW~ga2z4e8nJXYRJrKYeJPjRA8NpVINd-pWKXKW4fQAyIxR77jJFXJm99F1Zegw1pfC-rNwzmjk6GruaM4ru2vaF0RTwCqS1uRfkzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Seattle City, WA","date","2025-05-27T20:19:36Z","article","Seattle Police Department officials and council central staff told the City Council's Public Safety Committee that SPD's recruiting has accelerated and that the department is likely to add more officers than originally budgeted this year — a development that could leave a salary shortfall if the city does not identify offsets.

Greg Doss, council central staff, briefed the committee on the department's quarterly hiring, overtime and performance report. Doss said the department has seen \"about 14 hires per month,\" a recent and sustained increase that has produced a net gain of 19 officers in the first quarter (12 more hires than planned and seven fewer separations). Angela Sossey, executive director of budget and finance for the Seattle Police Department, joined the presentation and described the department's updated projections and operational context.

The department provided multiple projections. Sossey said SPD's conservative, revised annual hiring projection is 32 hires. Doss described a high-end projection based on the current 14-per-month pace that would yield 69 hires by year end; later in his summary Doss said the department could see as many as 76 new officers under more optimistic assumptions. The committee heard that SPD had reported 60 hires through April 18 in a separate staffing update.

Those additional hires have a budgetary consequence. Central staff said the difference between budgeted staffing and the likely hires translates into a potential salary funding gap of roughly $6.8 million on the low end and up to $10 million on the high end for 2025. The department and central staff said they are meeting monthly with the mayor's office to examine existing savings and external funding options; the department said it is unlikely to request a midyear supplemental appropriation immediately and may wait until later in the year to judge actual hiring before seeking council action, if any.

The committee also reviewed overtime spending and performance metrics. The city's 2025 overtime budget for SPD is $53 million; SPD spent roughly 20% of that through the first quarter, central staff said, and the department is currently on track to operate within the increased 2025 overtime budget. Central staff noted parts of overtime growth relate to labor agreements that included a $225 premium for special-event shifts and a prior agreement raising pay; those agreements were referenced as factors that encouraged recruitment.

On response times, the committee heard that the city's median 9-1-1 response time improved from 7.9 minutes to 7.0 minutes. Central staff and SPD said the improvement follows a review and reclassification of call priorities and possibly the \"care effect\" ' the impact of alternative responders (the CARE program) handling some calls and thereby freeing SPD officers to answer other 9-1-1 calls more quickly. Angela Sossey also told the committee the department is seeing improved retention: \"We are seeing a decrease in the number of fully trained officers separating from the department,\" she said.

Committee members pressed on precinct differences and foot/bike beats. The North Precinct continues to have the slowest response times, committee members said, and council members repeatedly urged additional operational support for that precinct. Central staff reported there are currently about 490 sworn positions assigned to patrol (403 responding to 9-1-1 calls and 75 sergeants) and that a historical target of about 550 9-1-1 responding officers is the threshold at which the department can again staff proactive functions such as foot or bike beats without relying on overtime. The department and central staff said it takes months for new hires to complete academy and field training before they are fully deployable.

The committee also discussed recruitment of women. Central staff reported that female applicants and hires have hovered around 13'14% of applicant pools and recruit classes; the department is conducting step-by-step reviews to identify if and where female candidates are dropping out of the process and Deputy Chief Underwood is reviewing disqualifications. Doss and Sossey attributed some of the recent hiring success to organizational changes enacted by ordinance last year that centralized recruitment and to the wage increases the council approved to raise SPD salaries.

Public comment earlier in the meeting tied into the committee discussion: multiple speakers raised concerns about police crowd management during recent protests at Cal Anderson Park, argued for independent review of force and permitting decisions, and urged the council to center the safety of historically marginalized communities in crowd-control planning. Chair Robert Kettle said SPD will complete an after-action report and that the committee will review crowd management policies as part of its oversight work.

What comes next: central staff will continue quarterly reporting. The department and central staff said they will monitor hiring and separations and report further; central staff flagged the possible salary shortfall and said the city is exploring internal savings and external funding before deciding whether to request supplemental appropriations later in the year.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public Safety Committee 5/27/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Seattle Police Department and council central staff told the Public Safety Committee they are seeing an \"unprecedented\" hiring pace (about 14 new recruits per month), producing a net gain of 19 officers in the first quarter but creating a potential $6.8 million to $10 million salary funding gap for 2025.","taxTitle","Seattle, King County, Washington","taxId",2543,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6225319,"Public Safety Committee backs ordinance to clarify, speed investigations of complaints naming Seattle police chief",517,1359000,1876000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3539096-78a974b6e8d079e6e88d020fba0bad42&start=1359&end=1876","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3539096-78a974b6e8d079e6e88d020fba0bad42/thumbnail_1359000.jpg","/articles/6225319/Seattle/King-County/Washington/Public-Safety-Committee-backs-ordinance-to-clarify-speed-investigations-of-complaints-naming-Seattle-police-chief","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6225319-ca0d2b64a136e223e117f51f789bfcae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181395&Signature=oyRJWDP3izGaj4Vop0~oElWKKVaA7Y3pFrEL856j2gVZds34Gvhiec0XA1YVhYqTSLkrtTSto~Ad--AlDTc7FMTr~i764-B5b5EDB8BHitFhQMOV7BR6YPtQJklTDsBqI7AnnkEF7mBtcjis0XR0LtoXdzHCVm9~AY7S9ttjyM4aFvMIXhDQQzW1ldAEwDVT-1mDTSGnIuEd~LlGVx5-s8fnewLb2FKg5wizf41GV9tDaLCoc1rh27x~pGdTeu2A-UNSux2-6gfuk6PS0qYvlk-GbHIqC3BB6fPK5NLgM4XQm7~Jw7-tZ7tDMYy~Wz4B9UG5p0YXxmk90O8a~m7B-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to recommend passage of Council Bill 120977, an ordinance that revises the city's process for handling misconduct complaints that name the chief of police.

The committee, chaired by Robert Kettle, adopted an amendment that clarifies the investigatory standard and expands reporting requirements. The amendment requires the Office of Inspector General for Public Safety (OIG) to provide quarterly reports with basic information about complaints naming the chief to the executive director of the Community Police Commission, the mayor, the president of the City Council and the chair of the Council's Public Safety Committee.

The change is part of a broader accountability framework created after the 2017 accountability ordinance and the subsequent 2022 ordinance that established a process for misconduct complaints. Karina Bull, Council central staff, described the bill and the committee moved to recommend its passage.

Miss Bohm, a central-staff presenter, summarized the amendment during committee discussion: \"This amendment would make 3 changes to the proposed legislation. The first 2 are technical and would not change existing or proposed requirements. And then the third would expand the reporting requirement.\" She told the committee the amendment explicitly describes the Community Police Commission as \"an independent office\" and that investigations \"must be timely, thorough and objective,\" adding that if one element is missing \"the standard has not been fulfilled.\"

Committee members spoke in support of the clarification and the increased notice to the Community Police Commission. Vice Chair Saka said the amendment \"makes a lot of sense\" and thanked the sponsor; Council member Moore said she would support the bill. The clerk recorded ayes from Council member Moore, Council President Nelson, Council member Saka and Chair Robert Kettle. The chair said the bill, as amended, will be sent to the June 3 City Council meeting.

Why this matters: Under city law the Office of Police Accountability (OPA), the OIG and the Community Police Commission form Seattle's accountability system. Committee members said the 2022 process left unresolved procedural issues for complaints naming the chief; the ordinance aims to streamline the handling of those complaints and increase transparency through additional reporting.

The committee's action was limited to recommending passage and adopting the described amendment; no other formal changes or new policy directives were recorded in the meeting.

The committee discussion and amendment text make clear what the new reporting and investigative standards will require if the full council approves the ordinance on June 3. The committee chair said the committee will use the OIG's after-action and quarterly reports to exercise ongoing oversight of crowd management and other operational issues tied to complaints.","The committee recommended passage of Council Bill 120977 with an amendment requiring the Office of Inspector General to provide quarterly reports to the Community Police Commission and clarifying the investigative standard for complaints that name the chief of police; the committee vote was 4-0 and the bill will go to the full council June 3.","actionData","errors"]

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SPD reports hiring surge but flags potential $6.8M—$10M salary shortfall; 911 response time improves to 7 minutes

Public Safety Committee backs ordinance to clarify, speed investigations of complaints naming Seattle police chief