(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office is turning to its 2024 initiatives to boost public safety as the number of homicides in 2023 breaks a city record.
As of the weekend of Dec. 1, there have been 71 homicides within Seattle city limits. The Center Square reached out to the Seattle Police Department to confirm the 71 homicides, but did not receive a response. However, the department confirmed the number to KOMO News.
The 71 homicides broke the city’s previous record of 69 homicides in 1994.
“This trend of homicides is extremely concerning and shows there is more work to be done to keep Seattle residents and communities safe, take guns off our streets, and hold those who cause harm accountable for their actions,” Seattle Mayor’s Office spokesperson Callie Craighead said to The Center Square in an email.
As part of Harrell’s holistic approach to reducing crime in Seattle, his office made police staffing a priority and advanced a Recruitment and Retention Plan. The plan includes issuing one-time cash bonuses of $7,500 for new hires and $30,000 for lateral transfers to incentivize interested people to apply for the department.
The city’s goal is a net gain of 500 officers in the next five years. Craighead said that there has been an average of nearly 200 people applying to the police department each month – the highest rate in over two years.
According to the mayor’s office, firearms were used in nearly 79% of homicide cases. The Seattle Police Department also continues to recover illegal firearms at a record pace with over 1,260 by the end of October.
“Our office will continue to support upstream and community-based solutions to help prevent crimes before they occur through efforts like the Seattle Community Safety Initiative and King County Regional Peacekeepers Collective,” Craighead said.
Harrell also sought out piloting new technology solutions to combat increased gun violence as part of his 2024 budget proposal. This includes automatic license plate readers, CCTV cameras, and “ShotSpotter,” which is a technology program that differentiates the sounds of gunshots from other loud sounds like fireworks or the backfiring of a vehicle so that police can respond to the scene quickly.
Four Seattle City Councilmembers were in favor of an amendment to the 2024 budget that transfers $1.5 million dedicated to the implementation of ShotSpotter towards services for tiny house villages. This is due to a number of studies that claim it is ineffective and targets communities of color. However, that proposed amendment was shot down by a 4-5 vote.
Last year was a record high for total crime in Seattle. However, the 52 homicides in all of 2022 is nearly 31% less than the 71 in 2023, which has a few weeks left in the year.
“Addressing public safety concerns is an ongoing challenge and will take a multi-faceted approach, and Mayor Harrell will continue to advance innovative, effective, and proactive solutions to help keep residents safe,” Craighead ended.
