Registered voters in Seattle were given a poll where most checked the box showing they were considering moving away from the city. The poll taken last month was of 700 locals who registered an opinion finding that 67 percent has had enough of the emerald city. Two of the most cited reasons were costs of living and public safety. The crime rate was voted the most concerning issue in Seattle by 46 percent of the 700 polled.
A whopping 91 percent of the voters of the same poll said that downtown Seattle cannot fully recover until public safety and homelessness are addressed. This data means that the public safety index is low – very low. This week was assigned the lowest public safety index score on record. The Seattle Police Officers Guild’s public safety index score was calculated at 25 out of 100.
The public safety index implemented early this year is calculated based on publicly available crime data and staffing information such as how many officers are available for the community and how many officers have separated. The number also comes from internal polling from each precinct.
Four homicides, 10 shootings, 11 assaults and 10 robberies were all within a week. As crime rates increase, the number of officers in the force have decreased. Since the start of 2022, 43 officers have left SPD as lawmakers are seeking other ways to address crime and the quality of police officers that are hired.
Many police officers around the country are against the idea of de-funding the police but have yet to address racism within, bad law enforcement leadership culture, and funds going to address preventive ideas versus a militaristic style of policing. Many feel like there must be big changes and new approaches. For instance, funds may be better spent on mental health, drug treatment, housing assistance, and economic wraparound services to include job and skills training.
