>>> GOOD MORNING. TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2000 AND. IT IS NOT:30 1 AM . THIS IS
OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING FOR THE GENDER EQUITY, SAFE COMMUNITIES, NEW AMERICANS, AND
EDUCATION COMMITTEE . I AM COUNCILMEMBER LORENA GONALEZ AND JOIN ME AT THE TABLE IS ROB JOHNSON,
MEMBER. THERE ARE TWO ITEMS ON TODAY'S AGENDA. FIRST WE WILL HEAR FROM THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY BUDGET OFFICE AND THEIR RESPONSE TO A STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE
INTENT REGARDING THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT DATA RETENTION AND HIRING STRATEGIES THAT
THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED OR ADOPTED IN THE FALL OF TWO THOUSAND 18. DURING OUR LAST BUDGET
PROCESS. WELCOME COUNCILMEMBER TERESA MOSQUEDA . WE WANT TO CREATE AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM THAT
WILL HELP HIGHER POLICE OFFICERS AS PROPOSED BY THE MAYOR. WE WILL NOT TAKE A VOTE ON CB
119461. THIS IS AN INITIAL STATION TO HEAR FROM THE EXECUTIVE CAUGHT THE RATIONALE FOR
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND TO ALLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND
HIGHLIGHT PARTICULAR AMENDMENTS THAT THEY MAY BE INTERESTED IN THAT CENTRAL STAFF CAN
BEGIN THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON IN ANTICIPATION OF THE SECOND HEARING WHERE WE WILL HEAR AMENDMENTS
AND HAVE A POTENTIAL VOTE ON THE BILL. OKAY. SO BEFORE WE GET STARTED, WE ALWAYS START
WITH PUBLIC TESTIMONY. NOBODY HAS SIGNED UP TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY PUBLIC COMMENT SO IS
THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE WHO THOUGHT THEY WANTED TO SIGN UP BUT DID NOT HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN THAT THE AUDIENCE IS FULL OF REPORTERS AND CITY STAFF I EXPECT THE ANSWER
IS NO. [LAUGHTER] WE WILL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE OUT PUBLIC COMMENT. I WILL GO AHEAD AND ASK
ROXANA TO READ. CAN YOU ACTUALLY READ BOTH AGENDA ITEMS INTO THE RECORD IN THE EVENT
WE WANT TO GO BACK AND FORTH? THAT WILL BE HELPFUL. RESPONSE TO SLI 38-6-A-2: AND THEN
IF YOU ARE HERE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PRESENT ON THESE ISSUES STAFFING I WOULD
INVITE YOU TO DATA AND RETENTION & HIRING JOIN US AT
THE TABLE.
STRATEGIES. AGENDA ITEM 1, AGENDA ITEM 2, CB 119462: AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT; CREATING AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR HIRING LATERAL POLICE OFFICERS; AND REPEALING
OBSOLETE SECTIONS 4.20.530, 4.20.540, 4.20.550 OF THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE. >> THANK YOU.
SO WE WILL , LET ME JUST GIVE A PREVIEW ABOUT WHAT THE RUN OF SHOW WILL BE HERE. I WILL
ASK EACH OF YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES FOR THE RECORD SO WE HAVE YOUR NAME READY AND
READILY AVAILABLE TO US. I WILL MAKE A COUPLE OF INTRODUCTORY REMARKS AND THEN GREG ARE
YOU GOING TO KICK IT OFF WITH A FRAMING OF THE SLIDE ? THEN WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DIG IN.
HOW DOES THAT SOUND? GREAT. OKAY, INTRODUCTIONS.
GREG DAWSON , MIKE FIELDS, CARRIE McNALLY.
THIS ISSUE AROUND HIRING, RECRUITMENT, AND RETENTION AT THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
IS SOMETHING I KNOW I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON AS A COUNCILMEMBER SINCE I STARTED ON THE
CITY COUNCIL I GUESS 3 YEARS AGO NOW. TIME HAS FLOWN. I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE
FACT THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DOES TAKE THIS ISSUE VERY SERIOUSLY. IT IS SOMETHING CONSTANT
I HAVE BEEN ON THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS TAKEN BUDGET RELATED ACTIONS IN
ORDER TO FACILITATE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S ABILITY TO RECRUIT, HIRE, AND RETAIN ADDITIONAL
OFFICERS . THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THAT BODY OF WORK AND A CONTINUATION OF OUR COMMITMENT
AS A CITY COUNCIL TO FULFILL WHAT I THINK WE UNDERSTAND TO BE OUR DUTY AND OBLIGATION
TO DELIVER PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SEATTLE, WHO WORKED IN SEATTLE
AND WHO VISIT THIS GREAT CITY. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR ALL'S COLLECTIVE EFFORT IN THAT REGARD
IN WORKING WITH MY OFFICE AND WITH CENTRAL STAFF TO SET UP A COLLABORATIVE TRANSPARENT
PROCESS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO EFFECTIVELY CONSIDER AND DISCUSS SOME EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES
THAT COULD REALLY CREATE SOME POSITIVE CHANGE IN TERMS OF THE TRENDS WE ARE SEEING WITH
HIRING AND ATTRITION AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHICH I KNOW IS NOT UNIQUE TO THE SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS SPACE BY MANY POLICE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY. IT IS A NATIONAL TREND AND A LOT OF POLICE AGENCIES LIKE THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT ARE TAKING A SERIOUS LOOK AT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT THEY CAN BE
USING IN ORDER TO ATTRACT NEW RECRUITS AND ALSO LATERAL HIRES. SO OF COURSE WE ARE HAVING
THIS CONVERSATION IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER PEOPLE ALSO TRYING TO UTILIZE SOME OF THE
SAME TOOLS WE ARE USING. SO I AM EXCITED ABOUT HAVING THE CONVERSATION TODAY AS A FIRST STEP
TOWARDS SETTING THE TABLE FOR ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION AROUND HOW WE CAN BEST SUPPORT
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT EFFORTS IN RECRUITING AND RETENTION IN THIS PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT
THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH. THAT BEING SAID, I WILL HAND IT OVER TO GREG WHO, IF YOU WOULD
KINDLY DO SO, SET UP THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE INTENT AND THEN WE
WILL GO AHEAD AND HANDED OVER TO THE EXECUTIVE TO PROVIDE US THE REPORT.
AS YOU POINT OUT, COUNSEL HAS HAD AN INTEREST IN POLICE HIRING AND RETENTION AND AS THE
CITY BECAME AWARE LAST SUMMER COUPLES AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COUNCIL THAT SEPARATIONS
WERE HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND RECRUITING WAS DOWN, THE COUNCIL ASKED FOR SOME INFORMATION
AND THE EXECUTIVE PROVIDED IT. WE REALLY GOT A LOOK AT THE DATA FOR THE FIRST TIME AND
THE COUNCIL THEN PASSED SLI 38-6-A- 2 WHICH ASKED TO BE REGULARLY INFORMED ABOUT THE DATA,
PARTICULARLY DATA THAT SHOWS BOTH SEPARATIONS AND HIRES THROUGH THE LAST MONTH OR MOST IMPORTANTLY
PROJECTIONS FOR THE NEXT 2 YEARS GOING FORWARD. THEN THAT DATA IS TO COME ON A MONTHLY BASIS
AND WE RECEIVE THAT DATA TO-3 WEEKS AGO I BELIEVE . AND QUARTERLY THE DEPARTMENT WILL
BE PROVIDING UPDATES LIKE THIS ONE HERE TODAY ON THE RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE HAPPENED
OVER THE PRIOR QUARTER CAUGHT THE PLANNED RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES AND THEN THE REASONS
FOR SEPARATION AS OFFICERS ARE SEPARATING AND TALKING ABOUT THE REASONS THEY ARE LEAVING,
THEY ARE RECORDED BY THE APARTMENT. WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT TODAY. THAT IS A T UP.
IT IS AN ONGOING EFFORT. THERE IS AN EXECUTIVE EVER, WORK GROUP THAT IS GETTING TOGETHER
THAT DOES INCLUDE COUNSEL STAFF THAT IS LOOKING AT ISSUE AND I WILL LEAVE IT TO THE DEPARTMENT
TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU GREG. I JUST WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS TERESA MOSQUEDA, VICE- CHAIR , DEBORA
JUAREZ, ALTERNATE , COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD , AND COUNCILMEMBER O'BRIEN. I REALLY APPRECIATED
THEIR SUPPORT OF MY EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AS MUCH AVAILABLE DATA AS WE CAN TO
REALLY BE ABLE TO EVALUATE, ANALYZE, AND CONSIDER PROPOSALS THAT ARE RESPONSIVE TO WHAT SOME
OF THE TRENDS ARE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING MY COSPONSORS.
IT WAS OUR PLEASURE, MADAM CHAIR.
I DID GIVE YOU A CHOICE. JUST KIDDING. SO LET'S HEAD OVER TO THE EXECUTIVE AND WHOEVER
WANTS TO KICK US OFF.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, MIKE FIELDS, HR DIRECTOR OF THE SEATTLE PLACE. WE REALLY APPRECIATE
THE COLLABORATION WE HAVE HAD SO FAR AND LOOKED TO MOVING INTO 2019 ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
I WILL BE WORKING OFF OF THE SLIDES. THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2019 SWORN RECRUITMENT
STRATEGY. WILL START WITH A THREE-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE ON APPLICANTS. THE HIRES THAT RESULTED FROM
THOSE APPLICANTS AND THE DIVERSITY OF THOSE HIRES. SO LOOKING AT THE FIRST SLIDE, THIS
REALLY PAINTS THE PICTURE. YOU CAN SEE FROM 2016 THROUGH 2018, JUST THE AGGREGATE NUMBER
OF FOLKS WHO SAT FOR OUR ENTRY LEVEL TEST IS OFF 30%. NEXT SLIDE SHOWS A SIMILAR TREND
ALTHOUGH A LITTLE MORE DRASTIC WITH US TAKING OUR LATERAL TEST. WE ARE OFF 48% DURING THAT
SAME TIMEFRAME WITH LATERALS SITTING FOR OUR TEST. JUST NOTE THAT THESE DECLINES FROM 2016
TO 2018 ART DESPITE INCREASING IN PERSON OUTREACH AND ADVERTISING OVER THE SAME TIME PERIOD.
THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE RESULTING TREND IN HIRES. WE HAVE THREE VERY STRONG YEARS HISTORICALLY
FOR US IN 2015, 2016, AND 2017. THEN AS YOU CAN SEE WE SAW AND SIGNIFICANT DOWNTURN LAST
YEAR. IT MIRRORED THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS DECREASING AS WELL . OF NOTE IS THAT OUR CONVERSION
RATE OR THE RATIO OF FOLKS HIRED TO THOSE WHO APPLIED HAS REMAINED ROUGHLY CONSTANT
OVER THIS SAME TIME PERIOD. THIS SLIDE TALKS ABOUT AN OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH. I
THOUGHT I WOULD ASK DETECTIVE McNALLY TO SPEAK TO THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE RECOGNIZED IS THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH YIELDS US MANY MORE CANDIDATES
THAN DO TRADITIONAL JOB FAIRS >> THE BETTER THAT WE CAN CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS,
THE MORE WE CAN TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE HISTORICALLY
ARE AT 25-30 COMMUNITY AND THAT'S PER YEAR. SET UP RECRUITING BOOTHS AT THOSE EVENTS AND
WEEPING OFFICERS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT TO STAFF THOSE AND MAKE SURE WE ARE PRESENTED
OF PATROL CAR SPECIALTY UNITS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. WE HAVE ASKED REPEATEDLY THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT
FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO HELP WITH RECRUITING EFFORTS AND WE BRING IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE A
GENUINE INTEREST EITHER THEY HAVE GROWN UP IN THE AREA AND WANT TO WORK WITH NUMBERS
OF THEIR COMMUNITY, THEY WANT TO BE PART OF THE RECRUITING EFFORTS, SO WE BRING THEM ALONGSIDE
A STARK THERE ARE 2 OF US TO FALL 2 OF US FULL-TIME THAT WE HAVE OTHER DEPARTMENT MEMBERS
WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING WITH THAT PROCESS WHICH GIVES US A GREATER REACH INTO THE COMMUNITY
I BELIEVE. THESE COMMUNITY OUTREACH EXAMPLES THAT YOU GAVE ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE CAUGHT
THE POLICE EXPLORERS SUMMER YOUTH IMPLEMENT AND LATE-NIGHT PROGRAMS, IT SEEMS LIKE THESE
ARE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON NEW RECRUITS AS OPPOSED TO LATERALS, IS THAT CORRECT?
THAT IS CORRECT. THIS IS A WAY, THE POLICE EXPLORER PROGRAM IS FOR AGES 13- 21. IT GIVES
US THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOUTH IN PARTICULAR THAT HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE SHOP AND GIVE
THEM THE JOB SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO GET USED TO WHAT THE DEPARTMENT LOOKS LIKE. IT
ALSO GOES TO THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM TOO BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE HAVING BEEN AT SEVERAL
CONFERENCES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT WE CAN GO FIND PEOPLE RIGHT
NOW OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE HARD WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A PIPELINE OF PEOPLE
COMING IN 10-15 YEARS FROM NOW. SO USE ENGAGEMENTS IS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR US AS A DEPARTMENT
AND ALSO FROM THE RECRUITING PERSPECTIVE AS WELL. WE TRY TO OUTREACH AT A YOUNGER AGE
TO GET THEM READY AND PREPARED TO GET HIRED WHEN THEY ARE AT AGE, THAT OF COURSE THE COMMUNITY
EVENTS, WE ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT BEING A POLICE OFFICER.
THEY HAS HAD AN ENTIRE CAREER SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEN THEY SEE THIS OPPORTUNITY THEY MAY
HAVE NOT HAD BEFORE. I THINK OUR RECRUITS ACROSS BOTH BOUNDERS. WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO COME
ON AT 21 AND WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING ON AT 50 BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING I ALWAYS WANTED
TO DO AND NOW THEY HAVE CAUGHT THEY ARE READY FOR IT. WE CAN GET THEM THE HELP THEY NEED
TO GET ON THE DEPARTMENT.
I AM INTERESTED TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY EVENT YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE EVENTS THAT YOU ARE PARTICIPATING IN? WHAT TYPE OF EVENTS
ARE THERE?
WE GO TO EVERY COMMUNITY THAT'S ALL. WE ARE ENGAGED IN THE PARADES AT TORCHLIGHT, WE ARE
GOING TO THE WOMEN'S SHOW , ONTO THE WOMEN'S SHOW THE LAST 20 YEARS. SO WE ARE HONESTLY
WILLING TO GO TO ANY EVENT WE GET INVITED TO. THAT GOES TO OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE
COMMUNITY. ARE CONSTANTLY SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BE PRESENT. RECON IN NOT IN FULL
UNIFORM, WE'LL COME IN A POLO SHIRT TO ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE. WE BRING ALONG UNIFORMS FOR PEOPLE
TO TRY ON. WE GO TO DRAGON FEST EVERY YEAR AND WE END UP ENGAGING WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WEEPING ALONG GEAR AND THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE CAN PUT THEIR KIDS
INVEST AND GET THEM EXCITED ABOUT US ENGAGING WITH THEM AND GETTING TO KNOW US. WE WILL
BE ATTENDING I BELIEVE IT'S AN EVENT ON MARCH 17 HERE WITH THE IRANIAN COMMUNITY. WE ARE
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES AND ANY INVITATION WE GET ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WE MAKE SURE WE
HAVE SOMEONE THERE. EVEN IF ONE OF THE 2 OF US CAN BE THERE, WE WILL FIND SOME OF OUR
RECRUITING SUPPORT TEAM THAT CAN GO AND ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY. WE SAY YES TO EVERYTHING.
YOU WILL SEE SOME OF THE EVENTS WE GO TO BARK OVER 100 EVENTS PER YEAR BECAUSE WE DO NOT
SAY NO. IF SOMEONE CALLED US AND SAYS THEY HAVE AN EVENT COMING UP, WE WILL MAKE SURE
TO HAVE NEVER TO BE THERE.
IN TERMS OF THE TYPE OF MATERIALS YOU ARE BRINGING KAI SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A DIVERSE
AUDIENCE YOU ARE REACHING OUT TO. HOW ARE WE WORKING TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS A RACIAL
JUSTICE LENS APPLY TO THE MATERIAL WHO IS DEVELOPING THAT? ARE WE GETTING COMMUNITY
FEEDBACK? ARE WE APPLYING THE COMMUNITY JUSTICE LENS TO THE EVENTS WE ARE GOING TO. IF WE
SAW A MAP AND OVERLAID IT WITH COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, SPEAKING MULTIPLE LANGUAGE, HOW
ARE WE USING THAT RACIAL JUSTICE TOOL IN OUR MATERIALS?
I CAME TO THE UNIT IN 2015. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE HAD DONE, I HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN
THE REFUGEE WOMEN'S INSTITUTE SO WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AND BEVERAGE
IF THEY ARE
WE LOOK AT IT THROUGH THE MEDIA LENS AS WE ASKED HIM TO GIVE US ALL OF THE DIVERSE MEDIA
EFFORTS IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE. WE MAKE SURE WE ARE UTILIZING OUR RECRUITING MATERIALS
INTO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. WE DON'T DO STOCK PICTURES. WE DON'T STAND BY AND TAKE A PICTURE
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD EVERYBODY REPRESENTED. WE USE PHOTOS FROM EVENTS THAT WE ACTUALLY
ATTENDED IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. THAT IS THE GENUINE RESPONSE
THE WAY THAT WE DO ADVERTISING. ME HAVING COME TO THE UNIT, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS
ASKED WAS ABOUT WOMEN, HOW DO WE INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF WOMEN THAT COME INTO THE DEPARTMENT.
I STARTED OUR FIRST EVER WOMAN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER FAIR WITH THAT LENS. WE REACH OUT TO
OTHER AGENCIES. THE FIRST EVENT WE DID WE HAD MANY AGENCIES THERE. MOST OF THE RECRUITERS
WERE WOMEN. WE HAVE TRIED TO EMPLOY DIFFERENT TACTICS WITH DIFFERENT IMMUNITIES. WE LISTEN
TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY ASKS US FOR. AND IT GOES BACK TO THE RECRUITING SUPPORT TEAM.
WITH THAT 50-60 DID OFFICERS WE HAVE, WE ASKED THEM WHAT THEIR BACKGROUND WAS. WHAT BROUGHT
YOU INTO THIS JOB. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO USE THEM IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES BASED ON THEIR
INTERESTS AND WORKING IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. THAT HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT ASSET FOR US TOO
AS WE LISTEN TO OUR OFFICERS WE ASK EVERYBODY IN THE DEPARTMENT TO SEND US IDEAS FOR EVENTS
THAT ARE COMING UP. SO WHETHER IT THEY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP THEY CAN BRING US ALONG OR
WE CAN CONTINUE THAT RELATIONSHIP, ALL OF OUR EFFORTS WE HAVE A DIVERSITY STATEMENT
AND ALL OF OUR LITERATURE, OUR WEBSITE. THERE ARE SOME EFFORTS WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING
AT IN BRINGING SOME OUTSIDE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THAT AS WELL TO MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT MISSING
THAT LENS. THEN WE TRY TO MAKE SURE WE ARE REFLECTIVE OF OUR AGENCY WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLY
DIVERSE AGENCY. THAT IS WHAT WE HIGHLIGHT .
I KNOW THAT THE NEXT SLIDE WILL HIT ON THE DIVERSITY NUMBERS AND WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE
BEEN DOING.
IF I COULD JUST ADD CAUSED SOME OF THE BEST IDEAS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN THIS ARENA HAVE
COME FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THEMSELVES. OUR RECRUITERS HAVE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF TOUCH
POINTS WITH PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS AND WE GET TO HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON IN THERE MY. WHY
SEATTLE VERSUS SOMEWHERE ELSE? WIFE POLICING VERSUS SOME OTHER CAREER. ONE OF THE THINGS
WE HEARD THAT WAS ALSO ECHOED IN THE HIRING REPORT WAS THAT FOLKS WANT TO SEE PEOPLE THAT
LOOK LIKE THEM AT EVENTS IN MATERIALS. WE REALLY WORKS ON THAT. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
YOU CAN SATURATE A COMMUNITY WITH ADVERTISING BUT IF IT'S JUST FOR HISTORICAL REASONS DID
NOT OCCUR 12 COMMUNITY TO LOOK TO A CAREER IN LAW DISBURSEMENT , IT IS FALLING ON DEAF
EARS. THE RECRUITING HAS BEEN A INTERESTING AND SUCCESSFUL PART OF OUR OVERALL STRATEGY.
BIDDING TO OUR NEXT SLIDE , THE EFFORTS THAT WE JUST DETAILS HAVE BEEN PRODUCTIVE. YOU
CAN SEE THE TREND IN THE HIRING OF PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM 2013 THROUGH LAST YEAR. TO THE
POINT WHERE LAST YEAR AT 42% OF OUR INCOMING RECRUITS BEING PEOPLE OF COLOR WAS MORE DIVERSE
THAN THE CITY OR COUNTY AS A WHOLE. THAT NUMBER IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION THOUGH CERTAIN
SOMETHING THAT WILL REMAIN.
IN THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THE 42%, HOW MANY ARE NEW HIRES VERSUS
LATERALS?
WE DO. AS I AM SITTING HERE I DON'T THAT WE CERTAINLY TRACK THAT DATA AND WE CAN PROVIDE
THAT.
THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT HAS TEED UP IN RELATIONS TO A COUNSEL
BILL AROUND OUR ORDINANCES IS WHETHER THE HIRING BONUS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR NEW
HIRES AND I THINK THERE IS A LEGITIMATE POLICY COMPOSITION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE AROUND THAT
PARTICULAR ISSUE BECAUSE IF WHAT WE ARE SEEING REGARDING THE PROGRESS AROUND RACIAL DIVERSITY
IS MORE IN THE NEW HIRE SPACE, THEN I WOULDN'T WANT TO COMPROMISE THE DEPARTMENTS SUCCESS
AND TRENDS IN THIS SPACE BY QUEUING SKEWING TOO MUCH TO THE LATERAL. THAT COULD CREATE
THE UNATTENDED CONFERENCE OF IMPACTING SOME OF THE POSITIVE WORK THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS
DONE TO INCREASE DIVERSITY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
SHOULD. WE WILL PROVIDE THAT.
THANK YOU.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THE DEMOGRAPHIC DOWN BEHIND THE SCENES. IF YOU CAN HAND THAT
OVER FOUR US. THEN WHEN A QUESTION, I KNOW YOU SAID AT THE BEGINNING AND I DID NOT QUITE
CATCH IT. WHAT IS THE Y-AXIS HERE? IS THIS AN INCREASE IN DIVERSITY OR TOTAL POPULATION
OF FOLKS WORKING AT SPD?
IT IS THE TOTAL OF THOSE INCOMING IN ANY GIVEN YEAR. IT'S NOT THOSE WORKING AS A TOTAL POPULATION
OF THE PERMIT THAT TOTAL INCOMING. IN 2010, 42% OF THOSE COMING IN WHERE PEOPLE OF COLOR,
NOT A PERCENTAGE INCREASE NUMBER.
SO 42% THEN = --
THE TOTAL IS 68 TOTAL HIRES. >> IT'S UNCLEAR THE DEMOCRATIC DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN, I WILL
CLARIFY THAT. IN TERMS OF FACTORS THAT ARE AFFECTING OUR HIRING PACE, THESE INCLUDE THE
NATIONAL MARKET BEING TIGHT FOR POLICE RECRUITS AND INCENTIVES BEING OFFERED BY OTHER JURISDICTIONS.
HOUSING AND COMMUTE ISSUES THAT SEATTLE DEALS WITH CAUGHT GENERALLY LOW UNEMPLOYMENT, NEGATIVE
PERCEPTIONS OF POLICING NATIONWIDE, AND THE RESIDUAL EFFECTS OF THESE CONTRACTS. WE ARE
STILL SETTLING SOME OF THOSE RESIDUAL EFFECTS.
I NOTICE YOU DID NOT HAVE A BULLET POINT FOR SNOWPOCALYPSE.
I
WONDERED IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THIS PIECE AS PART OF THE DISCOURSE HERE.
ABSOLUTELY. IF YOU WILL ALLOW ME I WILL ADVANCE ONE FLIGHT WHILE I TALK ABOUT IT. A COUPLE
OF THINGS. ONE IS, WE TALKED TO OUR COLLEAGUES AROUND THE COUNTRY. THIS IS ALMOST JOB ONE
AT THIS POINT. JUST MAINTAINING STAFFING AND FIELDING 911 CALLS.
80% OF --
80% OF LARGE AGENCIES HAVE SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF VACANCIES. YOU ALWAYS HAVE A FEW AS PEOPLE
COME IN AND OUT BUT WHEN YOU START MOVING TWO DOZEN OR SOMETIMES HUNDREDS OF VACANCIES
EVEN IN DEPARTMENTS OF A SIMILAR TIES TO US, IT BECOMES AN ISSUE. THERE'S A FAIR BIT OF
RESEARCH IN LITERATURE ON THIS, IT'S INTERESTING, ONE PIECE IS AS YOU LOOK AT FOLKS WHO ARE
25- 35, THIS WAS DONE IN ONE STUDY, JUST THE OVERALL INTEREST OF THAT GROUP GOING INTO
A LAW- ENFORCEMENT CAREER VERSUS 10 OR 20 YEARS AGO IS JUST DIFFERENT. THERE IS LOST
OF SOCIETAL REASONS FOR THAT. IN EFFECT WE ARE ARE COMPETING FOR A VERY SMALL NUMBER
OF FOLKS. AS WE TRAVEL NATIONALLY AND CERTAINLY SEE IT REGIONALLY , THE HIGH NUMBER OF VACANCIES
, INCENTIVES, BENEFITS OTHER THAN PAY THAT JURISDICTIONS ARE ABLE TO OFFER MAKES IT A
TIGHT LABOR MARKET.
MIKE, I WANT TO ASK YOU REALLY POINTED QUESTION BECAUSE THERE IS A NARRATIVE THAT IS FLOATING
OUT THERE THAT SOMEHOW REQUIRING OFFICERS TO ENGAGE IN CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING IS THE
ROOT CAUSE FOR THE HIRING ISSUES AND RETENTION ISSUES BOTH AT THE DEPARTMENT AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT AN OPPORTUNITY
TO RESPOND TO THAT PARTICULAR POINT . I OF COURSE HAVE MY OWN OPINION BUT I WOULD LIKE
TO REALLY PROVIDE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY ON BEHALF OF THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO TALK ABOUT
THAT PARTICULAR ASSERTION.
LET ME START BY SAYING IT WILL LIKELY BE HELPFUL FOR THIS BODY AT SOME POINT TO SEE EITHER
THE ACTUAL EXIT INTERVIEWS OF OUR OFFICERS OR A SUMMARY OF HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE
IT AND HEAR FROM OFFICERS IN THEIR OWN WORDS THE REASONS THEY ARE LEAVING . CONSTITUTIONAL
POLICING IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT IS CITED FOR FOLKS LEAVING TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE GETTING
OUT OF THE PROFESSION. SO I THINK TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING
PIECE IS NOT A DRIVER ON THIS TREND . I THINK WE ALMOST HAVE A PERFECT STORM OF HISTORICALLY
LOW UNEMPLOYMENT, A DEMOGRAPHIC BUBBLE BOTH IN SEATTLE AND NATIONWIDE WHERE A BUNCH OF
FOLKS WERE HIRED IN 80s. NOW HERE SEEING THEM LEAVE SO THE ATTRITION NUMBER IS THERE. AS
A RESULT WE HAVE JURISDICTIONS EVERYWHERE ADDING FOLKS AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN. SO I
THINK THAT IS REALLY THE DRIVER. THE MACRO DRIVER.
I APPRECIATE YOU PROVIDING US THAT CLARITY . I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE
A LOT OF THE WORK THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH AND OUR EFFORTS
TO REFORM THE DEPARTMENT IN A MANNER THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR EXPECTATIONS UNDER
THE CONSTITUTION AND TO RESPECT PEOPLE'S CIVIL RIGHTS AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT WORK HAS BEEN
IN LARGE PART ABLE TO BE A COMPASS BECAUSE OF THE HARD WORK OF MANY OF THE OFFICERS THAT
WERE ASKING TO OPERATE IN THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT. I APPRECIATE THAT FACT THAT WE HAVE A VAST
MAJORITY OF OFFICERS WHO ARE READY AND WILLING AND ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ADDITIONAL
TRAININGS THEY GET THEM THE TOOLS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE POLICING
TO THE BEST STANDARDS OF PRACTICE IS IN THIS PARTICULAR SPACE. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING THE REAL ROOT CAUSES AND DRIVERS OF THESE
ISSUES AS OPPOSED TO POINTING THE FINGER AT LEGITIMATE CIVIL RIGHTS CONCERNS THAT I BELIEVE
ARE SHARED NOT JUST IN THE COMMUNITY BUT ON THE CITY COUNCIL , IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE,
AND ALSO BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT . I APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY IN TERMS OF HELPING US UNDERSTAND
WHAT THEIR REAL DRIVERS ARE HERE.
AS YOU KNOW, THE CHIEF IS COMPLETELY COMMITTED TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING HIRING FOLKS
WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT CAUGHT RETAINING FOLKS WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT SOULFUL AGREEMENT.
>> IF I MIGHT ALSO EDITORIALIZE FOR A MOMENT. I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT SHOULD
BE SAID HERE IS THAT IF WE DID NOT HAVE FULL FAITH AND CONFIDENCE THAT THIS WAS ACTUALLY
WORKING, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSITIVELY ASKING FOR MORE OFFICERS TO BE BROUGHT ONTO
THE FORCE AND PUTTING RESOURCES INTO THE BUDGET YEAR OVER YEAR TO ALLOW US TO TRY TO NOT JUST
HIRE THOSE THAT HAVE HIGH REPLACEMENTS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE RETIRED ALSO HIGHER NEW OFFICERS
IN ADDITION TO THAT. AND, WE ALSO PROBABLY WOULD'VE HAD A ADDITIONAL APPROACH TO THE
POLICING CONTRACT AND ISSUES RAISED BY THAT POLICING CONTRACTOR THERE'S ALSO A COUNTER
NARRATIVE OUT THERE THAT SUGGESTS THAT IN SOME WAY PLACE OR FORM THAT THIS COUNSEL DOES
NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOOD WORK THAT THE AUTHORS DO ON THE GROUND. I THINK OUR ACTIONS PARTICULARLY
IN THE BUDGET SPACE TELL A VERY DIFFERENT STORY THERE. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US
TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL.
THANK YOU.
THE GOOD CHAIR WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT THE REAL DRIVING FORCES AND I THINK AGAIN, NOT
NEW UNIQUE TO SEATTLE WE SEE THIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT WE HAVE STAGGERING STATISTICS
THAT SHOW OUR HOUSING COSTS, OUR CHILDCARE COSTS ARE REALLY CREATING A TREMENDOUS IMPACT
ON WORKING FAMILIES ABILITY TO STAY IN THIS CITY. WE HEAR ANECDOTALLY ABOUT OFFICERS WHO
ARE NOW HAVING TO COMMUTE IN OR WHO HAVE BEEN PUSHED FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY AND THERE
COMMUTE TIME IS LONGER. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE STATISTICS
ON HOW THE FOLKS ARE HAVING TO COMMUTE IN AND THE COST OF HOUSING BEING A DRIVING FACTOR?
I AM ALSO INTERESTED IN WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE HEARD ANECDOTALLY OR IF THERE ARE ANY
STUDIES OR STATISTICS OUT THERE AS YOU ARE TALKING TO FOLKS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE
LACK OF ACCESS TO CHILDCARE IS A RECRUITMENT BARRIER. WE HAVE VERY LIMITED RESOURCES OBVIOUSLY
IN THE CITY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT. AS WE TRY TO ABOUT MARY PUT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
TO MAKE SURE THERE IS A FULLY STAFFED FORCE, ALSO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF OUR RESOURCES
ARE GOOD INVESTMENTS IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL HOUSING STOCK FOR AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE FOR
THE MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES.
ABSOLUTELY. WE HEAR REGULARLY AND CARRY CAN ELABORATE BUT WE HEAR REGULARLY FROM FOLKS
WHO RIGHT NOW ARE IN THE ENVIABLE POSITION OF BEING ABLE TO PICK WHICH JURISDICTION THEY
WANT TO WORK IN. EVERYONE IS HIRING IN THIS REGION. YOU CAN WORK NORTH, SOUTH, CENTRAL,
SO CERTAINLY IT IS A FACTOR AS STARTING THEIR CAREER WOULD BE THAT SEATTLE MEDIAN HOME PRICE
VERSUS NORTH OF SEATTLE MEDIAN HOME PRICE. WE HEAR ABOUT THAT. IF SOMEONE DOES CHOOSE
TO LIVE NORTH OR SOUTH, AS WE ALL KNOW YOU'RE DRIVING A FAIR BIT OF TIME TO GET TO WORK.
ANECDOTALLY, THAT ISSUE COMES UP ALL THE TIME. WITH THE RECENT SPA CONTRACT WE ARE THE HIGHEST
PAID AGENCY IN THE STATE. IS NOT BY THAT MUCH. I WILL JUST SAY THAT. BUT OF COURSE THAT WAS
REALLY HELPFUL AND APPRECIATED. BUT WHEN PEOPLE ARE MAKING THEIR CALCULUS OF WHERE THEY WANT
TO WORK, OTHER FACTORS ARE COMING INTO PLAY. HOUSING AND COMMUTE IS CERTAINLY A PIECE OF
THAT. CHILDCARE, WE DO HEAR ABOUT CHALLENGES WITH CHILDCARE . REALLY, WORK LIFE BALANCE.
WE WORK THREE WATCHES AROUND THE CLOCK. CERTAINLY INITIALLY THERE IS LIMITED IF ANY ABILITY
TO CHOOSE WHERE, WHEN YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED PATROL . THAT IS DIFFICULT. SO THE WORKLIFE
BALANCE, CHILDCARE BEING A PIECE OF THAT, AND CARRY I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CARE TO ELABORATE
ON THAT PIECE?
JUST AS MICHAEL THINK OF THAT IS ALWAYS SOMETHING PEOPLE CONSIDER ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE TRYING
TO BECOME OKAY RELOCATE FROM ANOTHER LOCATION. I THINK PEOPLE ARE DEFINITELY MORE INTERESTED
IN WORKLIFE BALANCE AND WHEN YOU ARE COMMUTING TWO HOURS PER DAY, THAT IS TIME AWAY FROM
YOUR FAMILY, OTHER AGENCIES AROUND OUR AREA COPPER SO I HAVE BEEN HERE 29 YEARS. I WOULD
NEVER CHOOSE DIFFERENT AGENCY. THAT THERE ARE FANTASTIC ONE- PERSON AGENCIES ALL AROUND
OUR AREA. ABLE TO HAVE A LOT OF CHOICES. MANY OTHER AGENCIES HAVE TAKEN CARS. THEY ALSO
DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE COMMUTE IN AND OUT OF SEATTLE. SO IT DOES MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE.
ON TOP OF THAT THE INCENTIVE THAT HAS BEEN OFFERED BY MANY OTHER AGENCIES, IT IS ATTRACTIVE,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A PATROL OFFICER GOING TO ANOTHER AGENCY WHERE YOU WILL BE WORKING
PATROL CAR NOT HAVING TO COMMUTE, HAVING A TAKE-HOME CAR, ALL OF THOSE THINGS DR. INTO
THE REASONS THEY ARE LEAVING THE AGENCY AND FOR NEW CANDIDATES, THAT IS A GENUINE CONCERN
AS WELL. WHERE WILL I LIVE AND RAISE MY FAMILY? WE DO HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF OUTREACH ACROSS
THE COUNTRY SO FILING A LOT OF EFFORTS LOCALLY, WE DO IT ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL. THAT'S
A BIG ASKED TO RELOCATE YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY TO AN AREA YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH WITH THE
HOUSING PRICES THAT WE HAVE . AND THEN WHERE YOU CAN YOU AND THEY FOR YOUR FAMILY . SO
ENTRY-LEVEL AND CERTAINLY LATERALS, IT IS A CONSIDERATION FOR EVERYBODY. I THINK IT
DOES FACTOR INTO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CHOOSING TO GO TO OTHER AGENCIES WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE
THAT COMMUTE PERHAPS. AND THE ALREADY LIVE IN THOSE AREAS AND COMMUTE IN. SO I THINK
IT IS AFFECTING OUR ATTRITION AND ENTRY-LEVEL FOR SURE. OF COURSE IF THE COUNCIL DECIDES
TO APPROVE THE INCENTIVE HIRING BONUS, THOSE ARE UNRESTRICTED AND AS WE LIKE TO SAY IN
CITY BUDGET TALK WHICH MEANS THAT THE NEW HIRES ARE ALLOWED TO USE THOSE DOLLARS ANY
WAY THAT THEY WISH INCLUDING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUES THAT YOU ALL HAVE
JUST HIGHLIGHTED.
MIKE, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, CAN WE GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE NUMBER TAKING ENTRY-LEVEL
TESTS AND THE NUMBER TAKING LATERAL TESTS? THESE TWO SLIDES ARE SPECIFIC TO SEATTLE AND
WE JUST HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THIS IS A NATIONAL TREND . DO YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING
OF WHETHER THESE TRENDS ARE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE ARE SEEING NATIONALLY ? OR IF THESE
NUMBERS ARE OUTLIERS?
CERTAINLY WHEN YOU TALK TO OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND READ THE LITERATURE,
A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN BOTH APPLICANTS AND HIRES HAS BEEN SEEN NATIONWIDE. AND WITHIN
THE REGION. THAT IS GENERATING THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES WE ARE SEEING.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE ANY DATA THAT INDICATES THAT THESE NUMBERS EXCEED WHAT THE NATIONAL
TREND IS?
NO. IN FACT, THERE ARE MANY JURISDICTIONS WHO ARE ROUGHLY THE SAME SIZE AS WE ARE WHO
ARE CARRYING AGENCIES IN THE HUNDREDS AS OPPOSED TO THE DOZENS THAT WE ARE CARRYING CURRENTLY.
SUCKS SO IN SOME INSTANCES, WE ARE ACTUALLY SEEING A SMALLER DEGREE OF VACANCIES? WE SAW
VACANCIES THAT ARE NOT IN THE HUNDREDS OF VACANCIES AS COMPARED TO OTHER SIMILARLY SIZED
LEASE APARTMENTS. THANK YOU. >> OKAY. SO TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT, WE ARE PURSUING A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH. THE FIRST IS PARTICIPATION IN WORK GROUP WHICH
WE WILL TALK ABOUT MORE HERE INTIMATE. THE SECOND IS A SERIES OF IMMEDIATE STEPS THAT
WE ARE TAKING TO TRY TO JUMPSTART OUR NUMBERS. FOR THAT WORK GROUP PIECE I WILL HAND IT OVER
TO LEAH .
I AM THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION AND PERFORMANCE. WE ARE A TEAM THAT PARTNERS WITH
CITY DEPARTMENTS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR PROBLEM-SOLVING. PART OF OUR TEAM INCLUDES
SPECIALIZED SUCH AS DATA ANALYTICS AND HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN. WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE A INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP I WILL GO TO THE POSITION APPROACH
AND SOME COMPONENT OF THE WORK PRODUCT. THANK YOU. SO IN TERMS OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE
WORK GROUP WE ARE BRINGING TOGETHER OUR TEAM, ALONG WITH OF COURSE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT,
THE SEATTLE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES, CITY BUDGET OFFICE, AND THE COUNCIL. WE ARE
LOOKING TO PERFORM A DEEP DIVE INTO THE CHALLENGES SPD IS CURRENTLY FACING AROUND RECRUITMENT
AD POTENTIALLY RETENTION. ONE OF THE WAYS WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS IS THINKING THROUGH
WHAT ARE THE NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES AS MIKE HAS MENTIONED THAT WE ARE NOT ONLY THE CITY
FACING THESE CHALLENGES . SO LOOKING TO OTHER PARTNERS SUCH AS LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO, NEW
YORK, AND OTHERS, TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THESE CHALLENGES AS WELL
AS REALLY IMPORTANT. WILL BE LOOKING AT SPD'S PERFORMANCE USING INTERNAL AND PUBLIC DATA
AND THEN DEVELOPING LONG-TERM STRATEGIES TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO PART
OF THIS APPROACH IS LOOKING AT QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
THE DRIVERS . LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN DEFINE AND BEAR THIS PROBLEM THE CITY SEEKS TO SELL.
THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM SPACE. THE THINKING THROUGH, WHAT PIECE OF THIS PROBLEM THE WORK
GROUP REALLY WANT TO ADDRESS IS IMPORTANT. BEEN LOOKING THROUGH HOW WE CAN ASSESS THE
OPTIONS FOR EATING SPD'S WORKFORCE NEEDS AND PROJECTING THE IMPACTS WE EXPECT TO SEE AS
WE GO FORWARD IN SOME OF THESE SPACES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WILL MAKE THIS
WORK GROUP A LITTLE MORE UNIQUE AS WE ARE LOOKING TO TO TYPE SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS
PIXEL BUILDING ON THE CURRENT BASE OF KNOWLEDGE THAT THE CPC HAS PUT TOGETHER AND OTHER PARTNERS
HAVE PUT TOGETHER, AND THINKING HOW KINDLY PROTOTYPE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS
ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO CREATE AS AN IMPACT IS IMPORTANT. AND CULMINATING IN A REPORT.
SO LASTLY, IN TERMS OF OUR FINAL WORK PRODUCT, WE WILL BE LOOKING TO CREATE SOME NEW RESEARCH
SO WE HAVE TWO PHASES OF RESEARCH. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ANALYSIS OF OPTIONS AND PROJECTED IMPACTS,
LOOKING TO PUT TOGETHER RECOMMENDATIONS IN A FINAL REPORT IN SEPTEMBER.
I KNOW THAT CENTRAL STAFF, GREG YOU'RE SITTING ON THIS WORK GROUP AND THEN CODY FROM MY OFFICE
IS ALSO SITTING IN ON THE WORK GROUP ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS AS WE ARE
SETTING UP THE GOAL OF HAVING A FINAL REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 2019, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE
CONCRETE DEADLINES RELATED TO THE ANTICIPATED COMPLETION DATE FOR RESEARCH PHASE 1, RESEARCH
PHASE 2, AND HIS OTHER COMPONENTS JUST BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY ON TRACK.
I FEEL A SENSE OF URGENCY IN MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD THE BENEFIT OF THAT FINAL REPORT IN
SEPTEMBER AND IN TIME FOR OUR BUDGET PROCESS. >> WE SHARE THE SENSE OF URGENCY AND WE CAN
IDENTIFY SOME USEFUL CHECK INS. THAT IS GREAT.
AS WE KNOW PUTTING DEADLINES UPON OURSELVES MAKES IT A LOT MORE LIKELY THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY
FULFILL THE STATED INTENT AND COMMITMENT SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
IT HELPS TO FOCUS THE MIND.
YES.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER IN DISCUSSION WAS THE FACT THAT SOME OF OUR
PEER JURISDICTIONS LOCALLY OFFER OFFICERS THE CHANCE TO DRIVE THEIR PATROL CAR HOME
. I WOULD ASSUME THAT FOR A FLEET OF OUR SIZE THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLETIONS ASSOCIATED
WITH THAT. BUT I WONDER AS PART OF THE PEER RESEARCH IF ANY OTHER JURISDICTIONS OF SIMILAR
SIZE ALLOW FOR THAT BENEFIT? THAT MAY ALLOW SOME OF US AN EASIER WAY TO HELP PROVIDE AN
ADDITIONAL BENEFIT THAT THOSE WHO ARE CHOOSING TO WORK ON MERCER ISLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT
OR THE COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT AS OPPOSED TO SPD, WHAT WE MAY BE OLD TO OFFER THEM THAT
KIND OF BENEFIT WITHOUT HAVING TO SCRUB WITHIN THE BUDGET PROCESS ITSELF. NOT SAY THAT WOULD
NOT HAVE BUDGETARY IMPACTS BUT IT MAY BE A SMALLER BUDGETARY IMPACT ON OTHERS. AS YOU
CONDUCT THE RESEARCH I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW IF OTHER JURISDICTIONS OF OUR SITE
HAVE OFFER THAT AS A BENEFIT. AND WHAT THE PROS AND CONS WOULD BE.
I HAVE SOME LITTLE SPARK OF A MEMORY SOMEWHERE IN THE BACK OF MY BRAIN THAT IS REMINDING
ME THAT AT SOME POINT, THE DEPARTMENT DID HAVE THIS AS AN INCENTIVE. TO THE EXTENT THAT
THAT IS TRUE, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT AND ANY RATIONALE AS TO WHY IT IS NOT THERE ANYMORE.
THERE ARE SOME POSITIONS THAT HAVE TAKE ON VEHICLES THAT ARE ON CALL STATUS. BUT THE
FLEET IS DRIVEN 24/7 , THAT'S PRETTY HARD. SO WE DON'T HAVE A HOTEL FOR EVERY OFFICER.
WE HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES TO MEET THE PATROL AT ANY GIVEN TIME OVER THE THREE WATCHES.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHETHER THIS IS A BENEFIT THAT IS SEEN IN OTHER ENVIRONMENTS,
LARGE CITIES, AND I THINK THE BUDGETARY IMPACT MAY BE SIGNIFICANT. I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND
IT BECAUSE TO BE CLEAR, WE NEED TO TURN OVER EVERY ROCK. WE NEED TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS
AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. THERE'S NOTHING OFF THE TABLE AT LEAST HERE INITIALLY.
OF COURSE WE ARE NOT PROPOSING IT AT THIS JUNCTURE, WE ARE JUST HIGHLIGHTING ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AT THE TABLE ALREADY AND SORT OF A BENEFIT AVAILABLE
ELSEWHERE BUT NOT HERE. THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN WE WILL TAKE THE BAIT ON OFFERING THOSE
BENEFITS AS WELL BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF TURNING OVER EVERY ROCK, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL EXERCISE
TO AT LEAST EVALUATE LEGITIMATELY EVALUATE SOME OF THESE OPTIONS AND MAKE A DETERMINATION
WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL PURSUE IT.
IT WOULD TOTALLY STRANGE TO ME IF THE TRANSIT GOT IS SUGGESTING WE BUY MORE CITY CARS .
INDEED. THE CLIMATE CHANGE BRANDS ARE CRINGING RIGHT NOW.
BUT IF THERE IS AVAILABILITY IN THE FLEET AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE
OR BREAK THE DIFFERENCE BUT BETWEEN A DOZEN AUTHORS, WE COULD CERTAINLY USE THOSE DOZEN
OFFICERS.
JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, BECAUSE OF THE 2007 EACH OF THE THREE WATCHES GOT THAT IS ONE REASON
TRANSIT IS LIABLE FOR ALL OFFICERS AT ALL TIMES. LOCATIONS OF THE PRECINCT ARE SERVED
WELL . THERE IS A LEGITIMATE INTEREST THERE FOR TRANSIT BEING INVOLVED WITH THE PRECINCTS.
QUICK QUESTION. YOU MENTIONED, YOU REFERENCED PULLING FROM PREVIOUS REPORTS AND WORK OF
THE CPC. CAN YOU BE MORE EXQUISITE? HOW IS THE CPC GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN THE WORK OF
THE WORK GROUP?
WE HAVE JUST INITIATED MEETINGS WITH THE CPC AND I.T. TO TALK WITH THEM AND DEVELOP A MORE
COLLABORATIVE APPROACH.
SO MORE TO COME. THEN I ASSUME SIMILAR TO THE CONVERSATION WE HAD ABOUT RECRUITMENT
AND OUTREACH, THE RCI ELEMENT OF THE TYPE OF WORK YOU ARE DOING, THERE WOULD BE AN ELEMENT
OF THAT ANALYSIS AS WELL.
WE ARE LOOKING AT DEMOCRATIC DEMOGRAPHIC DATA SO WE WILL HAVE IT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.
OKAY. SO AS I MENTIONED IN ADDITION TO THE WORK GROUP THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, I THINK
WE ALL HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY TO TAKE SOME IMMEDIATE ACTION BASED ON BEST PRACTICES,
THE THOUSANDS OF INTERACTIONS WE HAVE WITH PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS AND A REVIEW OF THE
LITERATURE. I WOULD ADD THAT ALL THE STEPS WE WILL DESCRIBE HERE IN A MOMENT WILL BE
REVIEWED REGULARLY WITH THE IN TO 2019. WE CAN MAKE COURSE CORRECTIONS AS NECESSARY.
SO THE STRATEGIES THEMSELVES SEPARATED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES THE FIRST RELATED TO BRANDING
AND SOCIAL MEDIA. HERE WE HAVE PERTAINING OUTSIDE HELP TO HELP US ARTICULATE A CONCISE
VALUE PROPOSITION OF BEING AN SPD OFFICER. AND AN OVERHAUL OF OUR RECRUITING WEBSITE,
IMPROVEMENT IN OUR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, INCLUDING MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR PLATFORMS ARE
OPTIMIZED FOR MOBILE AND USE OF ANALYTICS. TO REFINE OUR ADVERTISING. AGAIN, ALL OF THESE
EFFORTS ARE REALLY TO GENERATE A CONSISTENT, CONCISE MESSAGE ABOUT WHY SOMEONE WOULD WANT
TO WORK FOR SPD. WHY WE ARE AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE. WHAT DIFFERENTIATES US FROM OTHER
JURISDICTIONS. SUCK ON THAT LAST STRATEGY NUMBER FIVE, SO THIS IS USING THE SCO FUNCTION,
THE SEARCH ENGINE? I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE OH STANDS FOR. OPTIMIZATION OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT. IS THAT ACCURATE?
KNOW. WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT ANY SEARCH OPTIMIZATION. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW
PEOPLE ARE DRIVEN TO OUR RECRUITING WEBSITE. WHAT ADVERTISING IS BENEFICIAL IN OTHER WORDS.
IT'S NOT OPTIMIZATION, IT'S MORE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW PEOPLE FIND US SO WE CAN MAKE SURE
WE ARE BEING WISE IN HOW WE ALLOCATE OUR ADVERTISING FUNDS. SUCK THAT IS HELPFUL. IF IT WAS SCO
I WAS GOING TO THROW UP A FLAG OF CAUTION AND CONCERN ABOUT WHERE OUR ADS COULD END
UP WITHOUT OUR KNOWING THEY ARE ENDING UP IN PERHAPS WEBSITES THAT WE ARE NOT INTERESTED
IN ATTRACTING PEOPLE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, AGREED. THIS WILL BE MORE ANALYZING HOW FOLKS FOUND US AS OPPOSED TO
PUSHING OUT ADS ON GOOGLE OR OTHERWISE.
HELPFUL. THANK YOU.
THE NEXT SLIDE DEALS WITH LATERAL RECRUITMENT FIRST. OR OUT-OF-STATE LATERAL TEST WHICH
WERE PLANNED LAST FALL TO ENCOMPASS FOUR CITIES. GENERAL INDIANAPOLIS, HONOLULU , HOUSTON,
WE ARE TAKING OUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS TO THE CITIES. WE ARE LOOKING FOR LARGE POPULATION
CENTERS, LOCATIONS WITH LARGE AGENCIES AND PLACES THAT OUR WAGES WOULD BE COMPETITIVE
. SO ALL THESE TESTS WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF MARCH AND WE WILL EVALUATE THEIR
SUCCESS AT THAT TIME. SECOND IS THE LATERAL HIRING INCENTIVE WHICH WE WILL DISCUSS AS
PART OF THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM. THE NEXT IS A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE
A PART-TIME OFFICER PROGRAM THAT REQUIRES 3 YEARS OF SERVICE BEFORE ONE WOULD BECOME
ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE. WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND THAT AND MAKE ENTRY-LEVEL OFFICERS
ELIGIBLE . AGAIN, WORKLIFE BALANCE , INCREASES THE FINAL IN FOLKS WHO ARE APPLYING TO THE
DEPARTMENT.
MYKAWA THAT IS WITHIN THE AUTHORITY OF MANAGEMENT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS POLICY CHANGE? IN
OTHER WORDS IT DOES NOT REQUIRE LEGISLATION OR ANY OTHER TRIGGER? >> WE ALREADY HAVE A
PART-TIME PROGRAM. IT WOULD JUST BE CHANGE IN OUR BUSINESS RULES AS TO HOW WE APPLY THE.
IT WOULD BE A TOUCHDOWN, MORE OF A HEADS UP. IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO DO IT WITHOUT LEGISLATION.
CAN YOU LET ME KNOW IF THAT CHANGES PLEASE?
ABSOLUTELY.
I AM A LITTLE CURIOUS ABOUT THIS ASSUMPTION HERE THAT WE WOULD THINK THAT PEOPLE WOULD
WANT TO HAVE MORE FULL-TIME WORK. WHAT DID YOU HEARD FROM FOLKS ABOUT THE DESIRE TO HAVE
PART- TIME WORK? ARE THEY WORKING OTHER JOBS? MAYBE IN RENTON OR KENT OR WHEREVER THEY ARE
LIVING? THIS WOULD BE A NICE WAY TO IMPLEMENT THEIR OTHER IMPLEMENT? OR ARE THEY TRULY JUST
WORKING PART-TIME?
THE FOLKS WHO CURRENTLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR PART-TIME PROGRAM ARE JUST WORKING FOR
SPD. IT IS TYPICALLY FOLKS WHO JUST HAD A CHILD AND WANT TO DO THIS FOR 3 YEARS FOR
EXAMPLE. THE INTEREST WE HAVE RECEIVED ANECDOTALLY FROM PERSPECTIVE APPLICANTS HAVE BEEN MORE
ALONG THAT LINE. LIKE THEY WANT TO FINISH THEIR COLLEGE DEGREE, START THEIR FAMILY.
THEY ALSO SEE THIS AS I WILL TRY IT AND SEE IF THIS IS PRODUCTIVE AND IF IT'S NOT COOL
-- IF IT'S NOT THEN THEY CAN DO SOMETHING ELSE. CURRENTLY TALKS OF IT BEING CANCELABLE
WITH SOME NOTICE, SO SOMEBODY DOES NOT GET HIRED AND LOCKED IN FOREVER TO A PART- TIME
POSITION, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO RETAIN THAT ELECTABILITY.
PHYSICALLY WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING IS THAT WE ALLOW SOMETHING THAT WILL ALLOW PEOPLE
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A PART-TIME OPPORTUNITY.
AND SEE, AND TURNOVER EVERY OPPORTUNITY. PERHAPS WE WON'T GET MUCH INTEREST IN THIS BUT MAYBE
WE WILL. WE WILL THROW IT OUT THERE AND AGAIN WE ARE WORKING WITH THE BUSINESS RULES AROUND
THIS, MAYBE CONTAINING IT TO THE FIRST 20 PEOPLE WHO SHOWED INTEREST IN CASE WE HAD
AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE. BUT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THIS OPENED UP ANOTHER
CATEGORY OF GET THAT OTHERWISE FELT LIKE THEY JUST CANNOT DO THIS WORK. THE NEXT LIGHT TALKS
ABOUT DIRECT OUTREACH EFFORTS WHERE WE BUILD ON WHAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL. WE TALKED A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THAT EARLIER. THAT IS A RECRUITING VIDEO VIGNETTE THAT WE HAVE PRODUCED THAT
GET PLUGGED INTO VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS THAT ARE INTENDED TO PERSONALIZE OUR OFFICERS
AND GIVE FOLKS A SENSE OF WHY PEOPLE CAME TO SPD, WHAT THE JOB IS REALLY LIKE, IT IS
A HELPING PROFESSION. AN ATTEMPT TO PERSONALIZE OUR OFFICERS THAT WAY. THEN WE ARE ALSO CONSIDERING
LOOKING AT A PHYSICAL APTITUDE TESTING BOOT CAMP TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS EITHER ARE PREPARED
FOR THE PHYSICAL TEST WHEN THAT COMES OR TO DEMYSTIFY IT. IT CAN BE INTIMIDATING IN CONCEPT
THAT WHEN YOU GET IN THERE AND SEE WHAT ACTUALLY IS, IT MIGHT NOT BE AS BAD AS FOLKS NOT. WE
WILL BE LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL.
YOU WILL TELL US HOW MUCH ALL OF THIS WILL COST?
YES . WHEN THAT IS FLUSHED OUT.
THANK YOU.
LASTLY IS THE STAFFING SUMMARY TABLE. I WOULD TAKE THAT OVER TO ANGELA TO SPEAK ABOUT BRIEFLY.
SO WE HAVE HISTORICALLY REPORTED TO COUNSEL AND WORKED COLLABORATIVELY TO DO OUR BEST
TO MODEL OUT STAFFING , LOOKING BACK AT HISTORICAL TRENDS AND ALSO PROJECTING OUT 2-3 YEARS AT
A TIME, PRIMARILY FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES . BUT IT IS ALSO COME A USEFUL TOOL AND EXERCISE
SUCH AS THIS AS WE ARE TRYING TO ANTICIPATE WHAT THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS WILL HOLD . SO
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONFUSION AROUND THIS. WE HAVE TRACKED OUR STOPPING THIS WAY AS FAR
BACK AS 1998 . OUR STAFFING IS CYCLICAL. MIKE TOUCHED ON THE EARLIER. WE HAVE SEEN IN EACH
DECADE , BIG HIRING SPIKES AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER. SO WHAT WE ARE SEEING NOW, THE DEMOGRAPHIC
BUBBLE HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, GENERATED FROM A BIG HIRING PUSH AND 80s AND SO LOOKING BACK
HERE YOU CAN SEE THAT IT HAS AT THE END OF THE RECESSION WE WERE RETAINING A LOT MORE
PEOPLE WHEN THE ECONOMY , WHEN PEOPLE WERE STRUGGLING THEIR RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS WEREN'T
AS HEALTHY AS THEY WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE. SO TYPICALLY WE WOULD SEE A DIP DOWN IN OUR
ATTRITION THEN FOLLOWED BY AN UPTICK AS THOSE PEOPLE ARE WITHIN RETIREMENT AGE , AS THEIR
RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS ARE BUILT UP, THEY THEN START TO DEPART SOMETIMES DELAYED. WE SAW
THAT AT THE END OF THE TECH BUBBLE . WE HAD A SIMILAR DEPARTURE THAT WAS DELAYED WHERE
WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE ELIGIBLE FOR RETIREMENT BUT CHOSE TO STAY ON A LITTLE BIT
LONGER TO THEN DEPART IN THE EARLY 2000'S. THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER BIG HIRING PUSH
IN 2006, 2008. THE CITY MADE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN INCREASING OUR FORCE AT THAT
TIME. SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT THE TABLE OR THE MATERIALS
THAT WERE PROVIDED WITH THE SLIDE RESPONSE.
I THINK GREG WE WILL GET INTO THAT MORE AS WE CUE UP THE CONVERSATION AROUND THE ACTUAL
ORDINANCE. I THINK WE WILL HOLD ON SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS FOR NOW AND GIVE GREG AN OPPORTUNITY
TO SORT OF WALK US THROUGH HIS MEMO AND ISSUES UNLESS YOU ALL WANT TO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE
TEXTURE BEFORE WE DO THAT?
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF DATA WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ON A CONTINUAL BASIS. RETIREMENT
OR LATERAL EXITS, WHERE WE ARE ON THE RECRUITMENT SIDE WHEN EVERYTHING GETS HERE.
ONCE YOU START WATCHING THE TRENDS , OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR YOU GET A FEEL FOR
IT. >> OF COURSE THE SLIDE RESPONSE, THE DOCUMENT ATTACHED TO THE SLIDE RESPONSE HAS A LOT MORE
GRANULAR DETAIL IN TERMS OF THAT NITTY-GRITTY AROUND HIRES , THE NEW HIRES VERSUS LATERALS,
AND IT BREAKS IT DOWN BY PRECINCT. SO I APPRECIATE THAT ADDITIONAL GRANULAR DETAIL AROUND THOSE
PARTICULAR ISSUES.
CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT SEPARATION ASSESSMENTS? WE HAVE BEEN THE LAST FIVE OR
6 YEARS IN THE 50-60 RANGE AND THEN ALL THE SUDDEN WE HAD THE BIG BOOM IN 2018 WHERE WE
HAD ALMOST TWICE AS MANY SEPARATIONS AS WE HAD NEW HIRES. OUR PROTECTIONS FOR 19 AND
20 ARE BASED OFF OF RETIREMENT AGE AND WE CAN ANTICIPATE OR ARE THAT BASED ON ANOTHER
SET OF HR RELATED CONVERSATIONS? TALK TO ME ABOUT THE PROJECTIONS FOR 2019 AND 2020 SEPARATIONS.
WE LOOK AT SEPARATIONS FROM THE RECRUIT LEVEL CONSTANT OFFICER LEVEL, AND FULLY TRAINED
OFFICERS. FOR 2014-2017 WE SAW -5% OF OUR FULLY TRAINED OFFICERS A TRAIT AND USE THAT
AS OUR METRIC TO FORECAST THE SEPARATIONS. IN 2018 WE SAW A SPIKE IN THOSE NUMBERS WHERE
WE HAD IN THE PREVIOUS FEW YEARS . THE STUDENT OFFICERS AND RECRUITS, THOSE FLUCTUATE AS
WE HAVE HAD THESE BIG HIRING PUSHES. IT IS HARD TO ANTICIPATE HOW MANY PEOPLE AREN'T
GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THAT PROCESS. BUT WE TYPICALLY BASE THAT ON HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE
. THE FULLY TRAINED OFFICERS THOUGH, WE TYPICALLY SEE CONSISTENCY IN THAT CATEGORY SO WITH THE
BIG SPIKE IN 2018 FOR A LOT OF THE REASONS MIKE HAS ALREADY TOUCHED ON, WE LOOK AT THAT
SEPARATION AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FULLY TRAINED OFFICERS AS THAT NUMBER INCREASES
WE WILL OBVIOUSLY SEE MORE PEOPLE ELIGIBLE FOR RETIREMENT. SO THAT NUMBER DOES NATURALLY
INCREASE OVER TIME BUT ONLY SLIGHTLY . 2018 WAS AN ANOMALY. BUT WE DID FOR 2019 AND 2020
WAS INCREASE THE FULLY TRAINED SEPARATION NUMBER REJECTION SLIGHTLY TO ACCOUNT FOR WHAT
WE SAW IN 2018. BUT STUCK WITH THE SAME METHOD FOR THE OTHER TWO.
IS IT FAIR TO SAY THEN THAT THIS IS A PRETTY CONSERVATIVE ASSUMPTION ABOUT THE NUMBER OF
OFFICERS THAT WE MAY LOSE IN 2019 AND 2020 DUE TO SEPARATION AS WELL AS A PRETTY CONSERVATIVE
ESTIMATE OF OFFICERS WE MAY HIRE IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD?
I WOULD SAY IT IS A PRETTY CONSERVATIVE FORECAST JUST BECAUSE WE USES PRIMARILY AS A BUDGETING
TOOL. WE ARE OPEN TO , OUR GOAL NOW IS TO BRING ON MORE OFFICERS. BUT HISTORICALLY WHAT
WE HAVE USES FOR IS TO BUDGET AND MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT OVERFILLING OUR POSITIONS ARE HIRING
MORE PEOPLE THAN WE ACTUALLY HAVE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ANTICIPATE ATTRITION AND HIGHER
SOMEBODY, START THE PROCESS FOR HIRING SOMEBODY OR REPLACING 7018 MONTHS IN ADVANCE . SO WE
DO OUR BEST TO PROJECT OR ANTICIPATE THAT ATTRITION BECAUSE WE HAVE MISSED OUR MARK
LAST YEAR WE ARE NOW JUST A BIG PUSH TO TRY TO FILL AS MANY POSITIONS AS WE CAN. THAT
90-91 IS CONSISTENT WITH THE METHODS WE HAVE USED PREVIOUSLY.
I JUST WANT TO ADD A SLIGHTLY DIFFERING YOU HERE THAT, ALTHOUGH I MAY AGREE THAT FOR PURPOSES
OF CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS THIS MIGHT BE FROM THE DEPARTMENTS PERSPECTIVE A CONSERVATIVE
ESTIMATE , HOWEVER I THINK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF JUST SETTING THE REALISTIC GOAL OF HIRING
TARGETS BASED ON HISTORICAL DATA THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THIS SPACE FROM THE POLICE ARRIVED,
I THINK THESE ARE OVERLY AGGRESSIVE NUMBERS IN TERMS OF THE FORECAST NEW HIRES FOR 2019
AND 2020. WHAT THIS IS TELLING ME IS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SAYING THAT IT WILL
GO FROM 68 NEW HIRES IN 2018 TO 104. EVEN AT BEST TIMES IN 2016 AND 2017, IT IS VERY
RARE FOR US TO HIT THAT MARK ABOUT 100. SO I HAVE ONGOING CONCERNS THAT I EXPRESSED LAST
YEAR DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS ABOUT NOT , ABOUT NOT SIGNALING TO COMMITTEE A PARTICULAR GOAL
THAT WE THEN ARE UNABLE TO REALISTICALLY MEET BASED ON EVALUATION OF HISTORICAL DATA. I
DON'T HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF COMPETENCE IN THIS FORECAST NUMBER FOUR 2019 AND 2020. I APPRECIATE
THAT YOU ALL ARE AMBITIOUS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. I DON'T WANT TO END DETOUR YOUR AMBITION.
BUT WE NEED TO BE HONEST BROKERS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE ASKED US TO TAKE THE SITUATION OF
RECRUITMENT OF POLICE OFFICERS SERIOUSLY. AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO THAT IS TO PUT
A SERIOUS HIRING TARGET. I CONTINUE TO HAVE CONCERNS AROUND 104 BEING UNREALISTIC. SUCK
MY COMMENTS ABOUT THE CONSERVATIVE PROJECTIONS WERE WITH REGARDS TO THE SEPARATIONS ONLY.
YOU'RE NOT WRONG THAT OUR HIRING TARGETS ARE AGGRESSIVE. IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE UP FOR
LOST GROUND IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT . I JUST DO NOT WANT NUMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO WALK AWAY WITH THE IMPRESSION
THAT 104 IS NOT REALISTIC HIRING TARGET. I KNOW WE HAVE ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION ABOUT
THE POTENTIAL NEED TO MODIFY THAT HIRING TARGET TO BE A MORE REASONABLE NUMBER THAT IS ALIGNED
WITH THE HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN IN THIS SPACE.
CONCERN IS UNDERSTOOD AND APPRECIATED. IT IS A BALANCE BETWEEN SETTING A TARGET AND
AS YOU BARELY POINTED OUT COMMUNICATED TO THE PUBLIC THAT IF NOTHING ELSE THIS DIALOGUE
IS A HIGHLIGHT OF THE LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY HERE WITH A NET CHANGE IN THE POLICE FORCE.
WE ARE TRYING TO PROJECT THE SEPARATIONS WHICH ARE UNCERTAIN AND WHERE WE ARE GETTING ON
HIRING. I THINK WE HAD OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS ANTICIPATING THE ULTIMATE SETTLEMENT AND RETURNING
ARE SOMETHING THAT IS COMPETITIVE . WHAT WE HAVE RUN INTO IS THIS NATIONAL SPACE WHERE
IT'S REALLY HARD TO RECRUIT IN GENERAL. I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER FORCES AT WORK
AT LEAST THOSE TWO ARE SOME OF THE BIGGER ONES THAT ARE DRIVING US. AS HE MOVED THROUGH
THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, AND WE START LOOKING AT THE BUDGET FOR 2020 JUST FROM MY WORLD
, THERE IS FINANCIAL INDICATIONS FOR ALL OF THIS. WE ARE OBVIOUSLY REVIEWING BOTH SIDES
OF THESE PROJECTIONS AND PROGRESS OF RECRUITS THROUGH THE ACADEMY AND THE TRADING PROCESS
AS WELL. THAT IS YET ANOTHER PIECE OF THIS LEVEL THAT CREATES UNCERTAINTY IN THE FORECAST
OF THE NET ADDITION. >> ONE AREA I AM INTERESTED IN THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD A TON ABOUT IS THE
COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS. WE KNOW WE ARE SCALING UP THE PROGRAM. WE HAVE 10 FIASCOES
AND TWO SUPERVISORS FOR 2019. WE ARE SUSTAINING THAT INVESTMENT IN 2020. WE ALSO KNOW THAT
CSO'S ARE INTENDED TO HELP US TO OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE AREAS WE HEARD
FROM SLIDE SEVEN IS THAT THERE IS A NATIVE PERCEPTION OF POLICING. WITH THE CSO'S NOW
RAMPING UP, IS THIS NUMBER OF CSO'S FACTORED INTO THIS AT ANY POINT? IS THERE A DESIRE
TO DO THAT? THE FACT THAT CSO'S WILL CONTINUE TO WRAP UP ON THE GROUND LEVEL, ARE WE SEEING
THAT AS A POSITIVE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT YOUR ABILITY TO RECRUIT NEW HIRES?
HOW DID THE CSO SPECTER INTO YOUR PROJECTIONS AND OUR OVERALL TOTAL LEASING NUMBERS SO WE
HAVE A MORE ROBUST PICTURE OF THAT?
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT CERTAINLY THERE IS A PROSPECT FOR CSO'S AS THEY COME ONLINE. HANDLING
ISSUES THAT OTHERWISE MIGHT BE HANDLED THROUGH PATROL AND FREEING UP RESOURCES. AT THIS POINT
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PREMATURE FOR US TO BUILD THAT INTO THE STAFFING MODEL JUST WITH WHERE
THE CSO PROGRAM IS. BUT I THINK THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR THAT DOWN THE ROAD. >> COMMUNITY
SERVICE OFFICERS , MAYBE DESPITE THEIR NAME, ARE NOT FULLY COMMISSIONED POLICE OFFICERS.
THEY ARE NOT ENGAGED DIRECTLY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THAT LIMITED CONTEXTS OR NOT SO LIMITED
CONTEXTS. WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE WHAT WE ARE TRACKING HERE IS COMMISSIONED POLICE OFFICERS.
THE CSO'S ARE DESIGNED TO BE MORE IN SUPPORT OF THOSE OFFICERS AND IN SUPPORT OF THE WORK
OF REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITY AND OTHERS COULD SAY MORE ABOUT THAT. BUT AS A TECHNICAL POINT
I WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. SUCK SO THE STAFFING MODELS I WANT TO MAKE SURE I AM UNDERSTANDING.
THE STAFFING MODELS WE ARE DISCUSSING TODAY AND THE DATA THAT MODEL HAS PRODUCED IS ONLY
TRACKING FULLY TRAINED OFFICERS.
THIS STAFFING MODEL COVERS SWORN POLICE OFFICER'S AND ALSO THAT RECRUITS WHO ARE IN THE PUBLIC
TO BECOME POLICE OFFICERS. THERE ARE ENOUGH CIVILIAN POSITIONS REFLECTED IN THE STAFFING
MODEL.
THE CSO'S ARE OTHER POSITIONS.
THEY WOULD BE ON A DIFFERENT TRAINING PROGRAM. THE POLICE OFFICER TRAINING PROGRAM IS MUCH
LONGER . THEY GO THROUGH THE ACADEMY THEN THEY GO THROUGH POST ACADEMY TRAINING WITH
FPD AND THEN THEY ARE IN FIELD TRAINING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THE CSO'S MAY
HAVE A SIMILAR TRAINING PROGRAM BUT IT WON'T BE EXACTLY THE SAME SO THE PURPOSE OF CHECKING
THEM MONTH TO MONTH, IT WOULDN'T REALLY FIT INTO THE MODEL.
AND A LIMITATION OF THE CSO PROGRAM IS PART OF MY WORK PLAN FOR THIS YEAR. SO WE WILL
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MORE IN-DEPTH CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
THAT WAS OUR LAST SLIDE ON THE FIRST TOPIC. WE CAN MOVE INTO THE LATERAL PIECE IF I CAN
FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THERE. >> THE STAFFING TABLE ?
SURE. >> GREG DAWSON HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE SECOND ITEM WHICH IS CB 119461 . IT WOULD
OFF AUTHORIZE THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT .
IT IS THE SHORTEST BILL EVER EXCEPT FOR SOME CLEANUP. IT SIMPLY SAYS THAT THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT MAY PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR BEGINNING APPOINTMENT WITH THE CITY OF SEATTLE WITH
LATERAL HIRES. I SHOULD NOTE THAT THE LEGISLATION USES WAY LANGUAGE . YOU CAN DECIDE WHETHER
OR NOT YOU WANT TO IMPLEMENT THIS. I THINK WE HAD A GOOD INDICATION THAT THEY WOULD.
AT THE COUNCIL WANTED TO EXTEND THIS TO RECRUITS WHICH HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS AN ISSUE IN THE
PAPER THAT I WROTE, THE TITLE OF THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF LEGISLATION WOULD PROHIBIT IT SO
THERE WOULD BE A NEW PIECE OF LEGISLATION. I WILL CALL YOU OUT RIGHT NOW. THAT IS A TECHNICAL
MATTER THAT STAFF CAN DEAL WITH. SO BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO THE DEPARTMENT TO TALK
ABOUT THE LATERAL HIGHER INCIDENT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THESE NUMBERS HERE
AND HOW THAT MIGHT RELATE TO THE LATERAL HIGHER INCENTIVE. THE FIRST THING I WILL TALK ABOUT
IS THE PROJECTION OF NEW HIRES. IN 2019, AS TIGHT END NOTED, THIS IS AN AMBITIOUS TARGET
GIVEN HISTORY OF THE APARTMENT. BUT TO BREAK DOWN THAT 104, IT WOULD CONSIST OF 84 RECRUITS
THAT WOULD BE HIRED AND IT WOULD CONSIST OF 20 LATERALS THAT WOULD BE HIRED. SO WHAT YOU
ARE LOOKING AT THERE IS ROUGHLY 25 MORE RECRUITS I WOULD HAVE TO COME IN THE DOOR TO REACH
THAT 104 AND THEN 11 MORE LATERALS THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME IN THE DOOR TO REACH THAT GOAL.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS INDICATED THAT THERE INVOLVED IN THE LATERAL HIRING TRIPS. I SHOULD ALSO
NOTE THAT THEY ARE LOOKING INTO HOLDING RECRUITING NEW RECRUIT TEST AND HAVE ALREADY BEEN DOING
NEW RECRUITING AT THOSE LOCATIONS AS WELL. BUT AS YOU NOTED, IT IS FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT
BUMP, ABOUT 42% MORE RECRUITS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE BROUGHT IN. IT IS OVER 100% LATERALS
BUT THE NUMBERS ARE SMALLER. 25 RECRUITS VERSES 11 LATERALS. SO THE NEXT NUMBERS, I WILL TALK
ABOUT, ARE THE FULLY TRAINED OFFICERS . THAT IS THE THIRD COLUMN FROM THE AND . WHAT THAT
NUMBER REPRESENTS IS THE OFFICERS WHO ARE SWORN AND WHO ARE ON THE FORESTS , I'M NOT
GOING TO SAY, THEY ARE SWORN OFFICERS ON THE FORCE. AS A RECRUIT COME THROUGH THE PROCESS
THEY GO TO THE ACADEMY AND THE SECOND THING AFTER THE ACADEMY THEY DO IS A FIELD TRAINING
WHERE THEY ARE DEPLOYED WITH OFFICERS THAT SERVE AS COACHES . THEY GO OUT AND ANSWER
THOSE CALLS IN TANDEM. THE POINT THAT THE OFFICER OR THE RECRUITER IS READY TO GO OUT
ON THEIR OWN , THEY ARE COUNTED AS A FULLY TRAINED OFFICER AS ANGELA'S FLIGHT HERE COPLEY
TRAINED OFFICERS ARE SWORN PERSONNEL WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED FIELD TRAINING . THOSE
ARE OFFICERS THAT ARE ON THE FORCE THAT ARE A COUNT OF POWERFULLY TRADE OFFICE. THAT NUMBER
DIPPED A LITTLE BIT BETWEEN 2017 AND 2018. IT WENT FROM 1359 TWO 1344. THAT IS LIKELY
A RESULT OF THE SEPARATIONS RATHER THAN THE LACK OF OR THE CHALLENGES AROUND HIRING. SO
THERE WAS A LARGE DEGREE OF SEPARATION WITH HUNDRED NINE AND THAT WOULD IMPACT IMMEDIATELY
THE FULLY TRAINED OFFICERS. WHAT IS REALLY POSITIVE IS THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ABLE
TO MAINTAIN THE NUMBER OF 911 RESPONDERS AND ACTUALLY THE NUMBER OF 911 RESPONDERS WENT
UP A BIT. WHEN WE WERE IN COUNCIL BUDGET SESSION WE WERE LOOKING AT MANY NINE RUN RESPONDERS
AND WE NOW HAVE 601 RESPONDERS. THAT IS REALLY AN EFFECT OF RECRUITS THAT ARE COMING OUT
OF THE PIPELINE THAT HAVE COME IN IN 2017 AND THEY ARE STILL COMING IN. THEY'RE STILL
COMING INTO PATROL . THE NUMBERS IN PATROL ARE GOING TO CONTINUE AS LONG AS THAT PIPELINE
IS REFRESHED AND AS LONG AS RECRUITS KEEP COMING THROUGH. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT
IN THE PAST THAT THE PRIVATE HAS HELD A PRINCIPAL OPEN THAT HAD SITUATIONS LIKE THIS TO MAINTAIN
911 RESPONDERS STAFFING . IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS PLACED A PRIORITY
ON THAT AND IS MAKING SURE RESPONDERS ARE AVAILABLE. SO I BRING THESE NUMBERS UP BECAUSE
THEY PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT FOR THE PLAN THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO HIRE LATERALS
. THE LAST PAGE OF MY STAFF REPORT WHICH I APOLOGIZE IS NOT ONLINE , COSTS OUT SOME OF
THE DEPARTMENTS EFFORTS OR PROPOSALS . IF YOU WERE TO OFFER ALL OF THE LATERAL HIRES
AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE 20 UNDER THIS PARTICULAR PLAN , $15,000, YOU WOULD BE LOOKING AT ROUGHLY
$300,000 OF COST . IF YOU WERE TO EXTEND A BONUS TO RECRUITS AT A LESSER LEVEL MAYBE
HALF THE AMOUNT , $7500 AND YOU DID SO WITH 84 RECRUITS YOU WOULD BE LOOKING AT AN ADDITIONAL
$630,000. SO OF COURSE IF YOU WANTED TO DO BOTH OPTIONS THAN THE COST WOULD BE A LITTLE
BIT MORE OR A LOT MORE ACTUALLY . $720,000. SORRY, BAD.
FEEL FREE TO JOIN THE TEAM. [LAUGHTER].
BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, I WANTED THE COUNCIL TO UNDERSTAND THAT BEN HAD MENTIONED THE COSTS
THAT ARE ASSOCIATED. THEY ARE QUITE HIGH. I WANTED TO BREAK THOSE DOWN FOR YOU BITE
RECRUITS AND LATERALS AND ALSO HAD THE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO TYPES OF
HIRES AND THAT 104 NUMBER. SO JUST WITH THAT AS A HIGH- LEVEL OVERVIEW I WILL ASK IF YOU
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
JUST TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CLARITY BECAUSE YOU ARE USING THE TERM 911 RESPONDERS , AND
IN YOUR MEMO YOU ACTUALLY LAID OUT WHO THE 911 RESPONDERS ARE WHICH ARE EFFECTIVELY PATROL
OFFICERS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR RESPONDING TO 911 CALLS AND OTHER INTERACTIONS WITH THE
PUBLIC. SO THIS IS SORT OF A CONTRAST AS TO OFFICERS WHO MIGHT BE ASSIGNED TO PARTICULAR
UNITS AND ENGAGE IN MUCH MORE INVESTIGATION WORK AS OPPOSED TO RESPONDING TO 911 CALLS
WE GET ON A DAILY BASIS FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THAT IS TRUE. I MIGHT CLARIFY THAT THE NUMBERS I THROUGHOUT WERE SPECIFICALLY 91 RESPONDERS
THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PATROL, WHAT THE DEPARTMENT DOES IS IT'S A LARGER GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT
WOULD INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY POLICE TEAMS, THE OTHER SUPPORT POSITIONS THAT ARE AGAIN
DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC AS YOU MENTIONED. BUT THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS I CALLED OUT OUR
ACTUAL 911 RESPONDERS LOGGED IN.
I APPRECIATE THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES BEFORE
WE MOVE INTO THE BILL THAT IS A TOTAL OF 2 PAGES CONTRAST MAJORITY OF WHICH ARE RECITALS?
NO? ALL RIGHT. WE WILL GO AHEAD AND LAUNCH THE SECOND PRESENTATION THAT WILL WALK US
THROUGH IN FIVE SHORT SLIDES, THE PROPOSED LATERAL HIRING INCENTIVE.
THANK YOU. THIS IS A DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED LATERAL HIRING INCENTIVE THAT WOULD ALLOW
THE DRIVER TO PAY UP TO $50,000 AND AN INCENTIVE FOR QUALIFIED LATERAL. , SO WE ARE USING THE
SAME THING WHICH GOT THE QUALIFIED LATERAL IS SOMEONE WHO HAS 24 MONTHS OR MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT
EXPERIENCE.
LET ME JUST NOTICE THAT THE TELEPROMPTER SAID 50,000. BUT THAT NUMBER IS $15,000. JUST WANT
TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NOT CONFUSION WITH THAT.
IN TERMS OF THE CLOSE CAPTIONING.
LET THE RECORD REFLECT . I WAS JUST LOOKING AT AND THAT WAS NOT WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
WE HAVE SEEN THIS SIDE BEFORE. THIS IS SHOWING WHERE OUR LATERAL APPLICANTS HAVE GONE OVER
THE LAST 3 YEARS BASED ON FACTORS WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE CHALLENGES IN THE LATERAL MARKET
IS DRIVEN BY COMPETITION BY OTHER JURISDICTIONS MANY OF WHOM ARE CARING INCENTIVE THEMSELVES.
ALSO DRIVEN BY SOME OF THE BENEFITS WE TALKED ABOUT BEING OFFERED BY OTHER AGENCIES SUCH
AS POST RETIREMENT AND MEDICAL. MANY JURISDICTIONS LOCALLY ARE CURRENTLY OFFERING LATERAL INCENTIVES
INCLUDING THOSE SHOWN RANGING BY THOUSAND DOLLARS TO $16,000. KING COUNTY OFFERS SOME
LEAD TIME AND PAYS FOR FOLKS TO TRAVEL FROM OUT OF STATE TO TEST. IN TERMS OF THE BENEFITS
OF HIRING A LATERAL , IN SHORT, LATERALS, TO BE A FIELD DEPLOYABLE RESOURCE MUCH MORE
QUICKLY THAN ENTRY-LEVEL. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A TWO WEEK LATERAL ACCOUNT IMMEDIATELY ACADEMY
VERSUS A FIVE MONTH ACADEMY TRAINING. THERE IS ALSO SAVINGS IN THAT LATERAL, FOLKS ATTEND
A FREE ACADEMY WHEREAS ENTRY-LEVEL IT COSTS $3600 PER PARTICIPANT. SO THERE IS SOME COST
SAVINGS THERE. THE CONCEPT IS TO BRING US UP TO TO SORT OF THE REGIONAL MARKET GIVEN
THE CHALLENGES THAT EVERYONE IS FACING IN THE PUGET SOUND AREA AND TO HOPEFULLY STIMULATE
ADDITIONAL LATERAL HIRES.
ANYTHING ELSE?
ONE POINT I WOULD MAKE IS THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING. WE ARE STILL WORKING
THROUGH WHAT HOUR SPENT ON SALARIES WOULD BE. BUT
GIVEN WHERE WE STAND ON OFFICER COUNT EXPECTATION, IT WILL BE A SALARY SAVINGS TO COVER THIS
ADDITIONAL AMOUNT. THAT IS GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS IF YOU WILL. BUT THIS IS A REQUEST FOR
THE AUTHORITY TO PAY FOR THIS LATERAL INCENTIVE .
THERE ARE EXISTING RESOURCES THAT WOULD ALLOW THIS TO BE IMPLEMENT IT.
CORRECT.
ANY QUESTIONS? DO YOU WANT TO , DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE COVERED WELL ENOUGH THE DIFFERENT
OPTIONS THAT ARE UP FOR CONSIDERATION GREG ?
THERE WERE A FEW OTHER ISSUES THAT WE NOTED IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS. THANK YOU. THERE
IS OF COURSE THE ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO HIRE AND PROVIDE A SIGNING BUSES SIGNING
BONUS FOR LATERALS. YOU HAD ALSO BROUGHT UP SOME INTEREST IN DEFINING A LITTLE BETTER
THE LEGISLATION AUTHORIZATION SUCH THAT THERE MIGHT BE RENEWAL LANGUAGE OR A SUNSET DATE.
SPECIFIC FORM PERFORMANCE MEASURES WHERE TARGETS ARE NOT BEING HIT AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING
THAT THE COUNCIL COULD LOOK AT DOING AN AMENDMENT WITH. FINALLY I THINK WE ALSO TALKED A LITTLE
BIT, YOU AND I, ABOUT RETENTION AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE MIGHT BE AN INTEREST IN DOING,
IN MAKING SURE THAT OFFICERS THAT TAKE THE LATERAL HIRING BONUS ARE MAKING A LONGER-TERM
COMMITMENT TO SPD. THEY'RE NOT TAKING THE $15,000 AND THEN TURNING AROUND AND TAKING
SOMEBODY ELSE'S $15,000. I HAVE ALREADY TALKED A BIT ABOUT EXPANDING IT TO RECRUITS. I THINK
THAT IS THE BREADTH AND SCOPE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT THE COUNCIL MIGHT
HAVE INTEREST IN.
GREAT, THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW BEEN IF YOU HAVE HAD A OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT ABOUT SOME OF THESE VARIOUS ISSUES. I KNOW THAT WE ALL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET
LATE LAST WEEK WHERE I GAVE YOU ALL THE PREVIEW OF THESE CONCEPTS AND JUST WONDERING IF YOU
HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER SOME OF THESE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
WE HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE NEW RECRUIT INCENTIVE BUT THAT IS WORK
UNDERWAY. WE COULD HANDLE THAT WITH THE EXISTING RESOURCES AND WHETHER WE COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I THINK MIKE CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE , WE ARE SENSITIVE TO THE ISSUE THAT GREG HAS RAISED
ABOUT MAKING SURE IF WE WILL PAY THIS LATERAL INCENTIVE THAT IS DONE IN A WAY THAT CREATES
THE RIGHT INCENTIVES FOR SOMEBODY TO STAY WITH THE FORCE. WE HAVE NOT SETTLED ON A SPECIFIC
STRUCTURE BE WORKING ON THAT AS WELL.
I WOULD JUST ADD THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT THE BUSINESS RULES THAT WOULD SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM
. WE ARE TRYING TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN HAVING IT BE A MEANINGFUL INCENTIVE ON ONE
HAND AND HAVING FOLKS STAY WITH US IF WE ARE WILLING TO OFFER THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. THAT
IS STILL A DISCUSSION POINT TRYING TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT IS EFFECTIVE OR WHETHER IT WAS
IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS AND WE WILL REPORT BACK ON THAT.
SO WE ARE NOT TALKING , WE TALKED ABOUT HOUSING COSTS BE A CHALLENGE HERE. IF WE CAN MANY
UPFRONT, THAT MIGHT HELP ON THAT AND AND THEN HAVE THE CASH AND A MIGHT BE ABLE TO MOVE
ON. IF WE DIDN'T AWARD THEM THE CASH AND THE COMPLETED 2-3 YEARS, THAT IS A WAY TO ANCHOR
THEM BUT IT DOES NOT PERHAPS PROVIDE THE REAL INCENTIVE THAT WE WANT. THAT IS THE BALANCE
WE ARE WORKING ON AND PERHAPS A STAGED PAYMENT OVER SOME PERIOD OF TIME AS AN EXAMPLE. WE
WANT TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING. WE ARE WORKING ON A LOT OF FRONTS AT THE SAME
TIME. BUT THAT IS THE NATURE OF THE WORK THAT IS UNDERWAY.
AND YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT YOU DON'T ANTICIPATE REQUIRING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
FOR THE LATERAL INCENTIVE BECAUSE OF SALARY SAVINGS? DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THE QUANTITY
A SALARY SAVINGS?
THAT IS THE NUMBER WE ARE WORKING ON AND WILL HELP INFORM A RESPONSE ON THE QUESTION OF
POTENTIAL SMALLER INCENTIVE FOR THE NEW RECRUITS AS WELL. WE ARE EARLY IN THE YEAR SO WE WILL
SEE HOW WE FINISH OUT THE YEAR AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY
HOW CONSERVATIVE ARE WE ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT CALCULUS. SO AT THIS POINT WE WILL BE
MAKING DECISIONS ON SOME LEVEL, I, HIGHLIGHTED THAT EARLIER. THIS IS A DIFFICULT GAME IF
YOU WILL TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE WILL END UP. BUT I THINK IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS WE
WILL BE IN A POSITION TO DO THAT.
I THINK THE LAST THING THAT DID NOT MAKE IT INTO GREG'S MEMO IS JUST REALLY ENSURING THAT
THE LATERAL HIGHER INCENTIVE PROGRAM , IF WE DECIDE TO PURSUE A NEW HIRE INCENTIVE PROGRAM,
THAT WE ARE LAYERING ON TOP OF THAT THE DEPARTMENTS COMMITMENT TO RECRUITING FROM DIVERSE COMMUNITIES
THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH HIGHER PRACTICES AND ALSO CONSISTENT WITH LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE
THAT PRIORITIZES THE NEED TO HIRE FROM DIVERSE COMMUNITIES TO ENSURE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
LOOKS LIKE THE COMMUNITY IT SERVES.
I AM JUST WANTING TO BACK UP FOR A SECOND. WHAT CONSTITUTES A TREND? IF I LOOK AT THE
DATA ESPECIALLY THE DATA OUTLINED IN THE CENTRAL STAFF MEMO AND THE CHART YOU SHOWED US AS
WELL, IT DOES SEEM LIKE LAST YEAR WAS AN ANOMALY. YOU MENTIONED A NUMBER OF REASONS OF WHY THAT
COULD BE CALLED THOUGH AND IMPLEMENT RATES, THE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WE ARE HAVING ABOUT
THE CONTRACT, WHAT MAKES US THINK THAT THIS IS NOT JUST AN ANOMALY THAT AND THAT IT WILL
CONTINUE TO BE ADDRESSED WITH THE STATUS QUO? AND FACTORING IN THAT WE NOW HAVE BETTER RATES
FOR OUR AUTHORS THAT MORE ACCURATELY WITHOUT THE COST OF LIVING HERE, YOU DID MENTION IT
WAS THE HIGHEST RATE FOR WASHINGTON STATE. WE WANT TO REMIND FOLKS THAT IT IS THE MEDIAN
AMOUNT FOR SIMILAR CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERT OF THE LAST
2 YEARS. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY THAT WILL HAVE A DRAMATIC AND IMMEDIATE IMPACT BUT WHEN I
LOOK AT THE DATA THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED , I AM WONDERING, WHAT CONSTITUTES A TREND AND
IF THERE IS ANY INDICATION THAT THIS COULD BE A BLIP OR AN ANOMALY. YOU ALSO MENTIONED
THERE IS A NUMBER OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT ARE SEEING VACANCY RATES
IN THE HUNDREDS VERSUS THE DOZENS. WHEN DID THEY INDICATE THAT THEY HAD A TREND OF DECLINING
RECRUITMENT OR LATERAL MOVES AND HOW ARE WE COMPARING IN TERMS OF THE LENGTH OF TIME WE
ARE GETTING OURSELVES TO LOOK AT THIS DATA?
TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION, WE ARE JUST LOOKING AT THE APPLICANT TREND REALLY. YOU ARE RIGHT,
THE HIRES DID NOT MANIFEST THEMSELVES IN TERMS OF TOPPING OFF UNTIL LAST YEAR. BUT WITH THE
LAG FROM TESTS TO HIRE, I THINK WE ARE SEEING NOW SOME OF THE, EVEN 2017, DECREASES IN APPLICANT
MANIFESTING IN REDUCED HIRES IN 2018. SO I DO SEE A CONSISTENT DOWNWARD TREND BOTH WITH
ENTRY- LEVEL AND LATERALS FROM 2016 THROUGH 2017 AND NOW TWO 2018 IN TERMS OF APPLICANTS.
AGAIN WITH THE LAG FROM TIME FROM TEST TO HIRE, THAT VERY WELL MAY MANIFEST ITSELF IN
HIRING NUMBERS REDUCED IN 2019 UNTIL WE CAN GET THESE HIRING NUMBERS BACK UP HERE! COMPARED
TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS?
IN TERMS OF WHEN, I WILL HAVE TO LOOK BACK AT THE LITERATURE WE WERE LOOKING AT AND I
WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT TO YOU IN THE TIMEFRAME WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT.
I ALSO REALLY LIKED YOUR SUGGESTIONS AROUND DELIVERABLES, THE TIMELINES , THE TARGETS,
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS REALLY ON THE CAP. IF WE FOR EXAMPLE ALLOCATED $50,000 AND
THAT APPLY TO 20 LATERAL MOVES, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT $300,000 PER YEAR , IS THAT A TAP
? I KNOW IT SAYS IT MAY BE DIFFERENT . ARE WE LOOKING AT A CAMP OR WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING
THAT WE WOULD SEE YEAR-TO-YEAR?
THE LEGISLATION SIMPLY AUTHORIZES IT. SO IF THAT COMMITTEE WAS INTERESTED IN PUTTING ANY
PARTICULAR STANDARDS AROUND MEASUREMENT OF RECRUITS AND LATERALS COMING IN THROUGHOUT
THE YEAR AND CAPS AROUND FINDING , THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN SEPARATE
AND APART FROM THIS EFFORT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER, THE NUMBER OF RECRUITS BEING AMBITIOUS. I THINK AGGRESSIVELY
AGGRESSIVE AND OPTIMISTIC . SO AT 104 TOTAL WE ARE ANTICIPATING 20 AT THOSE NEW FOLKS
COMING IN WOULD BE LATERAL HIRE'S. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PAST DATA ESPECIALLY FOR 2015
THROUGH 2017, IT DOES LOOK LIKE WE ARE BEING, UNDERESTIMATING THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT WOULD
BE LATERALLY TRANSITIONING WITH THE EXISTING PAY STRUCTURE IN PLACE. ARE WE UNDERESTIMATING
HOW MANY FOLKS ARE GOING TO LATERALLY MOVE OVER WITH EXISTING PAY AND THEN WOULD HE BE
UNDERESTIMATING IF THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE FOR LATERAL MOVE?
I WILL LET THE DEPARTMENT STAFFING FOLKS TAKE A SHOT AT THAT ANSWER. I JUST WANT TO POINT
OUT THAT OF THE LAST 3 YEARS, 20 LATERALS, 22 LATERALS 25 LATERALS AND THEN DOWN TO 9
LAST YEAR. I WILL LET THE DEPARTMENT TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
AS GREG POINTED OUT, WE WERE HOVERING RIGHT AROUND THE 20-25 MARK IN TERMS OF LATERALS.
I THINK AS WE WERE PUTTING TOGETHER OUR PROJECTIONS FOR THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE CHALLENGES WE
FACE LAST YEAR IN SECURING LATERAL HIRE'S , WE DID NOT WANT TO BE OVERLY AMBITIOUS WITH
THAT NUMBER. SO IN WORKING WITH MIKE AND COMING UP WITH THE TARGET WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT BE
ABLE TO ATTEND, WE WENT WITH THE 20. THAT'S NOT TO SAY IF WE COULDN'T HIRE MORE THAN THAT
WE WOULD CERTAINLY BE HAPPY TO BRING ON BOARD ADDITIONAL LATERALS ABOUT THE 20 MARK. BUT
GIVEN WHAT WE KNOW FROM LAST YEAR WE DID NOT WANT TO OVERSHOOT THAT. WE DO HAVE AND MIKE
CAN SPEAK TO THIS A LITTLE MORE, I BELIEVE IT'S A , DO WE STILL HAVE A 30 LATERAL ?
WE HAD A 30 LATERAL CAP IN THE RECENT SPA CONTRACT THAT WAS REMOVED. WE MAY REPLACE
IT.
THANK YOU. THAT IS HELPFUL. IS ANY OF THIS BARGAINABLE?
I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT SHOULD OCCUR IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO THE EXTENT YOU
WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE THAT.
OKAY.
I THINK WE BELIEVE THAT HIRING OFFICERS IS FUNDAMENTALLY A MANAGEMENT RIGHT.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONVERSATION, PUBLIC SESSION THERE'S NOTHING HIDDEN ABOUT THIS . BUT THIS
IS ABOUT ENSURING POLICY.
OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THE ONE THING THAT I DO WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON AND IN THE FIRST
PRESENTATION, ONE OF THE FIVE INDICATED THAT A MECHANISM BY WHICH DOCTORS AFFECTING HIRING
PACE, ONE OF THE BULLET POINTS AND I THINK IT IS IN SLIDE 7, WITH OFFICER WHICH IS REMAINING
FLAT AND THEN IT STATES THAT THE NEW SPOT CONTRACT WILL IMPACT PRESUMABLY POSITIVELY
THAT TREND , AND SO I STILL AM LEFT WONDERING HOW THIS ASSUMED POSITIVE IMPACT WILL BE MEASURED
. HOW IS THE DEPARTMENT THINKING ABOUT HOW TO EVALUATE AND ANALYZE AND MEASURE THE IMPACT
OF THE APPROVAL OF THE NEW SPA CONTRACT AND THE INCREASE IN WAGES?
YOU MAKE A VERY GOOD POINT . FRANKLY IT'S A CHALLENGE TO DISAGGREGATE THE VARIOUS FACTORS
THAT CAUSE ONE TO APPLY FOR A JOB. PAY IS A FACTOR. THE COMMUTE TIME, HOUSING COSTS,
OTHER JURISDICTIONS HIRING OR NOT ARE A FACTOR. WE TRY TO GET AT THIS BY ASKING FOLKS WHEN
THEY ARE BEING ORIENTED, WHY DID YOU CHOOSE US? WHAT WERE YOUR FACTORS? HOW DID YOU LEARN
ABOUT US? WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND AS PART OF THE WORK WITH THE INNOVATION A
PERFORMANCE TEAM CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MORE QUANTITATIVELY MEASURE THIS . BUT
I JUST WANTED TO GET ON THE TABLE THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HUMAN DYNAMIC OF
APPLYING FOR JOB, IN AN ECONOMY THAT IS FLUCTUATING, IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE OTHER JURISDICTIONS
ARE EITHER HIRING ROBUSTLY OR STOPPING HIRING, WHEN OUR OWN WAGES ARE CHANGING, IT'S HARD
TO DISAGGREGATE ONE FACTOR AS BEING CAUSAL.
I THINK IT IS INTUITIVE TO THINK THAT IF YOU PAY MORE, MORE PEOPLE WILL COME . BUT I THINK
RIGHT NOW, IT IS JUST INTUITION AND SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE AGAIN
THAT WE ARE ROOTING THIS CONVERSATION AND HOW WE WILL EVALUATE WHETHER THERE IS ANY
SORT OF CAUSATION BETWEEN THE INCREASE IN WAGES AND THE TRENDS IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE
TO ATTRACT NEW HIRES OR LATERALS TO JOIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE ARE ROOTING ON GOING CONVERSATIONS AND THAT LEVEL OF DATA DRIVEN ANALYSIS SO
THAT WE HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE ACTUAL CONNECTION IS THERE.
THAT IS AMONG THE REASON WE BROUGHT ON THE INNOVATION AND PERFORMANCE TEAM. SO WE CAN,
AGAIN, THERE ARE A LOT OF CONFOUNDING FACTORS HERE. DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF DATA WE CAN
GET FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS NEARBY OR WE CAN FLESH OUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS. WE ARE
NOW THINKING ABOUT BOTH INCREASED BASE PAY, BUT ALSO AN INCENTIVE, A HIRING INCENTIVE
ON TOP OF THAT. WHICH OF THOSE THINGS IS A DRIVER WILL BE DIFFICULT AGAIN, SINCE THEY
WILL BE ARRIVING AT THE SAME TIME, DIFFICULT TO DISCERN. BUT ONE OF THESE THINGS WE NEED
TO UNDERSTAND IS WHAT IS WORKING AND WHAT IS NOT. ABUSE WITH FOLKS INVOLVED, BOTH THOSE
WHO HAVE JOINT AND PERHAPS THOSE WHO JOINED NOW AS WELL FOR WHAT DROVE THEM TO THE PROFESSION
AT ALL CALL THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE WILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT ENSOR
THROUGH .
HELPFUL, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SO WE WILL WORK WITH GREG FROM CENTRAL
STAFF AND THE EXECUTIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN APPROPRIATE EVALUATION ANALYSIS
WITH SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED AND GREG'S MEMO WITH THE ADDITION COMIC ENSURE
WE ARE ANCHORING SOME OF THIS WORK IN OUR COMMITMENT TO RECRUIT FROM DIVERSE COMMUNITIES
AND THEN WE WILL GO AHEAD AND BRING FORTH FOR CONSIDERATION SOME POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS
FOR THE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER. ALL RIGHT? THAT IS OUR LAST AGENDA ITEM FOR TODAY. SO
WE ARE ADJOURNED.
[MEETING ADJOURNED]
GOOD MORNING, NICE. GOOD MORNING AGAIN. I KNOW THIS HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY STRETCH OF
TIME FOR PEOPLE IN SEATTLE. IT IS OFFICIALLY THE SNOWIEST MONTH IN 50 YEARS. WE HAVE HAD
20 INCHES OF SNOW OFFICIALLY AND WE ARE ONLY 13 DAYS INTO FEBRUARY. WE CONTINUE TO HAVE
CHALLENGES. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE GOT TO CLEAR SIDEWALKS AND STREETS FROM ICE , SLUSH, AND
SNOW. YOU WILL HERE TODAY FROM HOW WE ARE DOING ON OUR ROADS AND COOPERATION WITH THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CITY LIGHT, TRASH PICKUP AND OTHER SOLID WASTE PICKUP AND HOW
THE UTILITIES ARE DOING, PARKS AND RECREATION YOU WILL HAVE THE RANGE. I KNOW THAT THERE
ARE MANY PARENTS AND EVEN SOME KIDS WHO ARE DISAPPOINTED THAT SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS DID
NOT HOLD CLASSES TODAY. ALMOST ALL OF THE MAJOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE REGION DID DECIDE
TO CANCEL SCHOOL
WE HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND STAND READY TO DO WHATEVER WE
CAN DO TO HELP THEM OPEN THE SCHOOLS. OBVIOUSLY THE CITY DOES NOT MAKE THE DECISION ON WHETHER
TO OPEN SCHOOLS OR NOT AND THE SCHOOL BOARD TOGETHER WITH THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT WAY
A NUMBER OF FACTORS . BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CAREFULLY AND CLOSELY WITH THEM THROUGHOUT
THIS EVENT AND PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST 24 HOURS TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE
PLAN IS TO OPEN SCHOOLS AND HOW WE CAN DO THAT. SAMPLE TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT THAT. WE ALSO ARE HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH METRO AS WELL ON
WHAT ROUTES THEY CAN USE AND THEY WILL BE GOING TO MORE BUS SERVICE TOMORROW. THAT IS
GOOD NEWS FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE INCLUDING THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT MANY SCHOOL KIDS
GET TO SCHOOL BY METRO AND THEY HAD THEIR ORCA PASSES. THE FREE ORCA WILL HELP THOSE
FAMILIES AND OKAY THOSE KIDS GET TO SCHOOL. WE'RE HAPPY FOR THAT. METRO WILL GIVE YOU
MORE INFORMATION BUT WE ARE GLAD THERE'LL BE MORE BUS SERVICE. WE ARE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE
WITH PEOPLE EVERY DAY ON ALL OF THE CHANNELS. WE HAVE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF CALLS THROUGH
OUR CALL CENTER APOLOGIZING UP FRONT THAT WE HAD A BIG RUSH OF PEOPLE. SOME LINES WERE
LONGER THEY HAVE BEEN. WE WILL TRY TO REDUCE THAT. PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE SOME OF THE
STAFF COULD NOT GET IN. WE BROUGHT THE NUMBER DOWN SO WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO SPOT RESPOND
AS WE CAN . NOT JUST YOU ALL THE THINGS THINGS ANYWAY BUT TO INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS AND ISSUES
THAT PEOPLE HAVE. WE ARE GETTING , WE ARE STILL HAVING OUR ROAD CREWS OUT TO CLEAR NOT
JUST OUR MATE ARTERIALS BUT THE BOBCATS TO START WORKING ON SIDE ROADS AND ALL OF THE
SIDEWALKS AROUND THE PUBLIC PLACES. BAD NEWS IS , THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO FREEZE HARD TONIGHT
. SO AS WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT LATER, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE, IF YOU ARE
HOME WITH THE KIDS AND THE KIDS ARE OLD ENOUGH, I GET THEM OUT WITH YOU SHOVELING THE SIDEWALKS
. IT WOULD BE A GREAT TIME FOR NEIGHBORS AND NEIGHBORHOODS IF YOU ARE HOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
TO GET TOGETHER CAN'T GET THOSE SHOVELS AND GET THEM CLEARED BECAUSE AFTER THE HARD FREEZE
TONIGHT, IT WILL BE MUCH HARDER TO CLEAR THOSE SIDEWALKS AND THE FREEZING ICE WILL BE MUCH
MORE DIFFICULT CONDITION. SO WE WILL GIVE YOU A FULL REPORT ON WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH
THE SCHOOLS. I REALLY WANT TO SAY , KIND OF A CLARION CALL TO THE PUBLIC, IF YOUR HOME
AND IF YOU ARE HOME FROM SCHOOL AND YOU ARE OLD ENOUGH, HOW ABOUT AROUND NOON TODAY, EVERYBODY
GET OUT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE SHOVELS THEY HAVE, OR BORROWED THE SHOVELS FROM THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND LET'S DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CLEAR THE SIDEWALKS IN AL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
AND COMMUNITIES. THAT WILL HELP US NOT JUST TODAY AND HELP THE KIDS GET BACK TO SCHOOL,
IT WILL REALLY MAKE IT SAFER FOR TOMORROW WHEN WE GET ANOTHER HARD FREEZE TONIGHT. OUR
GOAL IN THE CITY REMAINS THE SAME. SAFETY. SAFETY ACROSS THE BOARD FOR OUR EMPLOYEES
, BUT ALSO FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS REALLY AS
SAFE AS POSSIBLE ON ALL OF OUR ARTERIALS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FIRE AND POLICE
TO GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GET. OUR ROAD CREWS ARE CONTINUING TO DO 12 HOUR SHIFTS.
CITY LIGHT IS WORKING HARD AROUND THE CLOCK. A COUPLE OF CAUTIONS. WE HAVE SEEN GROUPS
WITH THE MELTING SNOW THAT A NUMBER OF ROOFS ARE SAILING AROUND THE REGION NOT JUST IN
SEATTLE. PARTICULARLY CARPORTS AND THE LIKE. MAKE SURE, THE BEST THING TO DO IS NOT GET
UP ON THAT LADDER AND TRY TO CLEAR THE SNOW OFF THE ROOF. CHANCES ARE THAT WILL LEAD TO
INJURY AND YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PREVENT THE WEIGHT. THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO KEEP
THOSE DRAINS CLEAN SO AS THE SNOW MELTS IT CAN ACTUALLY GET OFF THE ROOF. I HAVE HAD
MY FIRE CHIEF HERE TELL ME OVER AND OVER AGAIN NOT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET ON THAT IS.
I AM FOLLOWING HIS DIRECTION. WE HAVE DURING THIS SERIES OF STORMS, WE HAVE OPENED UP 550
EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS. THE NAVIGATION TEAM HAS BROUGHT IN OVER 150 PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE,
INSIDE. I WAS ABLE TO GO TO GARFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER A FEW DAYS AGO AND THIS MORNING I WENT
TO BITTER LAKE. I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS HAS BEEN A CHANGE FOR THOSE PEOPLE . THEY
ARE ABLE TO GET HOT MEALS, CLEAN CLOTHES , SHOWERS , AND EVEN TODAY YOU HAD A PARK SERVICE EMPLOYEE
THAT WAS GETTING HAIRCUTS. PEOPLE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF IT. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF
THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE STEPPED UP AND VOLUNTEERED IN SMALL WAYS AND BIG WAYS.
WHEN I WAS AT BITTER LAKE TODAY, THERE WAS A TEACHER FROM THE AREA WHO WHEN SCHOOL WAS
CANCELED, SHE WALKED TO THE INTERLINKED COMMUNITY CENTER SO SHE COULD VOLUNTEER TO HELP. IS
THAT KIND OF THING THAT HAS REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE. WE SAID YESTERDAY, STARBUCKS,
AMAZON, NORSTROM, COSCO, THEY PROVIDED CLEAN CLOTHES, SOCKS AND THE LIKE. LAST NIGHT TOM
DOUGLAS IN TOM DOUGLAS MEADOWS PREPARED 250 MEALS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE EMERGENCY
SHELTER AT THE SEATTLE CENTER. THE KINDNESS AND COMMITMENT AND THE GENEROSITY THAT THE
PEOPLE OF SEATTLE HAD BEEN SHOWING THROUGH THIS PERIOD OF TIME, I THINK SHOWS THE BEST
OF SEATTLE AND SHOWS WHAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY WHEN WE COME TOGETHER TO HELP EACH OTHER TO
GET THROUGH THESE HARD THINGS. I KNOW IT IS DIFFICULT. WE ARE NOT THROUGH IT 100% YET.
FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE CLEAR, YOU WONDER WHY THE MIRRORS
UP HERE TALKING, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHO ARE NOT CAUGHT YOU KNOW
WHY SHE IS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS WHAT THEY NEED FROM
THEIR CITY GOVERNMENT AND WE ARE ALREADY PLANNING FOR THE NEXT PHASES. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE
WEATHER EVENTS WILL BE BUT WE KNOW WHAT THAT CONTINUED SNOW FREEZING THAW AND PLOWS DUE
TO OUR ROADS. YOU WILL SEE IN THE NEXT WEEKS THERE WILL BE POTHOLES THAT OPENED UP OR APPEAR
AGAIN. THAT WILL BE THE NEXT STEP FOR OUR ROAD CREWS TO PROVIDE THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT
RIGHT NOW YOU WILL HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE LOOKING AT WHAT WE ARE DOING ACROSS THE CITY TO GET
THROUGH THESE EVENTS. AGAIN, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ME AS MAYOR, I HAVE TO
JUST SAY, I HAVE ENORMOUS GRATITUDE TO THE CITY EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND
THE CLOCK AT THEIR JOBS. MANY OF THEM EVEN AFTER THEIR JOBS VOLUNTEERING TO HELP PEOPLE
AS WELL AS TO THE PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY WHO HAS STEPPED UP TO HELP THEIR NEIGHBORS, TO
HELP THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND TO HELP PEOPLE GET THROUGH THIS PERIOD OF TIME.
THANK YOU MAYOR. MY M THAT
GUEST:. I WANT TO TALK YOU BRIEFLY ABOUT OPERATION SHARED SHALL. THE MARSHALL PLAN TO GET ALL
OF OUR KIDS LIKE MY 14-YEAR-OLD BACK TO SCHOOL. AT THE REQUEST OF THE SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
SPS, WE ARE LIMITED AND UNPRECEDENTED THREE- PRONGED APPROACH TO HELP THE SCHOOLS OPEN
TOMORROW ON THURSDAY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS USE MULTIPLE
CRITERIA WHEN DETERMINING WHETHER TO OPEN THEIR SLITS WHETHER IT IS ACCESS TO METRO,
SCHOOL STAFFING, ETC. THE WAY THE CITY OF SEATTLE WANTED TO DO THEIR PART TO MAKE SURE
THEY HAVE THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO SUCCESSFULLY AND SAFELY OPEN TOMORROW. THIS UNPRECEDENTED
COLLABORATIVE CROSS JURISDICTIONAL OPERATION WILL BE ABOUT MAKING ROUTES TO SCHOOL SAFE
. THE FIRST PART OF THIS THREE-PRONGED APPROACH IS THAT THE SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS WORKING
TO SHOVEL THE SIDEWALKS ADJACENT TO THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN PARTICULAR. SECOND,
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PARENTS AND KIDS AND NONPROFITS, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND BLOCK
WATCH GROUPS, EMERGENCY HAVE ORGANIZATIONS, CHURCHES, THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY, TO COME
TOGETHER. WE ARE ASKING THAT THE MAYOR SAID AT NOON TODAY, THAT RESIDENTS OF THE CITY
OF SEATTLE JOIN US IN SHOVELING THE SIDEWALKS AROUND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS. THE HASHTAG
IS SHARED SHOVEL. TODAY IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY. BURN SOME OF THAT EXTRA ENERGY OFF. COME OUT,
SAFE , CLEAR THE DRAINS WHILE YOU'RE AT IT. IT'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT OUR KIDS TO WORK
AND GET OUR COMMUNITY BACK MOVING AGAIN. THIRD, AS YOU WILL HEAR SHORTLY ON THE DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION, AND STOP CREWS WILL BE ADDRESSING NINE PRIORITY ON THE TWO SCHOOLS
AS REQUESTED BY SEATTLE SCHOOLS TO ACCESS ROADS FROM OUR EMERALD AND GOLD ROUTES TO
THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS AND ADDITIONALLY, SDOT HAND CREWS SUPPORTED BY TEAMS FROM PUBLIC
UTILITIES, FAS AND PARKS AND RECREATION WILL BE SUPPLEMENTING THOSE HAND CREWS AS WELL.
I WANT TO REITERATE THAT MAYORS POINT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, AND MARSHALL PLAN IF YOU
WILL TO GET OUR SCHOOLS BACK OPEN AGAIN. WE WILL DO OUR SMALL PART OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE
BY MOBILIZING OUR RESOURCES TO DO JUST THAT. THANK YOU. >> I AM WITH THE SEATTLE DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION. AS CALVIN JUST MENTIONED, WE ARE DEPLOYING SOME OF OUR HAND CREWS TO
HIGHLIGHT THE AREAS GOING OUT FROM SCHOOLS INTO NEIGHBORHOODS. THE MORE THE COMMUNITIES
CAN HELP US BY SHOVELING THEIR OWN SIDEWALKS, THE MORE WE WILL BE ABLE TO HELP AS WELL.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WITH THE COMING FREAK ON THE WEATHER HAS COOPERATED A LITTLE BIT
MORE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. IT HELPED US STAY AHEAD OF THINGS. THE COMING FREEZE
MEANS WE WILL STILL BE OUT APPLYING SALT TO THE ARTERIAL STREETS IF THEY ARE NOT IN A
BEAR AND DRY CONDITIONS SO WE DON'T GET ANOTHER FREEZE AND CREATE PROBLEMS TOMORROW. WE ARE
WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT METRO CAN OPERATE AT FULL CAPACITY AS THEY ARE ABLE TO AS WELL
AS SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS CONTINUE TO STAY SAFE. THE
VARIABLE CONDITIONS, WE KNOW THAT WHILE THE ARTERIALS ARE PRETTY GOOD, A LOT OF THE RESIDENTIAL
STREETS ARE STILL IN VERY VARIABLE CONDITION. WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF
CONDITIONS OUT THERE. WE ARE WORKING TO REOPEN THE CLOSED STREETS AND INSPECT THOSE AND TRY
TO GET A SENSE OF CONDITIONS AND KNOW THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS AS MANY HAZARDOUS
LOCATIONS AS POSSIBLE AT THOSE PLACES THAT ARE ON STEEP SLOPES ARE WHERE THERE WAS HEAVIER
SNOWFALL THAN OTHER PLACES. PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE THOSE SIDES HERSELF. THAT US REMOVE
THEM. WE WILL CONTINUE TO SHOVEL SIDEWALKS AND BE CAREFUL ABOUT DOWNED TREES. WE HAVE
BEEN RESPONDING TO A NUMBER OF MORE DOWNED TREES RESPONSES AS WELL OF THE LAST COUPLE
OF DAYS. PLEASE CONTINUE TO STAY SAFE OUT THERE. >> THANK YOU MAYOR. I AM DEBORAH SMITH
WITH SEATTLE CITY LIGHT. IT'S NICE TO SEE EVERYONE AGAIN TODAY. MUCH BETTER DAY FOR
US THIS MORNING THAN YESTERDAY. I WILL NOTE BY STARTING THAT OUR MAP IS RUNNING A LITTLE
BIT SLOW. WE ARE WORKING WITH THE VENDOR ON THAT PARTICULAR LOOKING ONLINE YOU'RE ACTUALLY
SEEING A HIGHER NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER THEN WE CURRENTLY HAVE WHICH IS ACTUALLY
ONLY 25 PEOPLE. WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN BRINGING BACK JUST ABOUT EVERYONE. THOSE FOLKS
THAT ARE STILL OUT SHOULD BE RESTORED BY THE END OF TODAY. WE DO HAVE A BOWEL 300 JOBS
THAT ARE OPEN. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THERE ARE WIRES THAT ARE EITHER SAGGING OR DOWN.
THEY ARE USUALLY COMMUNICATION WIRES AT THIS POINT BECAUSE WE ARE PRETTY CLEAR ON WHERE
WE HAVE HAD POWER OUTAGES. OF THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE VERY CAREFUL AND ASSUME THAT THOSE WIRES
ARE LIGHT AND ENERGIZED AND DANGEROUS. IN THIS CASE WE ACTUALLY SEND SOMEONE OUT TO
PATROL EACH OF THOSE LOCATIONS AND THEN THE SS THE DAMAGE AND THE PRIORITY FOR RESTORATION.
THAT WORK WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TOMORROW. I WANTED TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK OUR
CUSTOMERS 1st OF ALL. WE KIND OF CAME, THE BIG OUTAGE CAME AT THE END OF THIS EVENT WHERE
CUSTOMERS IN MANY CASES, THEIR NERVES WERE ALREADY FRAYED AND THEY WERE SUPER PATIENT,
SUPER GRACIOUS WITH US AND OUR CREWS. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THE CONTACT CENTER AND THEY
MAYOR MENTIONED THAT, THOSE ARE FOLKS THAT TAKE YOUR CALLS WHEN THERE IS AN OUTAGE. THEY
HAD BEEN WORKING INCREDIBLY HARD. THEY TAKE THE SAME CALLS FOR TRASH, WATER, ELECTRICITY
. SO THOSE FOLKS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THE CITY EMPLOYEES AND 28 COUNTRIES
HAVE THE KNOW THAT SANDAL HAS ONLY BEEN HERE, THIS IS HIS SECOND WEEK. HE HAS DONE AN AMAZING
JOB AND WITHOUT HIS HARD WORK AND HARD WORK OF SDOT, CITY LIGHT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO
THERE
SO MANY THANKS THERE. LASTLY, MY CREWS ARE AWESOME. THE SUPPORT STAFF WHO ALLOW THEM
TO DO WORK AND THE CUSTOMER BASE, MANY THINGS TO MANY PEOPLE. I APPRECIATE BEING PART OF
THIS TEAM. THANK YOU MAYOR.
GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS TIFFANY WASHINGTON. I AM THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HOMELESSNESS IN
THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THIS MORNING AND LAST NIGHT AND THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE EVENT,
OUR PRIORITY REMAINS GETTING PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS INDOORS AND HELPING THEM WITH
MEDICAL AND SERVICE NEEDS. AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE OPEN MORE THAN 550 BEDS FOR
EMERGENCY SHELTER. WE HAVE A WHOLE LIST OF COMMUNITY PROVIDERS AND AGENCIES THAT WE WANT
TO THINK. WE WOULD BE REMISS IF WE DID NOTHING. THAT INCLUDES THE SALVATION ARMY, WE WANT
TO THINK TOM DOUGLAS WHO DONATED THE 250 HOT MEALS , UNION GOSPEL MISSION FOR TRANSFERRING
PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE TO THE VARIOUS SHELTERS, MARY'S PLACE, THE HIGH, URBAN LEAGUE , SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES, AND KING COUNTY. THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OTHER MANY MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE
STEPPED UP TO HELP DURING THIS TIME. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE PROUD OF IS THAT WE
BROUGHT IN AT THE MAYOR SAID, OVER 150 PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE, INSIDE. WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW
THAT WE HAVE BOTH INSIDE SHELTER IS WE ARE ASSESSING THEM FOR SHOULDER. FOR SERVICES
BEYOND SHELTER. SO FAR THREE PEOPLE HAVE RECONNECTED WITH FAMILY AND HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO STAY
TONIGHT AND MOVING FORWARD. THERE WILL BE TEAMS OF OUTREACH WORKERS AND STAFF IN THE
SEVERE WEATHER SHELTERS ASSESSING PEOPLE , TRYING TO PROVIDE DIVERSION, ANYTHING THEY CAN TO
ENSURE THAT FOLKS WHO MANY HAVE NOT COME INSIDE FOR A LONG TIME, I DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK OUTSIDE.
ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE MORE THAN 30 HOMELESS SERVICE WRITERS WHO TAKE CALLS EVERY MORNING
TO DISPATCH RESOURCES TO PEOPLE IN THE EMERGENCY SHELTERS. I ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT THERE ARE
ABOUT 12,000 PEOPLE IN KING COUNTY WHO THE DEPARTMENT CHORDATES CARE FOR EACH MONTH.
THEY ARE AGE OR DISABILITIES . THEY HAVE BEEN CALLING AND TAKING ON MORE THAN 700 CRITICAL
CARE PATIENTS WHO RELY ON THIS DAILY AID FOR THEIR FOOD, VACATION, OXYGEN AND DAILY LIFE
SUPPORT. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES AND
HOPEFULLY THE KIDS WILL BE IN SCHOOL TOMORROW. I HAVE A 13-YEAR-OLD AND A 9- YEAR-OLD AND
I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO BE GONE FOR 8 HOURS. [LAUGHTER]
GOOD MORNING , SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES. THE MELTING SNOW AND ICE IS A DUTIFUL SITE FOR
OUR UTILITY BECAUSE CONDITIONS ARE FINALLY ALLOWING OUR CREWS TO GET TO MOST OF OUR MONDAY
AND TUESDAY RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS TODAY . OUR CONTRACTORS WILL FOCUS ON COLLECTING DELAYED
GARBAGE A STRESS ON THE WORD GARBAGE, MONDAY AND TUESDAY HOUSEHOLDS TO DATE WITH SIGNIFICANT
SLUSH REMAINING ON MANY RESIDENTIAL STREETS AND STEEP HILLS, TRUCKS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH
CHAINS AND CARRY ADDITIONAL STAFF TO RESPOND TO THE MIX CONDITIONS, HOWEVER, SOME HILLY
STREETS MAYBE TWO ICY FOR THE DRIVERS TO NAVIGATE. SO WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REACH ALL OF OUR
MONDAY AND TUESDAY CUSTOMERS AND WE THINK THEM FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT SAFETY REMAINS
A TOP PRIORITY FOR EVERYONE. CONTRACTORS TODAY WILL ALSO ATTEMPT TO COLLECT SOME OF THE DELAYS
MY DATE RECYCLING FROM BALLARD ORE CITY, AND WEST SEATTLE AREAS. MONDAY RECYCLING FROM
MAGNOLIA AND UNIVERSITY DISTRICT, LAURELHURST WILL BE ELECTED NEXT MONDAY. ALL RECYCLING
FROM TUESDAY AREAS AND ALL YARD AND FOOD WASTE FROM MONDAY AND TUESDAY AREAS WILL BE DELAYED
UNTIL NEXT WEEK AS CONTRACTORS FOCUS ON COLLECTING GARBAGE TODAY . I APOLOGIZE FOR THE COMPLEXITY
OF THIS SCHEDULE. WE ARE HAPPY TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. WE ASK CUSTOMERS
TO HELP MAKE THEIR GARBAGE ACCESSIBLE FOR CREWS BY CLEARING SNOW AND ICE OFF OF THEIR
CARTS AND BY MOVING THEM TO THE CURB. IF CONDITIONS REMAIN SAY, CONTRACTORS WILL COLLECT ALL GARBAGE,
RECYCLING, AND FOOD AND YARD WASTE FROM WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, AND FRIDAY AREAS ON A ONE-DAY DELAY.
STARTING NEXT WEEK WE SHOULD BE BACK TO A REGULAR SCHEDULE. CONTRACTORS WERE ABLE TO
COLLECT MANY COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY SERVICES THE LAST TWO DAYS DESPITE VERY CHALLENGING
CONDITIONS. TODAY THEY WILL EXPAND RECOVERY EFFORTS FOR THOSE ACCOUNTS. ADDITIONALLY,
THE CITY IS PROVIDING FREE VISITS TO TRANSFER STATIONS STARTING TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY FEBRUARY
16 FOR CUSTOMERS WHO SERVICES WERE INTERRUPTED FOR MORE THAN ONE WEEK. STATIONS WILL BE OPEN
FROM 8 AM UNTIL 5:30 PM TODAY AND 8 AM UNTIL 7:30 P.M. ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. WE WILL
HAVE SOME EXTENDED HOURS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING AND THEY CAN GET THEIR ADDITIONAL
GARBAGE, RECYCLING, AND FOOD AND YARD WASTE INTO THE TRANSFER STATIONS. SAL CUSTOMERS
WHO CAN SAFELY BRING THEIR WASTE TO OUR NORTH AND SOUTH TRANSFER STATIONS ARE ASKED TO SEPARATE
THE MATERIALS AND COVER THE LOAD. THERE'S A LIMIT OF ONE TRUCK OR CAR LOAD PER HOUSEHOLD
UP TO 420 POUNDS OF COMBINED GARBAGE RECYCLING AND COMPOST. THAT IS A LOT. BUT WE ARE HOPING
YOU DON'T BRING THAT MUCH. WE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP CUSTOMERS APPRISED OF SERVICE CHARGES
AND STATION ACCESS THROUGH ALERT SEATTLE, TWITTER, AND ON OUR WEBSITE. WE ACKNOWLEDGE
IT HAS BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING WHEN YOU ARE RECYCLING AND DUDE AND GODLESS AND ESPECIALLY
YOUR GARBAGE IS NOT PICKED UP. WE REALLY APPRECIATE SEATTLE RESIDENTS FOR THEIR UNDERSTANDING
AS WE HAVE WAITED FOR A SAFE COLLECTION WINDOW. WE ARE EAGER TO GET TO WORK ON COLLECTING
ALL OF YOUR WASTE . THIS IS ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC, AS SNOW AND ICE SLOWLY MELTS FLOODING
BECOMES A CONCERN AS I SAID OVER STORM DRAINS PREVENT MELTED SNOW AND RAIN FROM ENTERING
THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. WE HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DRAINS IN OUR CITY AND WE ARE ASKING FOLKS
IF YOU ARE ABLE, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO SAFELY DO A COMPETENT LOCALIZED FLOODING IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD BY CLEARING THE DRAIN NEAR YOUR HOME WITH A SNOW SHOVEL. IF YOU DON'T HAVE
SNOW SHOVEL, A REGULAR GARDEN SHOVEL, EVEN A DUSTBIN WILL WORK OR DUSTPAN. PLEASE REMEMBER
TO WORK FROM THE SIDEWALK OR PARKING STRIP AND STAY OUT OF THE STREET WHEN CLEARING THE
DRAINS. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK OUR INCREDIBLE STAFF AND ALL OF OUR LINES OF BUSINESS INCLUDING
OUR CONTACT CENTER . THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK AND WE APPRECIATE THEIR FAMILIES
SUPPORT AS THEY HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS HARD TIME. >> I AM CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS, SEATTLE
PARKS AND RECREATION. I WANT TO GET ANOTHER SHOUT TO THE MAYOR. SHE MENTIONED EARLIER
THAT SHE HAD RUN OUT AND VISIT STAFF AT GARFIELD AND BITTER LAKE COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE WE
ARE OPERATING SHELTERS. WE HAVE SOME EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING 12 HOUR SHIFTS SINCE
LAST FRIDAY. IT IS SUCH A MORE OUTLET TO SEE A LEADER COME BY AND EXPRESSED HER APPRECIATION
SO THANK YOU MAYOR. WE HAVE 26 OF 27 COMMUNITY CENTERS OPERATING ACROSS THE CITY. WE HAD
SIX OUT OF NINE PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS AVAILABLE AGAIN, THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO RELIEVE
CABIN FEVER .
AFTER THEY SHOVEL .
A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER PARKING LOTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SHOVELED SO I HOPE THAT
MAKES IT EASIER. OUR MAINTENANCE CREWS CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT ACROSS THE CITY WE ARE
COMMITTED TO WORKING ACROSS DEPARTMENT LINES WITH OUR CITY PARTNERS AND DOING AD HOC DELIVERIES
OR PICKING UP SUPPLIES. JUST REINFORCED THE CITY'S EFFORT TO DEAL WITH THIS EMERGENCY.
WEEK CONTINUE TO CLEAN STORM DRAINS AT ALL OF THE PARKS LOCATIONS ACROSS THE CITY. THIS
WILL BE IMPERATIVE AS THE SNOW BEGINS TO MELT. WE ARE RESUPPLYING SHELTERS WITH FOOD AND
ALL THE CRITICAL SUPPLIES THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE SAFE AND WARM. INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS
FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES HAVE DROPPED OFF EVERYTHING FROM CLOTHING TO FOOD AND SUPPLIES AND WE
GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 30-40 EMPLOYEES ON STANDBY. MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEES.
THEY SHOWED UP TO WORK ON STANDBY WHO CAN HELP ASSIST CLEANING UP ADJACENT AREAS THROUGH
VARIOUS SCHOOLS ACROSS THE CITY. WE ARE YOUR LOCAL PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. WE
WANT TO THANK OUR EMPLOYEES. THANK YOU.
HELLO . I AM FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. 1st OF ALL I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS
AND NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMUNITIES FOR CHIPPING IN, SHARING A SHUTTLE CLEARING THEIR SIDEWALK,
CLEARING THEIR NEIGHBORS. I URGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO CHECK IN ON ELDERLY NEIGHBORS, THOSE THAT
MIGHT NEED ADDITIONAL HELP AND JUST TO REDECORATE THE OPERATION SHARED SHUTTLE CALLING ON ALL
PARENT GROUPS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, WE WILL ACTIVATE OUR OVER 90 COORDINATORS
TO HELP START CLEARING THE SIDEWALKS IN A COLLECTIVE SEATTLE EFFORT TO MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
MORE SUCCESSFUL AND SAFER. THINK IT WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER AND CHIPPING IN
AND TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS. >> YOU ARE THE CLOSER.
JUST A COUPLE OF REMINDERS. THE REASON WHY OUR CALL VOLUMES HAVE CONTINUED TO FALL IS
BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY HAS LISTENED. PLEASE CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO ALL OF THE MESSAGES
THAT YOU HEARD TODAY. HELP US CLEAR THE ROADS, THE SIDEWALKS, THE STREETS, JUST TO MAKE IT
SAFER. AND TO TOUCH ON THE POINT THAT THE MAYOR SPOKE TO EARLIER , A LOT OF SNOW IS
STARTING TO MELT OFF THOSE ROOF LINES. AND MAY SEEM LIKE IT'S REALLY EASY TO JUST GO
UP THERE AND KNOCK IT DOWN. PLEASE DO NOT DO THAT. JUST LET IT MELT AND LET IT FALL.
WE DO NOT WANT TO BE RESPONDING TO THOSE TYPES OF INJURIES WHEN WE DON'T HAVE TO. SO THANK
YOU FOR PAYING ATTENTION AS I SAID YESTERDAY, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, THAT IS WHAT THIS IS
REALLY ALL ABOUT. LET'S JUST MAINTAIN THAT FOR SAFETY. IN QUEUE.
TAKE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS I WANTED TO NOTE IS AGAIN, THROUGH
THIS DIFFICULT TIME, I THINK PEOPLE CAN BE PROUD THAT AS A COMMUNITY HOW MUCH PEOPLE
HAVE STEPPED UP FROM LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS TO TOM DOUG IS PROVIDING HUNDREDS OF MEALS TO
THE TEACHER WHO WALKS TO BITTER LAKE, AND THERE WAS ONE IMMEDIATE STORY FOR EXAMPLE
ABOUT A COUPLE WHO HAD COME TO THE SHELTER DOWN AT GARFIELD AND BECAUSE OF THE STORY
AND BECAUSE OF THEM FINALLY COME INSIDE, THEY HAD BEEN REUNITED WITH FAMILY. SO I THINK
THAT THROUGH THESE TOUGH TIMES WE SEE GREAT MEMORIES OF HOPE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IS
A CITY THAT WE CAPITALIZE ON THAT HOPE AND KEEP THOSE THINGS GOING. JUST LIKE WE SAW
PEOPLE DURING THAT VIADUCT CLOSURE TAKING ALTERNATE MEANS OF TRAVEL, WE WANT TO KEEP
PEOPLE ON TRANSIT CAN'T KEEP PEOPLE BIKING AND WALKING. THOSE GOOD HABITS. WE HAVE NOW
BROUGHT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE INSIDE WHO HAD NOT BEEN INSIDE BEFORE. HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
IS WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO CONNECT THOSE PEOPLE WITH SERVICES, WITH PROVIDERS, TO EVALUATE
THEM SO THAT WE CAN GET THEM WHAT THEY NEED. I TALKED TO ONE GENTLEMAN THIS MORNING WHO
SAID IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE HAD FELT HE HAD BEEN WARM AND FED IN ALMOST 3 YEARS
BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN LIVING OUTSIDE. UCHITEL FORE HAND THAT IF THERE WAS A WAY TO CONTINUE
THIS, HE WOULD . SO WE AS A CITY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMING TOGETHER TO DO THAT
AND LITTLE THINGS, WE HAVE MONDAY PICK UP. GARBAGE HAS NOW MAN MISSED TWO WEEKS IN A
ROW, IT WILL BE PICKED UP. ONE TIP FROM DRIVING AROUND FOR PARTS OF THE CITY AND BEING OUT
AND ABOUT, WHEN YOU PUT YOUR EXTRA GARBAGE OUT, IT IS FREE, YOU CAN, BUT PLEASE BAG IT
UP WELL. THE SCAVENGERS HAS BEEN WINTERING TOO. BUT THEY ARE BACK AND THEY ARE HUNGRY.
SO WE ARE SEEING CROWS, RODENTS, THEY WILL BE TRYING TO GET THAT GARBAGE AND WE WANT
TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE BACKED BECAUSE IT WILL KEEP COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOODS SAFER AND
BETTER. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?
MAYOR YOU ALLUDED TO THE EFFORT TO CLEAR THE SIDEWALKS FOR THAT SEATTLE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I REALIZE THAT AGAIN THEY ARE NOT HERE. WITHOUT THE REASON WHY THEY CANCELED SCHOOL TODAY
IS BECAUSE THE SIDEWALKS WERE SO FILLED WITH SLUSH AND ICE?
I THINK THE DECISION ON WHETHER TO CANCEL SCHOOL IS A NUMBER OF COMPLEX FACTORS THAT
THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT WAY. I THINK THAT THE CONDITIONS AROUND A SCHOOL
OR JUST ONE OF THEM . TO BE CLEAR, THE SIDEWALKS AROUND SCHOOL SINCE THEY ARE ADJACENT PROPERTY
OWNERS, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE AND ARE UNDERTAKING THEMSELVES TO DO THAT. WE ARE MAKING SURE
THEY GAVE US A LIST OF THE PRIORITY SCHOOLS THEMSELVES WHERE THEY WANTED US TO CLEAR IN
83 BLOCK RADIUS NOW. WE ARE DOING THAT AROUND THE SCHOOLS AND CONTINUING TO TALK WITH THEM
TO BE SURE THAT IF THERE IS ADDITIONAL HELP, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN
WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK THAT WE WILL DOUBLE DOWN AND OUR SEATTLE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO THEIR PART IN THAT PARTNERSHIP. WE ALSO HAVE CREWS FROM
THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS THAT WILL HAVE OUR HANDS CREWS AT THEIR TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE CAN ASSIST THEM. THEY MADE VERY CLEAR THAT THEIR PROPERTY THEMSELVES, THEY WILL
TAKE CARE OF. THEY TOLD US WHERE THEY HAVE OTHER PRIORITIES. THEY ALSO HAVE TO DISCUSS
WITH THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION BUS PROVIDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THE ROUTES THAT
ARE OPEN AND SAFE AS EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM KNOWS, WE HAVE GOTTEN THE KEY ROUTES OPEN
FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO GET PEOPLE SAFELY TO THOSE ROUTES WE
CAN GET PEOPLE TO SCHOOL. SHORT ANSWER IS, WE DID NOT MAKE THE DECISION BUT WE WANT TO
DO EVERYTHING THE CITY CAN DO AS A PARTNER WITH THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE ALL OF
THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY WANT TO SEE THEIR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL.
THEIR KIDS ARE GOING CRAZY AT HOME, THEY WANT THEIR KIDS GONE , YOUR MESSAGE TO PARENTS
WHO ARE AND HAVE LITTLE BIT OF CABIN FEVER.
EVERY PARENT THAT HAS A KID HOME HAS KEVIN YOUR. IS NOT JUST IN SEATTLE. I HAVE BEEN
FORTUNATE MOST OF MY STAFF HAS COME IN BUT THEY ARE BRINGING THEIR KIDS WITH THEM. YESTERDAY
I HAD THREE KIDS IN MY OFFICE PLAYING WITH TOYS. SO WE KNOW IT IS TOUGH. ESPECIALLY SINCE
THEY HAVE BEEN COOPED UP, THE SNOW IS OLD NOW AND WE ARE DONE WITH IT. SO BE PATIENT.
BE SMART. IF YOU HAVE OLDER KIDS AT HOME AND YOU LIVE NEAR THE SCHOOL, IT WOULD BE A GREAT
THING FOR THEM TO DO TO GO OUT AND HELP GET THEIR OWN SCHOOL READY. WE WANT TO DO OUR
PART TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS CAN OPEN TOMORROW.
I THE QUESTION, YOU SAID YOU MENTIONED TO WORK ON SOME OF THE INSIDE STREETS AND BOBCATS
WILL BE PUT TO PLAY AS WELL. YESTERDAY YOU SAID YOU WILL EVALUATE HIGH PRIORITY RESIDENTIAL
STREETS. HOUSE THAT DETERMINED? CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THAT? >> YOU TALK ABOUT HOW WE
DID WITH SCHOOLS?
THE PRIORITY HAS CONTINUED TO BEAT MAKING SURE WE MOVE AS MANY PEOPLE AND GOODS AS POSSIBLE
TO GET THE CITY RUNNING AGAIN. FIRST WITH LOOKED AT PLACES WHERE METRO TRANSIT NEEDS
TO PROVIDE TURNAROUND SERVICE FOR THOSE WHO END UP ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS. WE ARE ALSO
GOING OUT TO THOSE CLOSE RESIDENTIAL STREETS THAT MIGHT HAVE STEEP SLOPES OR OTHER HAZARDOUS
CONDITIONS, TRYING TO ASSESS THOSE. THEN THE 90 SCHOOL LOCATION THAT WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDED,
TRYING TO MAKE SURE THERE IS ACCESS FROM THE ARTERIAL STREETS TO THOSE SCHOOLS . CLEARING
RESIDENTIAL STREET IS A BIT OF A CHALLENGE SO BOTH THE EQUIPMENT FITTING DOWN THE STREETS
CAUGHT THE RISK AND CHALLENGE OF PLOWING INTO CARS AND MAKING IT EVEN HARDER FOR SOME FOLKS
TO GET OUT, AND JUST THE RISK OF OUR OWN EQUIPMENT GETTING STUCK IN SOME OF THE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES.
THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ASSESS PLACES THAT ARE MORE IMPASSABLE AND BE ABLE TO HELP OUT AS
MUCH AS WE CAN. WERE NOT GOING ON A NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD BASIS AND TRYING TO CLEAR
EVERY STREET BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A CHALLENGE.
ONE THING WE KNOW FROM PREVIOUS REPORTING IS THAT MOST OF SEATTLE RESIDENTS LIVE WITHIN
WALKING DISTANCE OF TRANSIT. THAT IS A REALLY GOOD THING DURING THESE SNOW EVENTS. EVEN
IF YOU ARE USED TO USING YOUR CAR, THIS IS A TIME TO WALK TO OUR LOCAL TRANSIT WEATHER
THAT IS LIGHT RAIL OR BUS AND REALLY USE THOSE SERVICES. THOSE THAT AREN'T, I WOULD GO BACK
TO THE PARENTS. EXERCISE PATIENCE. WE KNOW PEOPLE WANT THEIR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL. AGAIN,
WE REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO BE SAFE. IF THE WEATHER FORECASTERS ARE CORRECT AND WE GET THE HARD
FREEZE TONIGHT , THOSE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CLEARED WILL TURN TO ICE
AND PEOPLE SHOULD PLAN FOR THAT. SO GET THEM CLEARED NOW. I WILL GET ONE LAST SHOT OUT
AND THAT IS TO THE LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, THE WEATHER
FORECAST COULD BE 50-50. THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK AND HAVE BEEN GETTING
US THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION THEY CAN GET. IT HAS BEEN SO RELIABLE. WE HAVE PLANNED
AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXECUTE. MARKET THAT HAS BEEN BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN SAYING INCOMPLETE
CONTACT WITH US. I REALLY WANT TO THINK THAT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TEAM HERE MANY OF
WHICH WHO HAVE HAD TO TRAVEL DISTANCES TO GET TO THEIR WORK. LESSON, IF YOU ARE OUT
AND HOME TODAY, NOT ONLY SHOVEL BUT WALKED TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES . PARTICULARLY YOUR
SMALL BUSINESSES. IT HAS BEEN A REALLY HARD TIME FOR THEM . I HAVE BEEN IN TALKING TO
SOME OF THOSE FOLKS AND THEY HAVE NOW OPENED UP AND THOSE DAYS THAT THEY HAVE MISSED IS
THERE LIVELIHOOD. IT IS A LIGHT FOR THEM AND THEIR EMPLOYEES. SO THINK ABOUT THAT. IF YOU'RE
OUT, IF YOU CAN WALK TO THAT LOCAL BUSINESS, GO OUT THERE. IS ANOTHER WAY TO BREAK UP THE
DAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.