Council proposes civilian outreach and crime-prevention hires for SPD, ties funding to hiring or provisos

Seattle — Councilmembers on Oct. 30 introduced a set of Seattle Police Department amendments aimed at preserving and expanding civilian outreach and crime-prevention roles while coupling some hires with provisos tied to hiring or revenue.

Key items included: SPD 101, a $2.1 million restore for 18 Parking Enforcement Officer positions with a proviso requiring hiring and revenue production before spending; SPD 102, a $1.1 million proviso to reserve funding for civilian outreach positions (crime-prevention coordinators and community liaisons); SPD 103, a $237,000 add for two crime-prevention coordinators focused on business outreach in North and West precincts; SPD 104, a $137,000 addition to make a Central District liaison ongoing (the current temporary post was due to expire); and SPD 105, a $385,002 request for additional mental-health professionals to fully staff CRT units across precincts.

Why it matters: Sponsors argued that civilian positions are essential for sustained community engagement, downtown and neighborhood business support, and proactive crime prevention. Councilmember Solomon described the historical role of crime-prevention coordinators in connecting neighborhoods and businesses to city services and said he wanted to restore that capacity. Councilmember Rivera said restoring parking-enforcement positions could be budget-neutral if hiring produces ticket revenue to support salaries.

What the committee asked for: SPD staffing requests were entered for committee consideration; members asked SPD to describe recruitment strategies for hard-to-fill roles and to provide details on how proviso conditions (such as hiring and revenue thresholds) would be verified.

Ending note: The amendments were introduced and cosponsored; the committee recessed before any formal votes.