Mayor Bruce Harrell says the city’s recruitment efforts including a streamlined testing process and relaxed requirements paired with better pay and retention policies are helping the Seattle Police Department turn the corner on growing its dwindling ranks.
For the first time in five years, Seattle’s police department hired more officers than it lost, the Harrell administration announced this week.
“The Seattle Police Department received over 4,300 officer applications in 2024, the most since 2013 and more than double those received in 2023, and hired 84 officers, the first-time hiring has surpassed separations since 2019,” the announcement reads. “Interested candidates can apply at SeattlePoliceJobs.com,” the mayor’s announcement added, reflecting the ongoing effort to continue the administration’s marketing around the hiring initiative…