Seattle mayor proposed $1.7M in hiring freeze savings to boost public safety

(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has proposed $1.7 million to go toward a public safety initiatives as part of his proposed mid-year supplemental budget package. The money would come from savings generated by a hiring freeze Harrell announced earlier this year, as well as anticipated healthcare cost savings.

The money would go to recruiting and training general public safety staff, abating dangerous buildings, and improving sexual assault investigations. Harrell’s office said these investments will be net revenue neutral.

Out of the $1.7 million in proposed funding, the highest amount would go to police recruitment, at $800,000. Recruitment efforts include marketing, according to the city.

The remaining $900,000 would be spent in the following ways if the mid-year supplemental budget is approved by the city council:

$350,000 to cover the cost of demolishing buildings while the city recovers expenses from property owners; the city previously anticipated costs associated with vacant building demolition to total up to $500,000 this year alone before potential reimbursements;$258,000 to train and fill five additional paramedic positions. $250,000 to address gaps identified by the Harrell’s Advisory Panel on Sexual Assault and System Reform to develop a new trauma-informed training for police, expand analysis of data and cases, and improve victim support.

“This revenue-neutral budget package represents both an urgent and thoughtful investment to improve safety and address behavioral health needs, bringing a strategic spending approach and pursuing outside funds to make our dollars go farther,” Harrell said in a statement .

Harrell previously announced a $1.9 million proposal to expand the city’s dual dispatch pilot program to seven days a week and hire more behavioral health responders.

That funding is meant to go adding 21 positions to the Community Assisted Response and Engagement, or CARE, team. The positions would consist of 18 CARE team responders and three supervisors added over the next few months.