Seattle mayor proposes $20M in cuts to police to help budget
June 23, 2020 5:37PM AKDT
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan will propose $20 million in cuts to the police budget in the remainder of 2020, the largest cuts to any department as the city attempts to fill a hole of about $400 million caused by the coronavirus. The mayor proposes slashing about 5% of the Seattle Police budget this year with an officer hiring freeze next year until a plan is developed “reflecting community priorities for public safety.” Many of the protests that have dominated Seattle for weeks have demanded a 50% cut to the police department’s budget. Durkan has asked the department to prepare models of what 20%, 30% and 50% budget cuts would look like.