Mass Exodus Worsens With 34 More Seattle Police Out, As Council Defunds (Tukwila: lease, violent crime)

[mjazz]

Mass Exodus Worsens With 34 More Seattle Police Out, As Council Defunds


The Seattle City Council is poised to cut the police budget once again, and at least 34 more officers have separated from the department. The Council is wrapping up deliberations on the 2021 budget and will likely see a 17% budget cut to the Seattle Police Department. With about 1,200 deployable officers, Seattle is at lower levels than they were in 1990. The population has also increased by 44% since then. Crime is surging, with increases in homicides. Homelessness continues to worsen, too. The Council will defund vacant officer positions as a way to cut the budget and will funnel funds to different programs like embedded social workers who can respond to 911 calls for people in crisis.
Do you think this is a realistic way to address the problems in Seattle, and will it benefit the taxpayers, businesses, and other people who live there?

[The Modern Philosopher]

I am sure there are a few exceptions but in general as population rises I am sure the amount of police rises in proportion if not higher. Both now and the past. In the USA and outside. So this might be a very new movement we are seeing. We are living through some pretty big changes, I think we should all blog or vlog our feelings. In 20 years it might be something cool to reflect upon.



Can anyone think of an example of a nation that lowers the amount of police officers while the population rises?

[bergun]

This isn’t shocking at all and just want till the numbers for December 2020 comes out. Many more officers are either leaving SPD and moving to other cities or that officers that can retire, will retire. Historically, December is the month most cops tend to retire anyway. December is the time to burn up any remaining paid sick leave or vacation time before moving on to the next chapter in one’s life. Heck, I’m even hearing that several SPD officers that took the hiring/transferring cash bonuses are now paying back the prorated difference in order to move on and out of Seattle.

If I had to take an educated guess, I’d say SPD will loose another 45 to 50 officers from now to December 31st/January 31st... January 31st for tax reasons when cashing out on any sell-back of earned/paid time off and the start of monthly pension payments for February 2021.

BTW, the resent message from the mayor to SPD of “I value you” fell flat on its face... IMHO, I think it did more harm than good.

All I know is that this failed social experiment, which was solely based on emotions, is going to cost Seattle far more than what they were planning on saving with the proposed cuts to the 2021 budget for SPD. Look at all the businesses that are leaving the downtown area or simply closing up for good... That’s a serious loss of taxes and fees for the city... Please correct me, but I don’t think too many “new” businesses are looking to lease any property in the downtown area or anywhere else in Seattle to help make up for the lost tax base. Yes, COVID-19 is large part of why many of these businesses are closing down or moving, but a lack of police response to shoplifting and other violent crimes isn’t helping either. At this rate, they will not have to cut SPD’s budget by that much since it’s already starting to self-correct anyway.

Kind of funny now, but nobody is complaining about the Southcenter shopping areas in Tukwila anymore.

Two months ago, SPD response time to a Priority-One call was around 9 minutes, so I’d would venture to say that in January 2021, response times will be at 10 to 12 minutes in most areas of Seattle, to include the downtown/uptown areas as well. Seattle will have a tough time in recruiting “high quality” officer recruits or to find experienced officers that would take a lateral transfer to SPD.

2021 will be a very interesting year for Seattle.

[Rombus]

The people of seattle elected those who cut the police budget. Therefore, they must want and approve of it. Leave them be. Don’t rain on their parade. They voted for this when they chose this city council and mayor. So relax.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by mjazz

Homelessness continues to worsen, too.

And clearly the solution is to have a police officer shoot or suffocate them until they're not homeless anymore.

[rjshae]

I see a bright future for private security forces in this city.

[Huckleberry3911948]

Contracting police service may be a solution the advantage being cost and liability
Forget social workers silly idea
Social workers never go to violence prone homes without a cop

[thatguy950]

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by rjshae

I see a bright future for private security forces in this city.

Big business in Cape Town SA. I spent months there not that many years ago. That sort of lifestyle seems to be slowly arriving to the US, enclaves of rich (mostly White) people, minorities in-charge and remaining not terribly well-off, by-and-large.

So be it, the people chose.

There are fences, concertina wire, and similar that is blatantly obvious everywhere in Cape Town. Forget J'Burg, another story entirely and it ain't pretty. The guards most places I stayed had Kalashnikovs and similar. Openly. And there were more than a few guards. Neither the crooks nor security fool around there.

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by Blondebaerde

Big business in Cape Town SA. I spent months there not that many years ago. That sort of lifestyle seems to be slowly arriving to the US, enclaves of rich (mostly White) people, minorities in-charge and remaining not terribly well-off, by-and-large.

So be it, the people chose.

There are fences, concertina wire, and similar that is blatantly obvious everywhere in Cape Town. Forget J'Burg, another story entirely and it ain't pretty. The guards most places I stayed had Kalashnikovs and similar. Openly. And there were more than a few guards. Neither the crooks nor security fool around there.

This is standard around Mexico (at least I've seen it in Mexico City and Cancun) too. Rich people live in gated communities and sometimes the communities are as large as small cities and have shops and restaurants in them.

Middle class and lower middle class can afford to "gate" their homes (bars on entrances and glass shards frequently on top of fences). It's rare that you find a home without gates on at least the two bottom floor windows.

Private security is simply the way of life there. When you're rich or American you don't really think about it.