Councilmember Saka Proposes Budget Item to Advance Police Hiring and Retention Efforts

Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1) will introduce an amendment in the upcoming 2025-26 Budget process to ensure the Seattle Police Department (SPD) is meeting its goals of hiring new staff and retaining officers. If adopted, the Statement of Legislative Intent would require the department to create a plan that includes:

• Creating a defined, overarching strategy to better position the department to recruit and hire between 300 and 500 additional officers and restore staffing levels to pre-pandemic numbers.

• Describe specifics for how to best achieve this strategy. This will include leveraging best practices and looking at specific, targeted categories of hires (new and lateral).

• Define key goals and objectives that should be measurables, specific, and time-bound.

• Identify benchmarks and metrics and how to achieve them.

"We need more officers on the street to ensure our neighborhoods can be safe and thrive," said Councilmember Saka, who also serves as vice chair on the Public Safety Committee. "We have ambitious hiring goals for the Seattle Police Department. It's important that we lay the groundwork to meet them and be accountable."

"Getting our police department fully staffed is a key part of the strategic framework and what the Public Safety Committee has been laser-focused on,"said Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), the Public Safety Committee Chair."I appreciate Councilmember Saka's contribution to this important area."

Background

In recent years, SPD has suffered from a number of recruitment and retention challenges. Currently the department has record low numbers. The Council has taken a number of steps to boost hiring including bills creating hiring incentives, addressing any recruitment roadblocks and approving the new police contract.

Next Steps

The Budget Chair's Balancing Package was released on Oct. 30. The Council will begin the amendment process at the Nov. 13 Select Budget Committee meeting, following the second public on Nov. 12. Proposed amendments are published and available for the public to review and track.

Additional information on the budget process, including the full committee calendar, can be found on the council website.

The Seattle City Council is the elected legislative branch of the city's government. It's comprised of nine councilmembers serving four-year terms and representing over 730,000 constituents - seven selected by districts and two through citywide positions. For the latest news and information, please visit seattle.gov/council .

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