Plan to cut 80 vacant police officer positions from Seattle city budget faces pushback

SEATTLE — Final week, the Seattle Metropolis Council permitted a price range proposal that eliminates 80 vacant Seattle police officer positions.

The $11.4 million minimize is meant to deal with the continuing price range deficit.

“I’m pissed,” stated Rudy Pantoja, who lives in North Seattle. “It’s not proper.”

The council voted on Nov. 29 to go the proposal.

The council members who voted towards the price range have been Sara Nelson, Alex Pedersen and Kshama Sawant.

After the price range was handed, Price range Chair Teresa Mosqueda’s workforce launched an announcement that stated partially: “Regardless of a grim price range forecast, the Chair stayed true to our values and invested in public security with a racial fairness and justice lens — regardless of the rhetoric this price range decreases neighborhood security investments.”

KIRO 7 did ask Mosqueda for remark however her workforce denied the requests.

Pantoja stated he was disenchanted within the council’s actions.

“Who’re they speaking to? Are they really speaking to the retailers and the tenants?” he requested. “It’s a tough time for households and for individuals like us who care about our metropolis who dwell in our metropolis to have 80 officers, 80 positions minimize at a time once we actually need to have an emphasis on security.”

Mike Solan, the president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, stated that this transfer is a step within the unsuitable path.

“It means much less cops that would defend Seattle’s neighborhood and to me, it is a cash seize to meet unproven endeavors that, on the finish of the day, received’t be as viable as we all know it to be having cops that give the neighborhood a way of feeling protected,” Solan stated.

He stated the division can’t fill these positions as a result of there isn’t sufficient help for officers and so they’re working beneath an expired contract.

“Lack of public help from elected officers and quantity two this lack of a good aggressive wage contract for cops that work for this metropolis,” Solan stated. “I might see a few of their level in attempting to place that cash into tasks they really feel might fulfill their public security wants however I feel that’s ill-advised as a result of we all know what’s confirmed, what works over time to make individuals really feel protected, and that’s certified skilled individuals in uniform.”

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