Rantz: Seattle cop says ‘criminals are running this city’ in brutal resignation letter

Lieutenant Jessica Taylor served in the Seattle Police Department for the last 23 years. But she called it quits Aug. 1. And she made sure she didn’t leave quietly, providing a rare and in-depth look into how officers perceive the city and local lawmakers.

Taylor refused to fill out the Exit Form, which asks questions like why an officer is leaving, who is their new employer, and what the officer liked most and least about working in the department. Instead, she offered chief Adrian Diaz a 15-page resignation letter that promised an “unfiltered, raw, and unapologetic” description of why she she made decision to retire. (You can click and read the full resignation letter at the end of this article.)

“I wanted to go out with the truth,” Taylor explained in an exclusive interview with the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.

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‘The criminals are running this city’ says police officer in resignation letter

Taylor did not hold back her criticism. She shared the letter with the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH out of fear the department would make it disappear.

“Chief Diaz, let me tell you, the state of the Seattle Police Department and this city is a disgrace,” she wrote in the letter she shared with the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. “The toxic mix of the Seattle City Council’s absurdity, the spinelessness of the Mayor, the leniency of the prosecutor’s office, and your failed leadership has accelerated this city’s downhill slide straight to rock bottom. The problems were already brewing before you came on the scene, but since your arrival, it’s been a free fall into anarchy & chaos.”

Taylor called out the Seattle city councilmembers because they “lost touch with reality, making decisions that defy common sense and basic logic.”

“Their priority seems to be playing politics and pandering to radical ideologies, rather than genuinely serving the best interests of the city and its residents. Their absurd policies have turned Seattle into a playground for anarchists and criminals, and they seem completely unconcerned with the devastating consequences of their actions. If you haven’t noticed, the criminals are running this city.”

Taylor then took on Mayor Bruce Harrell. She said he “lacks the courage” to take on the council and enforce the law.

“Instead of taking decisive action to protect the city and its citizens, the Mayor ignores the rampant lawlessness on our streets,” Taylor said. “It’s a disgrace to see a city leader prioritize political correctness over the safety and well-being of its people.”

‘Aren’t you embarrassed?’

As national and international outlets have criticized the city’s permissive nature towards criminals, Taylor doesn’t understand why local leaders seem unwilling to correct the city’s trajectory. The now-former Lieutenant said Seattle is now suffering from “a perfect storm of incompetence and chaos.”

“It’s no wonder Seattle has become a laughingstock of the nation and the globe,” she declared. “They are laughing about us on the international news. Aren’t you embarrassed? I am. It’s mortifying. The city that once prided itself on progressiveness and prosperity has now become a hotbed for crime and anarchy.”

She said the Mayor and “radical City Council” care more about “pandering to extreme ideologies than actually governing. Instead of taking decisive action to protect the city and its citizens, the Mayor disregards the rampant lawlessness on our streets. It’s a disgrace to see a city leader prioritize political correctness over the safety and well-being of its people. Listen, Seattle deserves better, and it’s time for a complete overhaul of the leadership that has driven this city and state into the ground.”

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Sidelined

The job took its toll on Taylor. She suffers from Trigeminal Neuralgia, a chronic disorder that causes severe facial pain. Thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, she was sidelined, despite the department being severely understaffed. She’s otherwise fully vaccinated, but given her condition she didn’t want to risk adverse effects.

While Taylor was not permitted to work, the department was under siege from council members seeking to defund it. And while the council debated how to cut 50% from the department’s budget, cops were being demonized by the most fringe councilmembers, like Tammy Morales and Teresa Mosqueda. Since then, nearly 600 officers have left the department.

“SPD is dangerously understaffed, and the officers and their families are suffering,” she wrote. “The hours are ruthlessly long, and due to the staffing crisis (created by you, the mayor, and the council), these unsafe conditions are entirely unacceptable. Completely. They have also been working for years without a contract—Also unacceptable.”

A message for Seattle residents

Despite her concerns, submitting her resignation was a bittersweet moment for Taylor. She loves the city, spending time volunteering to help the homeless and volunteering with the Special Olympics. She was also recognized by the National Guard with a Patriot Award, which honors supervisors who go above and beyond to support soldiers in the National Guard.

Taylor got into policing to help her community, but she feels she wasn’t able to anymore. She calls her coworkers incredibly dedicated, brave, professional, and “exceptional, exceptional people.” She now lives in Tri Cities, with a job outside of law enforcement. And while she won’t be serving as a Seattle officer anymore she still cares deeply for the community. She had a message for residents in an interview with the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.

“The officers on the street are the backbone of this department. And they’ll do everything that they can and fight tooth and nail to make sure that the public is taken care of,” she said.

The Seattle Police Department, via a spokesperson, did not respond to specific criticisms from Taylor. But they did say they’re working hard to make sure officers feel like their work matters and that they’re appreciated.

“While we don’t address personnel issues, the Seattle Police Department is working alongside our city partners to restore the department to over 1400 officers,” a spokesperson explained to the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH in a statement. “We want our officers to feel valued and respected for their hard work every single day. We are committed to highlighting that work on a routine basis.”

Click here to read a PDF of Retired Lt. Jessica Taylor’s resignation letter.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). He is the author of the book “What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities.” Subscribe to the podcast. Follow @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis.

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