The exit interviews of officers leaving the Seattle Police Department reveal how little support and concern for their well-being they received from city officials, according to KOMO News.
Dozens of officers have left the force over the past few months, in part because they no longer feel supported by city officials who are busy pushing a liberal agenda.
“I refuse to work for this socialist city council and their political agenda,” explained an outgoing patrol sergeant who had decided to retire after more than two decades with SPD, according to the report.
“This agenda sacrifices the health and well-being of the officers and ultimately will destroy the fabric of this once fine city,” said the sergeant.
Many exiting officers were especially concerned with the lack of consequences for rioters who committed crimes during the protests or against police department employees.
“In a precinct that is under civil unrest by a small group that is constantly committing multiple felonies and attempting to murder peace officers,” one patrol officer who had worked for the department for six to 10 years wrote.
The person later added that they largely enjoyed working with Seattle PD, but “[t]he one thing that I enjoyed the least was the handling of the last three months of riots.”
The entire department has suffered due to “the council wanting to defund us and gaining ground doing it,” another outgoing officer said. “Rioters not being charged even when they assault officers.”
Mayor Jenny Durkan tried to prevent the Seattle City Council from slashing the police department’s budget, but city council members managed to override her veto, cutting SPD’s budget by $4 million.
When asked if he’d be willing to return to the SPD in the future, a veteran police canine officer with more than 10 years with the SPD responded, “I highly doubt it.”
“You could pay me twice what you’re paying me now and I would not work for Seattle under this current political mayhem, Marxist collaborations, and lack of government and police leadership,” the officer wrote.
