Seattle mayor considers incentives for police amid officer shortage

Seattle announced a $2 million plan Wednesday to address what Mayor Bruce Harrell described as a critical shortage of police officers in the city. 

It includes recruitment bonuses, reimbursement for moving costs and possible tuition assistance.

The city has lost more than 400 police officers over the past 2 ½ years, which Harrell's office said has led to the point "where essential services cannot be delivered promptly and effectively."

The plan notes that, as of May, the number of trained and deployable officers in Seattle is at its lowest in more than three decades — just 954 — and that the department has been unable to meet annual recruiting goals in recent years. 

"To provide a minimum level of service, SPD must make up for this severe staffing shortage by relying on overtime-paid officers almost daily, a significant expense to the city," the plan states, noting the situation is contributing to exhaustion and low morale among officers and harming public safety.