Seattle City Council votes to cut police budget by 18%

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – In what has been described as one of the largest cuts to big-city police forces this year, Seattle City Council voted 8-1 Monday to cut its police department (SPD) budget by some $30 million dollars, around 18%, Fox News reports. The council also agreed to recruit 100 new police officers in 2021, but millions of dollars will reportedly be allocated away from the SPD and reassigned to community alternatives.

According to officials, the funding cut from the SPD had been intended for training and for overtime payments. Now, roles including 911 call-takers, parking enforcement officers, and mental health workers will be allocated to other city agencies, Fox News said.

Funding will also be cut for unfilled positions and efforts will be made to lay off officers with records of misconduct, Fox News reports.

The budget proposal states: “The 2021 Proposed Budget for the Seattle Police Department outlines a solid first step in reinventing policing and reimagining community safety. The budget reduces the size of SPD’s sworn force, transfers functions from SPD that are better performed in a more civilianized practice, and makes short-term reductions to SPD’s budget in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“As community-led alternative responses are developed, the size of the force and appropriate response will be continually examined,” the proposal affirms.

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