Often when people think about Seattle, images of grunge, coffee and the Space Needle come to mind. The birthplace of many innovations, Seattle bore Amazon.com and the Boeing 747. Surrounded by water and mountains, the city encompasses 143 square miles and hosts a population of 592,800. Misidentified as a dreary, rainy place, Seattle actually has an average rainfall less than New York City or Miami. Pike Place Market enchants visitors with thrown fish and an extensive ferry system escorts travelers to nearby islands. Although the largest city in the Northwest, Seattle offers a small town feel. In league with the neighborhood feel, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) focuses on being a part of the community it serves.
Hiring
The highest number in SPD history, 1,278 sworn and 535 non-sworn currently work for this agency with around 843,000 calls for service annually. The department is broken up geographically into five precincts. Using an 800 MHz radio system, emergency communications personnel work out of SPD's West Precinct.
SPD constantly hires new recruits and offers a lateral program. "We have testing dates about once a month," says Mark Jamieson, SPD Public Information Officer. "We are looking for quality people. We want people who are interested in law enforcement to think of Seattle as a good place not only to work, but to live and raise a family. This is a great department." SPD officers attend the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center academy in Burien, just south of Seattle. The majority of SPD recruits commute each day, but a small number of dorms are available for those who are hired from out of state or for agencies in eastern Washington. The academy lasts six months and focuses on Washington state law. After graduation, SPD officers attend additional SPD-specific training. In the academy, recruits make $4,188 per month.
After completing training, SPD's pay range goes from $5,056 to $6,620. Laterals, depending on experience, begin from $5,667 to $6,179. "One of the incentives of working in Seattle is we are the highest paid in the state right now," explains Jamieson. "We just went through contract negotiations and ended up with a better package." Issued Glock .40 caliber pistols, officers have the option of qualifying with and carrying something else, including revolvers and other semi-automatic weapons. After three years in patrol, SPD offers officers the opportunity to qualify in the patrol rifle program to carry an AR15. Although universally available, only officers who express a desire and successfully complete training carry TASERs.
Assignments
"Seattle is the largest police department in the State of Washington," Jamieson says. "As a result, we have just about any type of unit you can imagine." Within the five precincts, officers can work in the traditional patrol car, ride bikes or walk a foot beat. Patrol officers work a rotating shift of four-on-two-off. In addition to patrol, units include Harbor, Mounted, SWAT, Motorcycle, CSI and a variety of detective assignments.
A unique aspect of SPD is an officer's ability to stay in one area. "We don't have a mandatory watch rotation," states Jamieson. "You have the opportunity, if you are working in a precinct you absolutely love, to not have to go anywhere else if you don't want to. You can work your entire career in one precinct." In addition, SPD offers mobility. "Put in a request. You might not get it immediately, but our department is large enough there is enough movement, so eventually you will end up at the precinct or on the shift you want," Jamieson says. The variety of specialty units allows diversity. "You can work in patrol for a couple years. Then, say you've always wanted to be on the boats. You have an opportunity to work harbor. You don't have to change departments to change jobs."
Seattle Police Foundation
Working in a major city has not prevented SPD from forging a strong relationship with the community. In fact, 2002 saw the creation of the Seattle Police Foundation (SPF), a group of community members helping to support SPD. Through financial support, SPF assists SPD with community partnerships, such as encouraging relationships, employee development, including advanced training, and police service enhancements, including specialized equipment and technology. In 2006, with SPF's assistance, SPD became the first major police department to have AEDs in all patrol cars.
West Side Story Project
In another community endeavor, SPD partnered with The 5th Avenue Theatre. In 2007, marking its 50th anniversary, The 5th Avenue Theatre presented West Side Story, a classic American musical involving 1950s-era rival youth gangs in New York City. SPD's West Side Story Project used this presentation as "the backdrop to an exploration of youth gangs, police relationships, prejudice and the romance of two young people caught in a violent cross-cultural struggle." Middle and high school students, adult community members, Town Hall Seattle, Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Boys and Girls Club of King County, King County Parks and many other agencies and individuals facilitated community conversation about social problems. This project included two Youth Summits, a presentation at the annual meeting of the Police Executive Research Foundation, small youth group discussions and adult community dialogue, in addition to viewing the musical. "As a companion piece, as the musical was being performed, they took the story line and created a curriculum around it for the present day," Jamieson explains. "They brought in kids and they brought in law enforcement and had a series of dialogues trying to break down the misunderstandings on either side."
With the support of its citizens, SPD is a department as amazing as the scenery surrounding the area. Offered diversity or the ability to stay in one place, SPD officers find what they want within the department. "It's a great department and has a great reputation," says Jamieson. "It has its challenges, but any big city does. We do a very good job of policing and keeping the citizens safe. I think for the most part, people appreciate the Seattle Police Department."