Multiple sources in the Seattle Police Department told The Post Millennial that sufficient staffing levels for a city as populated as Seattle should have no less than 250 officers on each watch. However, according to those same sources, there were only 47 patrol officers working first watch on Friday, putting the department operating at only 18 percent capacity. … To paint a better picture of the dire situation, as the staffing crisis got worse during the “Defund the Police” movement, the department pulled police personnel from other departments–like detectives and traffic officers–and put them back on patrol.
This means that staffing numbers are exceedingly low even after the department has utilized all available resources.
Previously: Seattle Defunds the Police Again. “Voters have rejected lawlessness, but the City Council isn’t listening.”
Related: Seattle mayor calls for more police with violent crime highest in 14 years: ‘Status quo is unacceptable.’
And: Seattle Republican Councilman Gaining Popularity for His ‘Refund the Police’ Initiative.