Seattle police could get more money, but what will staffing look like?

Seattle City Council members sparred Thursday over Mayor Katie Wilson’s proposal to boost the Seattle Police Department budget by 13.9% for the 2027-28 biennium, including a $68 million increase for police. Most of the money, council staff said, would target higher salaries and new officer hiring, but a key dispute centered on a $12 million plan intended to fund 1,250 full-time employees by the end of next year—about 66 more than the department projected it would have this year. Central staff analyst Greg Doss noted that “deployable” officers would still trail that goal by at least 125 through 2030. Doss also said some new-hire funding would come from cutting already budgeted but unfilled positions, including roles in parking enforcement, the Real Time Crime Center, and civilian jobs in Criminal Investigations.