Seattle needs nearly 200 police officers to meet 911 demand, study says

SEATTLE – The city of Seattle needs to add nearly 200 police officers to meet 911 response times and other service goals.

KIRO-TV reported that a staffing study released Friday that analyzed the Seattle Police Department found the department would need to add up to 175 new officers, plus the equivalent of more than 100 officers in overtime.

In his state of the city address last month, Mayor Ed Murray pledged to hire 200 new officers by 2019. So far, the department has added 50 officers to the force, beyond attrition.

Murray originally pledged to hire 100 officers. He said his decision to double the goal will cost the city an additional $15 million a year.

The mayor is expected to introduce his police funding plan soon, which will include some kind of tax increase.