VIDEO: City Council continues considering police cuts/changes

10:39 AM: You can click in to the live Seattle Channel stream above to watch the City Council, meeting as the Select Budget Committee, continue what they started Friday afternoon – considering proposed 2020 budget amendments that would affect the Seattle Police Department. According to what budget chair Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda said in the briefing meeting before this one, they are starting (after public comment) with Amendment #40 in this packet.

The meeting could run until 1 pm. No voting is planned today – the amendment votes are expected on Wednesday, when the budget meeting will start at 11 am (which means public-comment signup will start that day at 9 am). The final votes on these and other 2020 city-budget changes are planned next Monday (August 10th).

11:06 AM: The public-comment period has ended (20+ commenters, all but four voicing support for defunding), and the amendment discussion has begun.

1:12 PM: The budget meeting is wrapping up; we will replace the video window above with the archived video when it’s available. One change announced: The Wednesday budget meeting will start at 10 am after all (which means 8 am signups for public comment).

4:09 PM: Video added at top.

West Seattle Hipster August 3, 2020 (11:27 am)

Any word on how the SPD union feels about this?

edemocracyideas August 3, 2020 (11:41 am)

If you have questions about the proposed police cuts and/or if your question was answered, please post your questions and learning takeaways here (https://westseattleblog.com/forums-2/topic/reader-questions-about-city-councils-draft-resolution-related-to-policing/).

Jim August 3, 2020 (1:36 pm)

I’m shocked they allowed 4 people to voice an opinion against. I signed up a couple weeks ago a minute after the site was allegedly open and was number 230. So it was continuous activists reading from their cars the same exact thing.

SeattleWay August 3, 2020 (2:06 pm)

“This amendment would add $3 million to the Legislative Department to enter into contracts with community-based organizations to research processes that will promote public safety informed by community needs.” This is the most Seattle sentence ever written in the history of Seattle, and is exactly what I feared. I agree with diverting funds from the police for things that would be better handled by social services, but I do not think there is a single elected official in Seattle City government who understands how to move beyond throwing money at “researching processes” into implementing actual accountable programs. I feel like this is going to have the same level of success as we’ve seen with the homelessness crisis. I hope I’m wrong.

The King August 3, 2020 (3:08 pm)

Be aware that wild policies are often a strategy. Looking at how local politicians are handling pretty much everything, this is what is known as the Curley effect, named after a Boston mayor who pioneered this technique many years ago.
WS res August 3, 2020 (6:01 pm)

Let me interpret that for you. “We hate the Navigation Team and will be giving that money to a friend of ours who is starting a non-profit that pretends to be a social program, while paying themselves a large salary. For reference, please see our Homeless Prevention Strategy. “
- Mj August 3, 2020 (9:11 pm)
  
  Wow, did you ever hit that nail on the head, could not agree more WS res

Millie August 3, 2020 (2:12 pm)

After a cursory review of some of the particular amendments (specifically #17-Mounted Police, #24 – Harbor Patrol, #25 – SWAT Team, #31 & #40 – Navigation Team, #41 & #42 – Parks, and finally #53 – Transfer 911 appear to be “hot air”. Did the voters not approve monies specifically for Parks (Parks Levy), Navigation Team (Housing Levies) and 911 via phone and property taxes? In respect to the Mounted Police and Harbor Patrol are they not aware of the number of acres of City parks, beaches, lakes and sound where city residents and voters may need assistance? One cannot assume costs could be transferred to another government (i.e., King County). As mentioned above, this is a cursory review.

edemocracyideas August 4, 2020 (12:53 pm)

You raise good points. Do state rules for recalling elected officials cover a scenario where Council members contradicted a vote of the people WITHOUT calling for another vote to redirect previously allocated funds? Do you know a lawyer who can help us answer that question? I’ll run this question by State SenatorJoe Nyugen.

psps August 3, 2020 (2:58 pm)

https://i0.wp.com/thecisforcrank.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Screen-Shot-2020-06-10-at-11.15.27-PM.png

Jasper August 3, 2020 (3:39 pm)

It’s starting to sound like #DefundTheCityCouncil time to me…

Mel August 3, 2020 (4:16 pm)

Yes! Time to defund our incompetent city council!
- WS Longtimer August 3, 2020 (6:15 pm)
  
  Total INCOMPETENCE A DIS-GRACE! Get them out!!!

Bradley August 3, 2020 (5:59 pm)

It’s seriously time to rethink District Councilmembers. It’s only fair to vote all 9, not just 3. Several of them would find new accountability or get moved out.

AMD August 3, 2020 (7:15 pm)

Districts have only existed for, what, 4 or 5 years? Before that people thought it was unfair that everyone could vote for all nine because some areas of the city were over-represented and others were underrepresented (and now we sit here with 1/3 of the council in our neighborhood, but that was the argument for districts). The thinking was that representatives would be more responsive to the needs of a district they lived in, and more accountable.

WS Longtimer August 3, 2020 (6:04 pm)

Protestors at City Council s houses….They fold.

WSB August 3, 2020 (6:22 pm)

No, actually, 7 of 9 had publicly supported defunding before the Evening March visits.

Ed August 3, 2020 (8:40 pm)

Defund the police…. AS I HEAR NOTHING BUT SIRENS THE MAJORITY OF THE DAY!I think the Fremont Troll has summoned trolls to infect the city of Seattle. We must cast level 65 Logic and Reason spells to counteract the damage being caused on our Great City of Seattle. Hope this is all a bad dream and wake up to the Emerald City I remember…

waughtown August 3, 2020 (9:47 pm)

I have left multiple phone messages and sent multiple emails to Lisa Herbold as well as the rest of the city council. I want to make sure they know that there are many of us who do not want the police to be defunded or reduced in size at all. So far, after weeks of attempts to get in touch, not even one reply. In my opinion, Lisa Herbold and the others are not listening to me or those who share my views. Defunding and/or reducing the size of our police will have implications for all of us well into the future. Where is the community outreach? Where are the town hall discussions? This is rushed and wreckless! They are taking advantage of the fact that because of Coronavirus and social distancing, etc., they can push this through with little resistance. We have one of the most diverse and best trained police forces in the nation. This is crazy!!!