SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle City Council has approved an ordinance freeing up more than $1 million to be used to recruit police officers to a department that has lost hundreds of staffers in the last two years.
The Seattle Times reports the ordinance passed by a 6-3 vote Tuesday allows up $1.15 million of $4.5 million in projected unspent salary savings in the police budget to be used for recruitment.
The incentives would be used to attract new officers to the Seattle Police Department, which has experienced a net loss of 255 officers since 2020.
While the ordinance does not spell out a specific incentive plan, it releases funds for a future plan including up to $650,000 for moving expenses for new officers hired in 2022. It would also allow up to $350,000 for a national campaign to advertise officer positions and up to $150,000 to fund the city’s search for a permanent police chief.