Nice article Will. Sometimes The Stranger gets accused of being a knee-jerk leftist rag. And then there are articles like this. Moving responsibility to other departments when we have a police shortage is just common sense. The only reason the union objects is because the union wants a staff shortage, so their members can get more money. It is the same reason they don't want to outsource traffic control. It is sad that Harrell doesn't understand this, or is too busy trying to be "tough on crime" to call bullshit. The guy used to be really smart -- maybe he just got intellectually lazy.

SFD doesn’t actually fully staff their boats that are moored at Fisherman’s Terminal. They fully staff the boats on the waterfront near Ivar’s. When a response is needed inside the locks, the firefighters staffing the boats on the waterfront drive up to Fisherman’s Terminal and get underway from there.

SPD staffs boats 24/7 from their facility right by Gas Works Park. So this conversation about shifting responsibility to SFD is burying the lede: it’s a massive cut in service levels for the fresh water side of the city unless you add an significant amount of staff to SFD to staff their boats at Fisherman’s Terminal 24/7. Which of course wouldn’t actually save any $. Instead, it would cost more than the status quo. And even if you did that, because SFD isn’t as centrally located as SPD, it’d take them a lot longer to get to Lake Washington and Lake Union than it currently takes SPD.

All of these facts are of course relevant to this conversation, but The Stranger would rather pretend that they don’t exist. After all, there’s a narrative to maintain.

Well I suppose looking at shifting jobs from the SPD to other agencies or creating news ones appears to be the "new flavor of the day".... Since "defund the police" turned out to be an unmitigated disaster.

Lets start from a point of reason. First we need to rebuild and support the SPD ... if you think they need more sensitivity training, diversity training or need to teach them to sing Kumbaya ... then spend money,.... more money to train the SPD. (More money not less)

SPD is a vital component of city government which was abused, degraded and unsupported by the city council and the far left. Little wonder after the CHOP fiasco that no self respecting police officer would want to work in Seattle.... the city doesn't have your back.

Again, its time to quit pretending that social workers are going to solve the problems of crime and lawlessness in this city. Let the police do their work and quit trying to "recast defund the police in the guise of well lets shift their duties to other departments".

Your campaign to defund the police is over... completely over.... Those of us who have had our stuff jacked, stolen and all manner of other crimes... murders, drug turf wars... 3rd and Pine war zone... have had enough. Quite enough and those city counsel members who voted to defund are or should be on their way out.

Defunding the SPD didn't work... in fact is was a complete disaster.

So, recognizing this was the equivalent of a political pigs breakfast, the far left has a "new flavor of the month" which is to recast facts to try and shift SPD work to other departments.

Its time to quit pretending social workers are going to fix the problem.... Nobody is going to wear it. Those of us who have had our stuff ripped off, doors and cars jacked, noticed the murder, rapes, drug dealing and the open soar of a crime infested downtown, I say to you we have had enough.

To the city counsel members (all seven of you) who VOTED TO DEFUND THE POLICE be warned... I think the voters will have a surprise for you at the polls.

@2 Harrell has never been smart. I'm eager to see him become another in a long list of one-term Seattle mayors.

This article had real, pre-wedgelord Herzog feels, ngl.

Also, the comment here have gone to hell. This one included >.>

Overworked cops :

"Hey, who's got the box of donuts?"