POLICE STAFFING
IN THIS SECTION
Special event activity may require Seattle Police Officers for public safety and/or traffic control. Police officer staffing, locations, and times are determined by the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and Special Events Committee based on the time, place, and manner of the event activity.
Safety & Security
Depending on the nature of your event and activities, SPD may require assigning Uniformed Police Officers for safety and security. SPD evaluates each event on a case-by-case basis to determine what level of staffing may be necessary. Some factors they take into consideration are the size and type of crowd expected to attend, the time of day, place where event is held, planned entertainment and activities, and alcohol use.
Event organizers may also request SPD officers for safety and security. A common example is an event that will have a celebrity or dignitary in attendance. When the organizer requests staffing that is above what SPD deems necessary, the event organizer will be charged a fee for that staffing, regardless of event type. In these cases, officer assignment is based on available staffing levels on the event date.
If security staffing is required, at the discretion of SPD, staffing may be allowed to be performed by trained professional security staffing or volunteers. You will need to provide your safety plan and proof of security training for SPD review.
Traffic Control
SPD may require assigning Uniformed Police Officers for traffic control to your event. SPD determines what is the adequate number of officers necessary and assigns their specific posts based on location, intersection and street type, and input or requirements by SDOT.
Per Seattle Municipal Code, Seattle Police Officers are mandatory at intersections where traffic control requires overriding traffic signals. At the discretion of SPD and SDOT, staffing at other intersections may be allowed to be performed by certified flaggers, event personnel, or volunteers.
SPD will work with you to determine whether placing non-police staffing is safe, legal, and operationally feasible as a condition of your permit, based on review your monitor posting plan and proof of training.
If required non-police staffing fails to be provided and/or prove inadequate, any or all components of the event may be shut down, and the event organizer may incur additional fees and/or fines. Event staffing may not be approved if an event or event organizer has a history of inadequate monitors or volunteer/monitor training, or if the training provided is inadequate.
Marine Events
Special events using Seattle waterways are reviewed by Seattle Police Department Harbor Patrol. Harbor Patrol determines if any police staffing is required for the event to insure the safety of event participants and other users of the waterway.
Fees
The fee for police staffing at a special event is charged per hour per officer, with a two-hour minimum per officer. These fees apply for all officers at events categorized as athletic events, commercial events, or citywide events (see Special Event Categories section of this Handbook). These fees apply for any officers requested by event organizers above those deemed necessary by SPD at all events.