The Seattle City Council voted Monday to downsize the Seattle Police Department by moving around 140 emergency dispatch employees to a new Community Safety and Communications Center.
But the council opted to hold off on also moving traffic enforcement operations out of SPD as it works out union issues with the parking cops.
CHS reported here on the proposals and debate over the effort to move the operations out of the police department after mass protests in the city called for a vast defunding of law enforcement.
Tuesday is the one year anniversary of the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Four days later, protests and the first clashes with police began in Seattle with a weekend — and then weeks — of unrest downtown and on Capitol Hill.
The city’s 2021 budget included a cut of about a fifth of Seattle’s more than $400 million annual outlay in police spending along with changes to reduce the size and power of the department by moving 911 and traffic enforcement operations outside of the department and spending more money on social, community, and BIPOC services and programs.
So far, Mayor Jenny Durkan’s vow to provide $100 million for Black and underrepresented communities and reimagine Seattle’s approach to policing has yielded only small changes and programs to increase social spending have been tied up in process. A $30 million plan shaped around participatory budgeting, meanwhile, is also facing delays.
The council voted to create the Community Safety and Communications Center last year to manage 911 dispatch and parking enforcement services. Councilmember Lisa Herbold, chair of the Public Safety and Human Services Committee, said she hopes the council can return to the issue of the traffic enforcement by fall.
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So who dies while arguing with a dispatcher that they want a cop and not a social worker?
How would your strawman have not died under the previous system?
Can anyone explain what this does other than move money around on the balance sheet ( while at the same time spending a bunch of money on all of the start up costs of building out a new call center)?
The only benefit I can see from this for the city council is that it appears it is going to be staffed through contract rather than city employees – I guess that give the council another way to give favors to their favorite NGOs.
It makes people feel good. Can’t put a price on feelings.
A relatively small percentage of police responses are for serious crimes. Many 911 calls would be better handled by social workers or mental health professionals. Dispatchers hired and trained by police will tend to have a bias or inclination to direct calls to that department. An independent agency will collaborate with multiple departments, including public health and social services.
I think we need to *downsize* or better yet, eliminate the city council. They are costing us big $$$ or little result.