Seattle councilmember Rob Saka introduced a resolution to completely cut ties with any commitments to defund the police.
After the murder of unarmed Minneapolis resident George Floyd in 2020, the slogan and movement to “Defund the Police” swept the country. Yet in the wake of a reported rise in crime in multiple cities across the country, politicians, even in Democratic Party strongholds, have sought to distance themselves from the idea.
On Tuesday, Saka spoke with fellow members of Seattle City Council’s public safety committee about his recently introduced Resolution 32167, which recognizes work to improve public safety. These measures include appreciation for first responders, consent decree progress, police accountability, a diversified public safety response, and reversing “defund” commitments.
The councilmember summarized, “This resolution reverses any prior commitment or pledge by past councils to defund or abolish the police. We know that these statements were routinely cited by departing police personnel as a reason for leaving. We also know that they are very divisive.”
Fellow councilmember Maritza Rivera added that she has seen at least one constituent share his wish to see councilmembers “take a stance against the defund rhetoric that we’ve seen in the past in this city. He’s not the only one I know who has requested this.”
Four councilmembers ended up voting in favor of the bill, with none opposed and one absent, and the resolution will now be forwarded to the larger city council meeting on April 1.
A city council press release summarized that the bill “Reiterates support for first responders, acknowledges failure of defund movement and embraces focus on underserved communities.”
“This Council, in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office, has made improving public safety an absolute priority,” Saka said in the announcement. “This is finally the time to acknowledge the lessons of the past and pivot decisively toward a better, future-focused public safety model. We are committed to making everyone in our community feel safe and to enhancing our accountability system.”
Mayor Bruce Harrell was also quoted, noting that rather than defund their police, the city has instead made progress in working to expand the force.
“Seattle has made significant progress on reimagining policing since we agreed to the federal consent decree over a decade ago. We have created one of the most robust police accountability systems in the country. We hired more police officers last year than we lost for the first time in years, and applications are soaring,” the mayor said.
“To help our police officers focus on what they do best, we have diversified our response options by expanding the Fire Department’s capabilities and we successfully launched our third public safety department and the CARE Crisis Response Teams,” he added.
