Seattle City Council scales back police funding in new 2021 budget; Durkan expected to sign into law
After months of deliberation amid a politically turbulent year, the Seattle City Council voted Monday evening to pass their final 2021 budget which included investments in a new homeless outreach program, tiny home villages and most notably an 18% cut to the Seattle Police Department's budget.
The Council voted 8-1 on the $6.5 billion budget after a last-minute proposal from Councilmember and Select Budget Committee Chair Teresa Mosqueda aimed to cut an additional $2 million in SPD salary funding based on the accelerating attrition of officers in the past few months. The council had expected to see only 7 officers leave the force in October, when in reality 23 left.
Based on those attrition statistics, Council President Lorena Gonzalez said that she expects departures from SPD "will continue at an increased rate" and raised the council's projection of attritions to 114 for 2021.
Conveniently, SPD projected 114 hires next year, making the department equal in hires and departures.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/seattle-city-council-scales-back-police-funding-in-new-2021-budget-durkan-expected-to-sign-into-law/ar-BB1bkcdQ?li=BBnb7Kz
