In August 2020, Seattle slashed the police department’s funding and laid off several officers. The department then saw 39 officers quit or retire in September, far more than the usual five to seven departures. The 110 departures through the first nine months of 2020 were more than any full year since at least 2012, and the city has still been unable to keep officers on the job or convince recruits to sign up.
Meanwhile, the city has seen a surge in homicides and shootings. Now, adult abuse victims have to be put on the backburner as the police department tries to ration its available detectives.
Democrat-run cities have found out the hard way that it is far easier to destroy public safety than it is to build it. These cities were quick to villainize their police departments and strip them of their funding, and they quickly saw homicides and violent crime spike. Nearly two years later, cities from Seattle to Minneapolis to New York City are still picking up the pieces. To their credit, Seattle voters have tried to turn the page, but the damage has already been done.