Seattle police hiring surges sixfold in 2025
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Seattle police have hired six times more officers this year compared with the same period in 2024, putting the department on pace to restore its depleted ranks, city officials said.
Why it matters: Seattle has struggled to recruit and retain police officers over the last few years despite signing bonuses of $7,500 for new recruits and bonuses up to $50,000 to lateral hires who come from other departments.
Driving the news: Interim Police Chief Shon Barnes joined Mayor Bruce Harrell, City Council members and new recruits at a press conference Monday to update the city's progress in rebuilding the police force.
By the numbers: More than 1,200 people applied to join the Seattle Police Department in the first quarter of 2025, up from 690 during the same period last year, Harrell said.
- 160 applicants are currently having background checks run, per Harrell.
- 60 officers had been hired as of mid-April, compared with 10 in the same period last year, he said.
Catch up quick: Last year, SPD received over 4,300 officer applications, more than double the previous year and the highest number since 2013, according to city officials.
- The net gain was just one officer, but it still reflected the department's first staffing increase since 2019.
- As of April 25, SPD had 924 deployable officers, but Barnes said he believes the city can reach its full staffing goal near 1,300 in a year or two, KOMO reported.
State of play: In addition to offering bonuses and entry-level salaries above $100,000, the city has cut the time it takes to hire an officer, moved interviews online, accelerated background checks and launched new marketing efforts to attract a more diverse pool of applicants, according to the city's 2022 recruitment plan.
Zoom out: Seattle's current police staffing challenges began amid national unrest, calls for police reform, and a local push to defund the police by up to 50% after the murder of George Floyd.
- In 2020, the Seattle City Council approved a 2021 budget that reduced the Seattle Police Department's funding by about 18%, including cutting overtime and training.
- Over the next three years, Seattle would lose 612 officers and hire 257, with a net loss of 355 officers from 2020 to 2023, KUOW reported.
- In 2022, the city's number of deployable officers dipped to about 950, which was then the lowest staffing level in more than 30 years.
The big picture: For the 13th consecutive year, Washington state had the nation's lowest number of law enforcement officers per capita in 2024, with just 1.35 commissioned officers per 1,000 residents, according to Steve Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
What they're saying: Having more officers means quicker police response times and broader coverage, said Barnes.
- "People say you can do more with less," he said. "You really can't sometimes. You need the people."