Seattle police officer opens up about morale and concerns over his job

SEATTLE - A Seattle police officer who wishes to remain anonymous is opening up about the morale of the department and concern over his job.

The officer is a 10-year veteran of the force with experience in patrol and investigations. With the current city climate, he said job security is uncertain.

“A department that I signed up to join and I’m going to go make a difference for the City of Seattle for the rest of my career until the day I retire, I am going to retire as a Seattle police officer, and now I don’t know if that’s true,” he said.

If the Seattle City Council chooses to defund SPD by 50 percent, experienced officers like him could be cut.

“It’s sad that because of decisions being made outside of our own department, it’s essentially forcing people to look elsewhere to finish their career,” said the officer.

Q13 News is learning SPD officers are making transfers to other law enforcement agencies in western Washington.

“When I go into work it’s a family, and to see a family really just kind of crumble before your very eyes, it’s been a process that’s been going on for some time, but this year’s been rough,” said the officer. “To see your friends and people you consider family leave, it’s hard and you sometimes question yourself. Is there a future for me here?”

He described Chief Carmen Best as a compassionate and respected leader who will not be easily replaced when she retires in September.

“I’ve worked with Carmen, she’s a great person, her heart’s in the right place,” he said. “It’s just a very significant loss and I don’t know how the city and the department is going to fill that void.”