Seattle May Offer $15,000 Signing Bonus For Cops: Mayor

SEATTLE, WA - Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan wants the city to start offering bonuses up to $15,000 to lateral police hires. Durkan's legislation comes as Seattle competes with other Puget Sound cities that are offering five-figure bonuses to officers.

The legislation was sent to City Council on Thursday, according to Durkan's office. The bonuses would be for officers who move from another department to Seattle, not for hires who come to the department out of the police academy.

Over the summer, Seattle Police Officers Guild spokesman Rich O’Neill said that staffing levels were on par with the 1970s, and officers were leaving due to a lack of a contract. Durkan got a new contract through City Council in November, and it contains a 17 percent raise for officers over the life of the contract.

Seattle is facing stiff competition hiring officers. Last November, Bellevue approved offering $16,000 hiring bonuses. Renton offers a $10,000 bonus.

Patch file photo