Mayor’s budget funds 43 net new officers, cuts SPD recruitment, SFD overtime, and 9-1-1 dispatch

Mayor Wilson’s proposed 2027 budget would increase police department spending to about $556.5 million, up nearly $68 million, or 13.9%, from the 2026 adopted budget. While this net increase to SPD has garnered praise, the proposed budget would make meaningful cuts across multiple departments, rendering her overall approach to public safety unclear.

The proposed budget funds 1,250 sworn officers in 2027, 66 more than in the adopted 2026 budget. But analysis from Council’s Central Staff projects 43 net new officers in 2027 and none in 2028 compared to 96 in 2025 and 53 in 2026 which will likely keep SPD staffing levels flat. In addition, the proposed budget eliminates 7.0 new but unfilled FTE civilian investigative support positions that would assist detectives with homicide, robbery, and gun crime investigations and cuts recruitment marketing and indefinitely suspends officer hiring incentives, for a combined reduction of  $2.4 million in 2027 and $3.5 million in 2028 (2027 - 2028 Proposed Budget: SPD pp. 340, 344).

The proposed Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department budget is increased by $4 million but eight vacant call taker positions would be eliminated and 14 responder positions would remain vacant. In the Seattle Fire Department, the proposed budget would increase funding for maintenance, utility, and pension costs but reduce overtime by $7 million, for a net reduction of $4.5 million overall. Recruit classes shrink from 100 people in 2026 to 60 a year in 2027 and 2028, and the overtime cut lowers the department's daily minimum staffing from 222 to 209. (CARE, p 284)(SFD, pp 297-301)

(Receipts and Key Stats forthcoming)