Rantz Exclusive: Seattle Police lost 96 more officers in 2023, over 600 since defund

While staffing suffers, is there room for hope?

The Seattle Police Department had another disastrous year for staffing, losing roughly 610 officers since the defund movement took hold in 2020.

Another eight officers separated from the department in December. This brings the 2023 total separations to 96, according to the city. A separation is an all-encompassing number, which includes resignations, and retirements. Concurrently, hiring has not kept up with demand. December saw only five new hires, bringing the year-end total to just 61.

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