CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to appropriations for the Seattle Police Department; amending a proviso imposed by Ordinance 126490, which adopted the 2022 Budget; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
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WHEREAS, an ongoing economic trend began in which employees have resigned from their jobs, referred to as the Great Resignation, with causes including job dissatisfaction, safety concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, and wage stagnation amid rising cost of living; and
WHEREAS, since 2020, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has incurred a net loss of 255 police hires and other City Departments reported vacancy issues occurring among front line workers, causing a service issue with the public and inhibiting departments from fulfilling a core function; and
WHEREAS, during 2021, to address the impacts of officers leaving SPD, the Council approved funding various programs identified by the Seattle Police Department including Crime Prevention Coordinators, Community Service Officers, and technology investments; and
WHEREAS, during the 2022 budget process, the Council fully funded the Seattle Police Department's 2022 hiring plan for 125 officers, considered various proposals for SPD hiring bonuses, and adopted Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI) CBO-013-A-002 to request a report from the Executive on a citywide hiring incentive program; and
WHEREAS, the SLI response from the Seattle Department of Human Resources (SDHR) identified several positions "critical to City business needs and challenging to fill," including police officers; and
WHEREAS, similar to the preliminary evaluation findings in 2020 of SPD's bonus program authorized by Ordinance 125784, that less than one in five cited the incentive as an "important factor" in their decision to apply, the SLI response noted the "issue of whether SPD has seen benefits from incentives is incredibly difficult to conclude because the ince...
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