Seattle City Council members push to accelerate pace of police hiring
Members of the Seattle City Council's Public Safety Committee on Tuesday grilled city staff about why Police Department hiring is lagging and what they're doing to pick up the pace.
Dissatisfied by some of what they heard over the course of two and a half hours, committee members told staff to return within 30 days with additional information on how Seattle can boost recruitment and retention and better compete for talent.
Major employers including Nordstrom, Microsoft and Expedia have agreed to advise the city on ways to improve recruitment of officers. When invited to do so, companies "instantly stepped up," Deputy Mayor Tim Burgess told the committee.
Police staffing is a complicated national issue, with the U.S. Justice Department calling it a "historic crisis." The Covid-19 pandemic and protests against police brutality have dented officer morale and suppressed hiring.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2024/03/13/seattle-council-pushes-speed-pace-police-hiring.html