Statement from Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rachel Smith regarding Mayor Bruce Harrell’s police staffing proposal this morning:
“Ensuring our community is safe is both a fundamental responsibility of city government and a top priority for everyone, including the Seattle Metro Chamber and our members — from brick-and-mortar stores trying to retain employees and attract customers, to larger employers whose employees are returning to the office more often. It’s also top of mind for voters: in our most recent research, The Index, 46% of Seattle voters named public safety a top issue, and 73% said they feel less safe in their neighborhood than they did two years ago.
What we need is clear: an all-of-the-above approach, one that includes the right number of officers, alongside anti-racist culture and performance reforms, and diversifying emergency response options. Not every 911 call needs, or should have, a response from a sworn officer – but for those that do, we need to have police staffing levels that support reasonable response times. And this approach, something the Chamber has consistently advocated for, is supported by both the business community and the voters.
Mayor Bruce Harrell’s strategy for recruitment and retention of Seattle Police Department staff is a welcome step toward achieving this approach. It is the way our government should be addressing this problem — thoughtfully, based on expertise and best practice, and with the appropriate financial investments to match the scope and scale of the problem. We appreciate and are heartened by the Mayor’s announcement today.
We encourage this conversation at City Hall to be focused on AND – we need this investment AND a continuation of the work to diversify emergency response. With the Seattle City Council’s swift passage of the proposed strategy, prioritizing an appropriately and adequately staffed police department, the city can rebuild trust with the voters and make progress on one of our community’s top concerns.”