| Seattle Police Department | |
|---|---|
 Patch of the department | |
| Abbreviation | SPD |
| Motto | Service, Pride, Dedication |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1869 |
| Annual budget | $365m (2022)[1] |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Washington, U.S. |
 | |
| Seattle Police jurisdiction | |
| Size | 142.5 square miles (369 km2) |
| Population | 737,015 (2020) |
| Legal jurisdiction | City of Seattle |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Police officers | c. 940 (2022)[2] |
| Civilian employees | 631 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Precincts | 5 |
| Website | |
| seattle | |
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is responsible for the whole city except for the campus of the University of Washington (which is under the university's police department).
Law enforcement in Seattle began with the election of John T. Jordan as town marshal in 1869.[3] The SPD was officially organized on June 2, 1869, predating the incorporation of Seattle by the territorial legislature in December.[4] Today it has a number of specialty units including SWAT, bike patrol, harbor patrol, motorcycles, mounted patrols, and a variety of detective units.[5]
The SPD has been under federal oversight since 2012, when policy and procedural reforms were instituted after a United States Department of Justice investigation found that SPD officers routinely used excessive force.[6]
Patrolmen are represented by the Seattle Police Officers' Guild in labor negotiations.[7]
- ^ "SPD 2022 Proposed Budget" (PDF). Seattle.gov. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ "As cops leave and crime rate rises, Seattle police Chief Diaz eyes plan to turn the tide". KOMO-TV. April 28, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2022."Chief Diaz Statement on Current Staffing Crisis". City of Seattle Seattle Police Blotter. June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ^ Moody, Dick (November 15, 1953). "Berry-Patch Patrol Was First Police Job". The Seattle Times. p. 4.
- ^ "Brief History of Seattle - CityArchives | seattle.gov". www.seattle.gov. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ "Redirect – Seattle Police Department".
- ^ "Year 3 of SPD oversight: Are new policies making a difference?". Seattle Times. 2015.
- ^ Kamb, Lewis (January 9, 2021). "President of Seattle police union lambasted for comments claiming Black Lives Matter among those to blame for U.S. Capitol siege". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 10, 2021.