>>> IT'S 9:30, FEBRUARY 13,
2024. I'M ROBERT KETTLE, CHAIR
OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
WILL THE COMMITTEE CLERK PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL?
>> COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH?
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCILMEMBER MOORE?
>> PRESENT. COUNCIL PRESIDENT
NELSON?
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCILMEMBER SAKA?
>> HERE.
>> CHAIR KETTLE?
>> HERE.
>> CHAIR, THERE ARE FIVE
MEMBERS PRESENT.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE DUE TO
A SCHEDULE ISSUE, THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD WILL BEGIN AFTER
AGENDA ITEM 1. IF THERE IS NO
OBJECTION, THE AGENDA WILL BE
ADOPTED. HEARING NO OBJECTION,
THE AGENDA IS ADOPTED. THANK
YOU FOR BEING HERE EVERYONE.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DAY. EACH
ONE OF US CAMPAIGNED WITH
PUBLIC SAFETY BEING THE NUMBER
ONE PRIORITY. TODAY THIS NEW
COUNCIL IS TAKING A FIRST STEP
TOWARDS A SAFER SEATTLE. I
COULD NOT ASK A BETTER GROUP OF
PEOPLE TO DO THIS WORK WITH. WE
KNOW THE CHALLENGE AHEAD OF US
IS GREAT. LAST YEAR SEATTLE HAD
THE MOST HOMICIDES ON RECORD.
WE WERE DOWN MORE THAN 300
OFFICERS SINCE 2020, AND
STRUGGLING TO MEET OUR
RECRUITING GOALS. WE KNOW WE
NEED TO DO STRONGER POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY IN PLACE, SO OUR
OFFICERS CAN DO THEIR JOBS WITH
THE FULL FAITH OF OUR
COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, I KNOW THIS
GROUP IS UP TO THE CHALLENGES.
WE CAN CREATE A FUTURE WHERE
FAMILIES FEEL SAFE, SENDING
THEIR CHILD TO SCHOOL ON THE
BUS. BUSINESSES CAN OPERATE
WITHOUT PAYING FOR PRIVATE
SECURITY, AND IN A TIMELY WAY,
SO THOSE SUFFERING CAN FIND A
WAY FOR CARE. WE CAN MAKE REAL
IMPACT. COUNCIL MEMBER SAKA,
YOU ARE THE VICE CHAIR OF THIS
COMMITTEE, BUT ALSO THE CHAIR
OF THE TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEE. WE KNOW THAT A LOT
OF PUBLIC SAFETY IS ABOUT
CREATING SAFE STREETS THROUGH
ADDRESSING TRAFFIC AND
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. AND WITH OUR
COMMUNITIES WORKING IN
COLLABORATION. COUNCILMEMBER
HOLLINGSWORTH, CHAIR OF OUR
PARKS COMMITTEE, YOU HAVE BEEN
AN OUTSPOKEN ADVOCATE FOR
SEATTLE'S YOUTH, AND WE BOTH
UNDERSTAND THERE ARE AFTER
SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT ARE KEY TO
INTERRUPTING CRIME AND VIOLENCE
BEFORE IT BEGINS. FURTHER OUR
COMMITTEES CAN WORK TOGETHER
FOR PARK SAFETY. CAN I ADHERE,
GREEN BELTS TOO. COUNCILMEMBER
MOORE, YOU ARE THE CHAIR OF THE
HOUSING AND HUMAN COMMITTEE.
AND TO ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY
AND PUBLIC HEALTH. SPECIFICALLY
HOMELESS EMERGENCY AND THE
FENTANYL EPIDEMIC. TO BE THE
VOICE FOR OUR BUSINESS
COMMUNITY. AND TO ADDRESS THE
IMPACTS C█RIMES HAVE HAD ON OUR
ECONOMY. AND ALSO GOVERNANCE
AND ACCOUNTABILITY IS SO
CENTRAL IN OUR EFFORTS. UNITED,
THIS TEAM IS READY TO BRING A
FRESH APPROACH TO ADDRESSING
PUBLIC SAFETY. ALREADY COUNCIL
MEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH AND I HAVE
TEAMED UP TO VISIT OUR POLICE
OFFICERS IN THE EAST PRECINCT
ROLL CALM COUNCILMEMBER SAKA, I
KNOW YOU JUST VISITED AND DID
THE SAME WITH THE SOUTHWEST
PRECINCT. THESE ARE JUST THE
FIRST OF MANY TIMES THIS
COMMITTEE WILL TAKE A DIFFERENT
APPROACH, ONE THAT WILL GET US
INTO OUR COMMUNITIES. WE ARE
JOINED BY THE CHIEFS OF THE
THREE PUBLIC SAFETY
DEPARTMENTS, SEATTLE POLICE
DIAZ, FIRE CHIEF, AND ACTING
CHIEF OF OUR NEW CARE
DEPARTMENT, AMY SMITH. WE WILL
NOW MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST ITEM
ON BUSINESS. WILL THE CLERK
PLEASE READ ITEM ONE INTO THE
RECORD.
>> COMMUNITY ASSISTED RESPONSE
AND ENGAGE WANT DEPARTMENT WITH
CHIEF AMY SMITH.
>> I'D LIKE TO EXTEND A WARM
WELCOME TO CHIEF SMITH, AND
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS
MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING. SO I AM AMY
SMITH. I AM ACTING CHIEF OF THE
SEATTLE CARE DEPARTMENT, WHICH
IS SEATTLE'S THIRD SAFETY
PUBLIC DEPARTMENT, AND IT IS A
PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU
TODAY. I ALREADY KNOW ALL OF
YOU AND YOU KNOW ME, AND THAT
IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE
FRONTLINES ALREADY OF FIRST
RESPONSE. THERE IS NO
SUBSTITUTE OF SHOWING UP.
BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY SPENT
TIME WITH YOU, I'M GOING TO
KEEP MY REMARKS FOCUSED ON A
FEW IDEAS, AND THEN I'LL BE
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS. SO THE FIRST TIME I
PRESENTED IN THIS ROOM, THE
VERY FIRST THING I SAID WAS TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, AND THE EXCELLENCE
THAT I OBSERVED. NOW WHATEVER I
FELT LAST SPRING WHEN I TALKED
ABOUT THAT HAS ONLY BEEN
MAGNIFIED IN THE MONTHS SINCE.
AROUND THE CLOCK, I AM OUT WITH
THESE FOLKS IN THE FIELD OR IN
911. I'M OBSERVING THEIR
RESPONSE. I JOKED THE DISPATCH
RADIO IS THE SOUND TRACK. I
WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE
EXPERIENCES OF OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS, AND I WANT TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS LIKE TO
BE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. I KNOW
YOU CANNOT DESIGN FOR WHAT YOU
DON'T UNDERSTAND. I FEEL LIKE
A MEMBER OF THESE TWO OTHER
DEPARTMENTS. WHEN YOU GO TO THE
INTERSECTIONS IN OUR CITY,
WHICH REPRESENT THE MOST
PROFOUND CRISIS. IF YOU HANG
OUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE, YOU ARE
LIKELY TO SEE ALL THREE TEAMS
REPRESENTED. THE FIRST POINT I
WANT TO MAKE IS WE NEED TO
APPROACH PUBLIC SAFETY AS ONE
TEAM. THE ONLY GOOD INVESTMENT
STRATEGY IS TO INVEST IN ALL
THREE DEPARTMENTS. THIS IS
CLEAR BY THE DATA. WE WILL RISE
AND WE WILL FALL TOGETHER. I
WANT YOU TO HOLD ON TO THAT
POINT THIS YEAR. I COMMEND
MAYOR HARRELL FOR CASTING A
REAL GRAND VISION FOR THE CARE
DEPARTMENT, WHICH REPRESENTS AN
ALIGNMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY,
INVESTMENTS IN THE CITY. THIS
WORK NEEDS TO BE SIMPLIFIED AND
IT NEEDS TO BE ORGANIZED.
DEPARTMENTAL SILOS ARE ALWAYS A
BAD IDEA, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO
PUBLIC SAFETY, IT IS A REAL BAD
IDEA, AND A HARMFUL THING TO
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE WORK.
I TALK A LOT ABOUT OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS, BUT I WANT TO TAKE
A MINUTE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
SECONDARY RESPONSE TEAMS, THE
INCREDIBLE OUTREACH TEAMS. THE
FOLKS THAT WE SEE AROUND THE
NEIGHBORHOODS. OUR SERVICE
PROVIDERS ARE ALSO A VITAL PART
OF THIS SYSTEM, SO WE HAVE TO
COORDINATE ALL OF OUR EFFORTS.
WE NEED TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER.
THIS MISSION LANGUAGE, I WOULD
DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE
REFERENCE TO BEING EVIDENCE
BASED. YOU KNOW, WE SAY DATA
DRIVEN IN THE CITY ALL THE
TIME, BUT I THINK GENERALLY
WHAT THAT SEEMS TO BE IS WE ARE
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, BUT ARE
THE NUMBERS INFORMING OUR
PRACTICE? ARE WE REITERATING OR
UPDATING OUR SYSTEM TO REFLECT
TREND DATA? AND IN 2013 IN KING
COUNTY, WE HAD SIX FENTANYL
INVOLVED DEATHS. IN 2020, WE
HAD 168. LAST YEAR WE HAD
NEARLY 1,100. WHEN I ARRIVED AT
911, I NATURALLY SAID IT'S THE
CITY'S PUBLIC DATA HUB. THE
PROFESSIONALS WHO MADE THIS
THEIR CAREER UNIQUELY
UNDERSTAND THE TRENDS OF PUBLIC
SAFETY, COMMUNITY CONCERNS, THE
PROFOUND LOOK ON WHAT IS THE
EMERGENCY. AND I CAN SEE WHERE
THE SYSTEM IS FAILING. I AM A
LOUD ADVOCATE FOR THE LOCAL AND
NATIONAL MOMENTS TO FULLY
ACKNOWLEDGE 911 PROFESSIONALS
AS FIRST RESPONDERS. THIS WORK
CAN BE CRUELING, DEVASTATING.
IT'S LARGELY THANKLESS. BUT IF
WE CAN GET IT RIGHT IN 911 AND
GET IT RIGHT AT THAT POINT OF
FIRST CONTACT, THINGS
DOWNSTREAM WILL GO BETTER. THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DISPATCH
DIFFERENT KINDS OF TEAMS TO 911
CALLS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT
STEP FORWARD IN FINANCIAL
EFFICIENCY AND OPERATIONAL
EFFICIENCY AND FLEXIBILITY AND
IN COMPASSION. AND IF I KNOW
WHAT YOU NEED, WHY CAN'T I
SEND WHAT YOU NEED? AS YOU'RE
AWARE, THE CARE CRISIS RESPONSE
TEAM LAUNCHED LAST FALL. THEY
ARE DOING GREAT WORK. THEY
FORGE STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH
THE OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS AND
WITH PROVIDERS. THEY ARE MOSTLY
DOWNTOWN IN THE CID. BUT OVER A
THIRD OF THE TIME, WE ARE
PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION FOR
SOMEONE, SO WE HAVE NOT BEEN
RIDGED ABOUT THE BOUNDARIES.
NOW NOTABLY WHEN I WAS
DESIGNING THE JOB, I INSISTED
THE CARE RESPONDERS BE
CLASSIFIED AND COMPENSATED WITH
OTHER FIRST RESPONDER TEAMS TO
LEVEL SET. SO THAT I COULD
ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT THIS WORK
REALLY IS AND ATTRACT GREAT
PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE PREPARED
TO DO IT AND WHO WILL STAY AND
BE GREAT AT IT. I RECENTLY
TESTIFIED IN OLYMPIA ON THE
IMPORTANCE OF EXTENDING
LIABILITY PROTECTIONS TO THESE
TYPES OF RESPONDERS. WE HAVE
JOINED IN AND BECOME LEADERS IN
A NATIONAL MOVEMENT THAT
EXPANDS THE NOTION OF WHO CAN
AND WHO SHOULD RESPOND TO
CALLS. I'M AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF
WASHINGTON'S CO-RESPONDER
OUTREACH ALLIANCE, AND STRONGLY
SUPPORT THE NEED FOR THE
COORDINATION AND
STANDARDIZATION ACROSS
WASHINGTON STATE. AS OF LAST
FRIDAY, THE RESPONDERS HAVE
HANDLED 262 CALLS. SOME OF THEM
ARE QUICK. SOME OF THEM REQUIRE
HOURS OF SERVICE. CONSIDER THE
SCARCITY OF OFFICERS, AND HOW
MANY HOURS HAVE ALREADY BEEN
GIVEN BACK TO POLICE TO ADDRESS
HIGHER ACUITY CALLS. MOST OF
THESE CALLS TAKE MORE THAN 30
MINUTES. MANY TAKE AN HOUR AND
SOME HAVE TAKEN THREE TO FOUR
HOURS. WE OPERATE IN THREE
TEAMS OF TWO. TEAMS SEE THE
SHIFTS IN THE FIELD AND ONE
FOUR-HOUR ADMINISTRATIVE SHIFT
EVERY WEEK, WHICH IS LARGELY
FOCUSED ON EVALUATION,
ANALYZING HOW WE'RE DOING,
LOOKING AT INVENTORY NEEDS,
FORECASTING WHAT WILL BE NEXT.
I'VE BEEN REALLY SPECIFIC THAT
WHEN THE CARE TEAM IS IN
BETWEEN CALLS, THEY ARE IN
COMMUNITY. THEY DO NOT SIT IN
AN OFFICE THERE OUT IN BETWEEN
CALLS. SO WE HAVE MANY GOALS
AND OBJECTIVES IN THE
DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR, BUT THESE
ARE THE FIVE PRIORITY AREAS,
WHICH WILL DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE
EFFICIENCY AND OUTCOMES WHEN
ACHIEVED. ON THE FIRST POINT,
WE HAVE TO TRAIN FOLKS ON THE
FRONT LINES TO BE ACTIVELY
ENGAGED IN TRANSFORMING THE
SYSTEM. WE HAVE TO FLAG SIGNS
OF TROUBLE, FLAG AREAS FOR
IMPROVEMENT, DEBATE. WE SHOULD
NEVER LEAVE A CONVERSATION
WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE
DECENT OPINION. THE WORK OF
RESPONDING TO HUMAN EMERGENCY
IS REALLY COMPLEX, AND IT IS
NUANCED. SO WE NEED THINKERS.
WE NEED CREATIVES IN THE WORK.
WE UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANT
PORTION OF THE BUDGET THAT WILL
GO TO PUBLIC SAFETY, SO WE ARE
WORKING TOGETHER TO ANALYZE
WHERE THERE IS DUPLICATION.
WHERE CAN WE SHARE RESOURCES?
WHERE CAN WE CENTRALIZE
FUNCTIONS? FOR EXAMPLE IF WE
ARE ALL DOING THE SAME TRAUMA
RESPONSE TRAINING, WHY NOT DO
IT TOGETHER? SO WE ARE WORKING
SWIFTLY TO ARTICULATE POLICY,
SO OUR TEAMMATES HAVE CLARITY
ABOUT WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM.
NOW THE LAST POINT I WANT TO
MAKE AND PROBABLY THE MOST
VITAL POINT IS FILL SOFT A.
PHILOSOPHICAL. AND I DON'T
BELIEVE IN PEOPLE PROBLEMS OR
ASSIGNING BLAME, BUT I BELIEVE
IN STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS AND
SYSTEM PROBLEMS. I ALWAYS
ASSUME THERE ARE REASONS FOR
THINGS, EVEN THE THINGS THAT
FEEL ILLOGICAL. SO DAILY IN
THIS WORK, I WONDER HOW WE FIND
OURSELVES SO WELL EQUIPPED TO
MEET BASIC NEEDS, WHICH WERE
PREDICTABLE, AND WHICH ARE
KNOWABLE. I REFERENCE THE
ESCALATING FENTANYL CRISIS
EARLIER. I CAN RENDER
REGRESSION MODEL AND PREDICT
WHAT THAT OVERDOSE COUNT WILL
BE A YEAR FROM NOW. THOSE 1,100
DEATHS DON'T JUST REPRESENT
THE LOSS OF INDIVIDUAL LIVES.
THAT REPRESENTS 1,100
DEVASTATED FAMILIES. THE 5,700
SPENT CASINGS THAT SEATTLE
POLICE RECOVERED LAST YEAR. IT
DOESN'T JUST TELL THE STORY OF
GUN VIOLENCE. IT REMINDS US
KIDS ARE GROWING UP TO THAT
SOUND TRACK. WHAT I'VE
REALIZED IS THAT I THINK WE
TEND TO BE IN SEARCH OF PERFECT
SOLUTIONS AND IN SEARCH OF A
PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAL, AND WE
WILL NOT FIND IT. I RECALL THE
TIME I WAS DOING THE POLICY
WORK IN KENTUCKY, AND I WAS
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW I
SHOULD FEEL ABOUT PUBLIC
CHARTER SCHOOLS, WHICH ARE
COMING ONLINE. I TALK TO ALL
THE PEOPLE ABOUT IT. FINALLY I
THINK ABOUT THE SMARTER PERSON
ON THE ISSUE. IT'S A MAN WHO
HAD BEEN A TEACHER AND A
PRINCIPAL IN KENTUCKY AND HE
GOT THE EDUCATION FROM HARVARD
AND HE BECAME A REAL THOUGHT
LEADER IN EDUCATION POLICY AT
EVERY LEVEL OF THE S. SO I
ASKED HIM WHERE HE STOOD ON
THIS ISSUE. I WILL ALWAYS
REMEMBER HOW HE RESPONDED. HE
SAID AMY, ANYONE WHO HAS A
STRONG OPINION ON THIS ISSUE
DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THIS ISSUE.
AND THEN HE WENT ON TO DESCRIBE
THAT SOME ARE WILDLY SUCCESSFUL
AND SOME ARE NOT. WE CANNOT
CORRELATE FACT THAT IT ENSURES
SUCCESS. I THINK ABOUT THIS ALL
THE TIME. THE CLOSER YOU GET TO
THESE ISSUES, THE MORE YOU
REALIZE TWO THINGS CAN BE TRUE.
AND WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT. IT
IS TRUE THAT SELF-DETERMINATION
IS A CRUCIAL FACTOR IN
RECOVERY, AND IT IS ALSO TRUE
THAT FENTANYL USE CAN RAVAGE
THE BRAIN AND REPRESENTS A
MEDICAL EMERGENCY. IT IS TRUE
THE COMMUNITY BASED TREATMENT
AND THE CONTEXT OF THE SUPPORT
OF THE ENVIRONMENT IS THOUGHT
TO BE IDEAL. IT IS ALSO TRUE
SOME FOLKS DO NOT HAVE THAT AND
NEED 24/7 SUPPORT TO BE
PROPERLY DIAGNOSED AND
SUPPORTED INTO RECOVERY. I WENT
THROUGH A LITTLE EXERCISE LAST
WEEK, REACHING OUT TO LEADERS.
GREAT THINKERS ON THE FRONT
LINES OF SERVICE IN THIS
COMMUNITY AND AT THE CITY
LEVEL, THE FIRST LEVEL,
COMMUNITY BASED PROVIDERS,
MEDICAL DOCTORS, CLINICIANS,
988, WE DELIVER CARE,
MID-AMBASSADORS COMMUNITY
LEADERS. I ASKED THEM
INDIVIDUALLY ONE QUESTION. WHAT
DO YOU WISH ELECTED OFFICIALS
REALLY UNDERSTOOD? AFTER
RESPONSE AFTER RESPONSE AFTER
RESPONSE CAME BACK. I'M OUT OF
ACADEMIA, BUT I LOVE
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH. IT WAS
REALLY INTERESTING. A COUPLE
THEMES EMERGED. AND I'M GOING
TO SHARE SOME OF THESE
HIGHLIGHTS. TO ADDRESS THE
DISORDER ON OUR STREETS, WE
NEED TO RECOGNIZE ITS
COMPLEXITY. MANY PATHWAYS LEAD
PEOPLE TO LIVE ON THE STREETS,
AND WE NEED JUST AS MANY ROUTES
TO PROVIDE AID TO THEM. FOR TOO
LONG WE HAVE SOUGHT TO SIMPLIFY
THE DIVERSE SET OF ISSUES AND
LABEL IT AS A RESULT OF A
SINGULAR CAUSE. SOLUTIONS NEED
TO BE AS DIVERSE AS THE ISSUES
THEMSELVES, A NUANCE TO
APPROACH IS REQUIRED FOR TRUE
EFFECTIVENESS. APPROACHING THE
UNHOUSED AND FENTANYL CRISIS
URGENTLY AND COMPASSIONATELY IS
SYNONYMOUS WITH ADDRESSING
PUBLIC SAFETY. WE NEED CREATIVE
AND FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE
INCLUSIVE FOR CLIENTS WHO NEED
THE MOST. WE NEED SUPPORT FROM
STAFF WHO ARE CONTINUING TO DO
THE GOOD WORK. I'M GOING TO
END WITH THIS ONE. WE ARE NOT
DISCUSSING THE RIGHT OR WRONG
WAY TO DO THINGS, BUT A
SPECTRUM OF CHOICES THAT HAVE
IMPLICATIONS ACROSS THE DIVERSE
CITY. CIVIL DISCOURSE WITH
OBJECTIVE REASONING MUST RETURN
WITH THE BEST FUTURE FOR
SEATTLE. AND SO WHAT I'VE
LEARNED IS WHEN YOU ARE OUTSIDE
OF CITY HALL IN GOVERNMENT
OFFICES, WHEN YOU'RE WITH
PROVIDERS AND SUBJECT MATTER,
THERE IS STRONG SUPPORT FOR ONE
ANOTHER AND STRONG CONSENSUS.
THAT'S WHAT MY OPTIMISM IS
ANCHORED IN. SMART, CAPABLE,
TIRELESS PEOPLE, TRYING TO MAKE
THINGS BETTER FOR THE
COMMUNITY. SO I FEEL LIKE MY
ROLE IS TO SUPPORT THAT EFFORT
TO DWELL WITH THEM ON THE
COMPLEXITY AND TO TRY TO DO THE
INTERVENTIONS OF WORK THAT HELP
PEOPLE. I THANK YOU FOR BEING
IN IT WITH ME. I'M LEARNING
ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF BEING
IN THE PUBLIC EYE, AND DOING
THIS DAY OVER DAY. I COMMEND
YOU. WITH THAT I'M HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU, CHIEF SMITH.
CHIEF DIAZ, IF YOU WOULD LIKE,
YOU CAN JOIN YOUR FELLOW
CHIEFS, SO THE THREE CHIEFS CAN
BE TOGETHER. JUST A FEW QUICK
QUESTIONS. FOR EVERYONE HERE,
CHIEF SMITH DOES NEED TO LEAVE
AT 9:55, SO JUST A FEW QUICK
QUESTIONS. I'LL START. AT THE
END YOU WOULD TALK ABOUT THE
EMPHASIS PROJECTS. CAN YOU ADD
MORE ON THAT? AND IS THERE
ANYTHING SPECIFIC REGARDING THE
OUTCOMES OR WHAT KIND OF
METRICS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR
THEM?
>> YES, THOSE PROJECTS, THEY
ARE ACTUALLY IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT
DEPARTMENTS SPECIFICALLY WITH
THE CRIME PREVENTION
COORDINATORS AT SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT. WE'VE RECENTLY
REQUESTED A FEW GRANTS FOR IT.
AND SO THIS IS A PLACE BASE ADD
STRATEGY THAT IS HOLISTIC.
THERE IS A PROJECT LIKE THIS IN
2012 THAT I BELIEVE AT RAINIER
BEACH THAT WOULD HAVE GOOD
RESULTS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT
ENVIRONMENT AND YOU HAVE THE
COMMUNITY. WHAT IS LACKING? AND
WHAT IS NEEDED ACTUALLY? AND
ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO DRIVE
THE DESIGN FORWARD. WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE HOTSPOTS IN 911,
WHICH I DO EVERY WEEK, THE TOP
TEN HOTSPOTS, THE MAJORITY ARE
ACTUALLY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
COMMUNITIES. WHAT'S INTERESTING
IS I CAN SEE WHEN THE CALLS ARE
GOING TO COME IN AND PREDICT
IT. WE'VE GOT SO MANY CRISIS
CALLS. LAST YEAR I DISPATCHED
POLICE 185 TIMES TO THAT
LOCATION. FIRE WOULD, YOU KNOW,
PERHAPS HAVE AT LEAST 50% MORE
CALLS AS WELL. AND OF THE
POLICE CALLS, 25% TURNED OUT TO
BE CRISIS CALLS, NOTHING ELSE.
WHEN YOU DRILL DOWN AND I ASKED
THESE TEAMS WHAT HAPPENED
ACTUALLY? BECAUSE THE CALL
TYPES ARE VAGUE. IF YOU SAY
WELFARE CHECKS, WHAT DOES THAT
MEAN? YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY LOOK
AT THE NARRATIVE AND WHAT
HAPPENED. WHAT'S HAPPENING IS
THAT WHEN CASE MANAGERS LEAVE,
CRISIS STARTS TO ESCALATE. MY
QUESTION WAS OKAY, IF WE ARE
GETTING CALLS AT 5:00 P.M., CAN
WE SEND THAT CARE TEAM OUT AT
4:00 P.M.? CAN THEY HELP TRAIN
THE STAFF TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE
IDENTIFYING? AND SO THAT IS AN
AREA OF SIGNIFICANT EMPHASIS
AND LITTLE SAIGON AS WELL. THE
SAME THING. WE NEED TO SUPPORT
THIS COMMUNITY AND BUILD IT UP
AND ACTUALLY FORM STRONG
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE,
SO WE COULD BETTER UNDERSTAND
THE EXPERIENCES OF BUSINESSES
AND THE EXPERIENCES OF
COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE WILL
CIRCULATE TO OTHER LOCATIONS.
>> AND THE BATTLE RHYTHM, WHICH
WILL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE,
WHERE WE HAVE THE NUMBER OF
RESPONSES AND SO FORTH. CAN YOU
SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT
MORE? WHEN ARE YOU SEEING
THESE? HOW MANY PER DAY?
WHAT'S THE KIND OF RHYTHM THAT
YOU'RE SEEING TO THAT POINT
AND ANTICIPATING, PRE-DEPLOYING
THAT SEEMS TO MAKE A LOT OF
SENSE.
>> IT'S INTERESTING TO WATCH
THEM COME IN AND RIGHT AWAY
BECAUSE THE TEAM GOT STOOD UP,
BRANDED, SENT OUT SO QUICKLY.
THERE WASN'T TIME TO DO A GOOD
AWARENESS CAMPAIGN OR ANYTHING
LIKE THAT. OTHER FIRST RESPONSE
TEAMS IDENTIFIED THAT BRIGHT
BLUE POLO QUICKLY. THE JOKE HAS
BEEN THE CARE TEAM, WE NEED
YOU. WE DON'T COME ONLINE
UNTIL 11:00. WE STAY IN THE
FIELD UNTIL 2,200. I KNOW MORE
CRISIS CALLS ARE COMING IN AS
THE EVENING GROWS LATER, AND
THE OTHER PEOPLE TEND TO BE
OFFLINE. AND I WOULD LIKE TO
GET LATER, BECAUSE THERE IS
INCREDIBLE PRESSURE ON POLICE
FROM 11:00 P.M. UNTIL 2:00
A.M., SO I WOULD LIKE FOLKS TO
BE OUT TO COVER THE CRISIS
CALLS DURING THAT TIME. AND THE
DATA IS PRETTY CONSISTENT. I
CHECK IT EVERY WEEK. THE FOOD
TO SERVICES TO THE HARBOR VIEW.
SO I AM TRYING TO ORGANIZE IF
WE HAVE ENOUGH WHEELCHAIR LIFTS
OR WHAT TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION
WE COULD PROVIDE. BUT REALLY
WHEN YOU WOULD LOOK FOR THE
CALL, THEY ARE ALSO DIFFERENT.
AND ABOUT THE COMPLEXITY AND
THE NUANCE FOR DIFFERENT
THINGS.
>> I CAN ASK QUESTIONS ALL DAY.
ANY QUESTIONS?
>> YES. GO AHEAD.
>> SO I WAS GOING TO ASK TO
WHAT EXTENT DO YOU KNOW CUST
YOUR LAST COMMENTS EXCLUSIVELY
ON OUR DRUG CRISIS IN THE
IMPACTS OF THAT, AND I'M REALLY
LOOKING FORWARD TO
UNDERSTANDING MORE HOW YOU
PERSONALLY IN YOUR TEAM IS
INTERACTING WITH OTHER
AGENCIES, TO BEGIN CONTINUING
ON THAT. BUT I WAS STRUCK BY
WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT WHAT
YOU'RE LEARNING AROUND
PATTERNS. YOU MENTIONED THE
TEAM WHEN THE CASE MANAGER
LEAVES. IT'S OUR
RESPONSIBILITY AS THE
CONTRACTORS OF THESE PROVIDERS
TO ENSURE AT LEAST IN PERMANENT
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING THAT THERE
ARE THESE SUPPORTS NECESSARY.
AROUND THE CLOCK, SO THAT YOU
DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT. AND I
AM NOW JUST SEEING YOUR WORK
WILL HELP US ACROSS THE WORK.
MY WORK IN ACCOUNTABILITY, I
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
YOU FURTHER.
>> I THINK IT IS SO HEALTHY AND
USEFUL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS
ONE CONVERSATION. I WAS GLAD TO
SEE COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE ON
THIS COMMITTEE AS WELL. BECAUSE
AGAIN HOUSING, YOU REALLY
CAN'T SEE ANY ASPECT OF THIS
CONVERSATION, AND I THINK
THAT'S WHAT HAS PRECLUDED OUR
PROGRESS SOMETIMES. WE'RE NOT
LOOKING HOLISTICALLY AT WHAT'S
HAPPENING AND THE PLACE BASED
STRATEGY. WE DO BEST IF WE HAVE
A POINT OF CONTRAST WHO IS
HELPING US.
>> AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT TWO
MINUTES BEFORE CHIEF SMITH --
>> THERE IS NOT A TRAPPED DOOR.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> THANK YOU, CHIEF SMITH. WHAT
BARRIERS ARE YOU SEEING AFTER
YOU GO IN AND TRIAGE THE
SITUATION AND TRY TO CONNECT
PEOPLE TO RESOURCES? IS THERE A
GAP THAT YOU'RE SEEING THAT
HEY, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO FIND
RESOURCES ON THIS TYPE OF
SITUATIONS OR, YOU KNOW, THE
RESOURCE GAP.
>> WE ALL TALK ABOUT THIS.
THERE IS NO PLACE TO TAKE
PEOPLE AND IF I STARTED THIS
ROLE, I LEARNED FROM THE THINK
TANKS TO SAY I NEED A PLACE TO
TAKE PEOPLE OTHER THAN THE
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND JAIL.
AND THEN THE MORE I SPENT IN
THE SYSTEM. I REALIZED I DON'T
HAVE PLACES EITHER. AND THAT I
WAS AT THE BELLTOWN LOCATION. I
NOTICED THAT SOMEONE STANDING
BY THE DOOR. I WONDER IF THERE
IS A SECURITY CONCERNED AND
ASKED, NO, IT'S JUST CROWD
CONTROL. IT'S A VERY SMALL
SPACE. PEOPLE WILL COME TO THE
MARKHAM DURING THE DAY BECAUSE
THEY DON'T HAVE A BATHROOM OR
THEY NEED TO GET WARM. THE
PEOPLE THERE FOR THE SERVICES.
AND SO THAT URGENT
CRITICAL NEED. WE TALK A LOT
ABOUT SHELTER BEDS, BUT
SOMETIMES IT IS MORE SIMPLE
THAN THAT. WHERE CAN THIS
PERSON GET WARM?
>> THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBER MOORE WAS
FIRST.
>> THANKS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH
CHIEF SMITH. THIS PRESENTATION
WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. I'M
LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
YOU ON THIS COMMITTEE AND ALSO
THROUGH THE HUMAN SERVICES
COMMITTEE. I WAS LOOKING AT
YOUR DEPARTMENT GOALS AND THE
SECOND ONE IS TO IMPROVE 911
STAFFING, RECRUITMENT, AND
RETENTION. CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT. CAN YOU GIVE US SORT
OF A HIGH VIEW ABOUT HOW YOU
WOULD GO ABOUT DOING THAT AND
WHAT SORT OF STAFFING NUMBERS
YOU WERE LOOKING AT
PARTICULARLY WITH THE ABILITY
TO EXPAND WHAT THEY PROVIDED
YOU?
>> YEAH, GOOD QUESTION. SO
CHARLOTTE JOSEPH IS THE DEPUTY
CHIEF WHO HAS OWNERSHIP OF THIS
GOAL, AND WE'VE GOT STRATEGIES
AND METRICS INVOLVED WITH IT.
BUT THE WAY I THINK ABOUT IT,
WE NEED TO SEE WHO COULD BE
ATTRACTED TO THE WORK AND
REFRAIN IT, RIGHT? THE DAYS ARE
OVER WHEN THEY WOULD RETIRE
WITH A PENSION. THAT'S NOT A
THING ANYMORE. WE NEED TO LET
GO OF IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK AS
AN INDUSTRY, WE NEED TO LET GO
OF IT. ONE OF THE THOUGHTS I
HAVE BECAUSE I'M FASCINATED BY
911. IT ATTRACTS PEOPLE LIKE
ME. IT'S A DATA HUB AND A
SPACE DESPERATELY IN NEED OF
INNOVATION AND A PLACE WHERE
TECHNOLOGY SHOULD LIVE AND
DEVELOP. I THINK IT IS A GREAT
WAY INTO PUBLIC SAFETY OR INTO
GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU
ARE NOT QUITE SURE WHERE YOU
FIT, BUT YOU LIKE PUBLIC
SERVICE OR DATA AND COME JOIN
US AND WORK THREE TO FIVE
YEARS, COME UP AFTER FIVE
YEARS, YOU COULD BE A MANAGER
OR GO WORK FOR ONE OF OUR
CLIENTS. THERE ARE DIFFERENT
WAYS TO FRAME THIS AND I AM SO
PLEASED THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING
AND THE MAYOR CAME THE FIRST
TIME AND THEN HE WOULD LISTEN
TO CALLS AND I WASN'T SURE
WHAT HIS OBJECTIVE WAS AS HE
WOULD SAY WHEN IS IT REALLY
BUSY? I SAID SATURDAY NIGHTS.
DEPUTY MAYOR BURGESS WAS THERE
TOO. NO PHOTO OP, JUST TRYING
TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE SYSTEM
WAS WORKING. THAT MEANS THE
WORLD TO PEOPLE. THIS HAS BEEN
INVISIBLE WORK AND IT IS HARD.
THERE ARE DAYS WHERE I'M
ADJACENT TO IT. I'M NOT IN IT,
AND I'M FIGHTING BACK TEARS AT
THE END OF THE DAY BECAUSE YOU
REALLY DO GET SUCH A SNAPSHOT
OF THE PAIN. SO THEN WE COMFORT
OURSELVES IN THE HEROISM THAT
WE GET TO SEE IN THE COMMUNITY
AS WELL.
>> YOU HAVE THE LAST QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND
CHIEF SMITH. I HAVE ONE
QUESTION THAT IS ASKED, SO THIS
IS JUST A COMMENT AND THANK YOU
FOR THIS INSIGHTFUL
PRESENTATION AND THE WORK THAT
YOU ALL DO EVERY SINGLE DAY AND
OUR COMMUNITY IS BETTER SERVED
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO
WORKING WITH YOU, THE THREE
CHIEFS HERE. MY FELLOW COUNCIL
MEMBER COLLEAGUES TO HELP GROW
AND SCALE YOUR ORGANIZATION TO
MAKE SURE WE MEET THE NEED. BUT
JUST THE COMMENT ON SOMETHING,
SOME OF THE THINGS YOU LAST
SAID THAT RESONATED WITH ME,
SOMEONE THAT IS A TRUE SUBJECT
MATTER EXPERT. SOMETIMES WE GET
BOGGED DOWN IN THE ENDLESS
PURSUITS. AND WHICH
UNFORTUNATELY DON'T ALWAYS
EXIST. WE KEEP GETTING BOGGED
DOWN ON THE REQUEST FOR WHAT WE
ARE WILLING TO FIND THEM.
PROBABLY AROUND THE SAME TIME
THAT WE ARE LIKELY TO FIND YETI
AND THE ABDOMINAL SNOWMAN. AND
THE LOCH NESS MONSTER. BUT I
WANT YOU TO KNOW AND THE PUBLIC
TO UNDERSTAND I AM PERSONALLY
COMMITTED TO GROWTH. AND TO
MAKING REAL PROGRESS ON THESE
CHALLENGES, SHARED CHALLENGES,
AND I'M PERSONALLY COMMITTED
TO RESULTS. THANK YOU FOR ALL
YOU DO AND REALLY LOOKING
FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU, CHIEF SMITH. AND
THANK YOU FOR CREATING A
LEARNING ORGANIZATION. I
APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU AND
TAKE CARE. OKAY, MR. CLERK ARE
WE SET? COLLEAGUES AT THIS
TIME, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD THAT SHOULD
RELATE TO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
CLERK, HOW MANY SPEAKERS ARE
SIGNED UP TODAY?
>> WE HAVE ONE REMOTE SPEAKER
AND TWO IN PERSON.
>> OKAY, IN THAT CASE, WE WILL
DO THE TWO MINUTES FIRST,
PLEASE.
>> THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
WILL BE MODERATED IN THE
FOLLOWING MANNER. I WILL CALL
ON EACH SPEAKER BY NAME AND THE
ORDER IN WHICH THEY REGISTER ON
THE SIGN-UP SHEET IN THE
CHAMBERS. YOU CAN SIGN UP
BEFORE THE END OF THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD BY GOING TO THE
WEBSITE OR BY SIGNING UP ON THE
COMMENT SHEET BY THE SIGN UP
SHEET NEAR THE MICROPHONE. AS A
REMINDER, PUBLIC COMMENT SHOULD
RELATE TO AN ITEM ON TODAY'S
AGENDA OR WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF
THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
SPEAKERS WILL HEAR THE CHIME OF
ALLOTTED TIME. ONCE YOU HEAR
THE CHIME THAT WE ASK THAT YOU
PLEASE BEGIN TO WRAP UP YOUR
PUBLIC COMMENT. IF SPEAKERS DO
NOT END UP AT THE END OF THE
ALLOTTED TIME, THE SPEAKER'S
MICROPHONE WILL BE ALLOTTED TO
THE SPEAKER. AND WE WILL NOW
BEGIN WITH THE FIRST SPEAKER ON
THE LIST. THE FIRST ONE TO
SPEAK. I WANTED TO ECHO THE
COMMENTS, THE COUNCIL MEMBER
KETTLE SAID. WE LOOK FORWARD TO
WORKING WITH FEW COUNCIL AND ON
THIS ISSUE. WE WOULD LIKE TO
CONTINUE OUR WORKING
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE AND THE TWO CHIEFS THAT
WE WORKED WITH. BUT THERE IS A
TICKING TIME BOMB HERE. IT'S
BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE THE
MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED BY
CRIMINALS, DRUG DEALINGS, ALL
THOSE THINGS, AND THEY ARE
TIRED OF HAVING POLICE NOT
RESPOND TO CALLS, AND KIDS
GOING INTO THOSE RVs. THEY ARE
SICK AS THEY SOMETIMES SHOW UP
AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T, BUT
NO ONE EVER SEEMS TO GET
ARRESTED. AND CAMPGROUNDS WHERE
THERE ARE THEMES IN THEM AND
THERE IS A TICKING CLOCK GOING
ON. SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES, I
WON'T SAY ALL, AND THAT IF
THEY DON'T SEE A CHANGE THIS
YEAR, SOME OF THEM WILL. ONCE
THEY START, OTHER PEOPLE WILL
ALSO. THEY HAVE HOLES IN OUR
INDUSTRIAL AREA, NOT FROM THE
CRIME ISSUE, BUT BEFORE. AND AS
THEY MULTIPLY, YOU CAN SEE IN
THE RETAIL AREAS, WHICH I'M
NOT SPEAKING FOR NEAR THOSE
HOLES. THE SITUATION HAS
BOTTOMED AT A HORRIBLE LEVEL OF
CRIME. I'M TELLING YOU WHAT
YOU HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
THERE IS A CLOCK GOING. WE WILL
ASSUME BUSINESSES WILL BE
LEAVING, SO THAT'S MY MESSAGE
FOR TODAY. INSPIRE ARCHEST'
GOOD ATTENTIONS. WE NEED GOOD
RESULTS SOON. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE
JOHN CHENEY.
>> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS
JOHN CHENEY, AND I HAVE BEEN, I
AM JUST A SMALL OLD GAY MAN. I
HAVE BEEN IN THIS CITY FOR FIVE
DECADES, AND I HAVE BEEN
DANCING WITH MY FRIENDS,
MEETING MY FRIENDS IN SAFE
SPACES FOR ME. WHICH STARTED AT
SHELLY'S LEG AND GOES ALL THE
WAY TO THE COFFIN AND THE
EAGLE. SO I'M HERE TO TALK
ABOUT THE INTERACTION OF THE
PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, THE USE OF
RESOURCES. I'M VERY CONCERNED
ON YOUR WATCH. THEY WERE ON
JANUARY 26. THERE WAS A STRONG
PERCEPTION IN MY COMMUNITY,
THAT THERE WAS A RAID ON PLACES
THAT ARE SAFE FOR MY COMMUNITY.
AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF
RESPONSE ABOUT IT. I'VE BEEN
VERY PLEASED WITH WHERE THE
CITY HAS BEEN DISCUSSING THIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, MY OLD DAYS.
DEPUTY MAYOR BURGESS INDICATED
TO ME THAT THE INCLUSION OF THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN
THE JET JOINT ENFORCEMENT TEAM
WAS REALLY TO JUST STAND BY AND
PROVIDE SECURITY. WELL, I THINK
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS
IN PLACES THAT THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO PRIDE
SECURITY OTHER THAN GOING TO
LOOK FOR LEWD CONDUCT IN SAFE
PLACES FOR ME. THE MAYOR HAS
INDICATED AND DEPUTY MAYOR
BURGESS HAS INDICATED TO ME
THAT THE JET WILL BE REVIEWED.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A
PUBLIC, TRANSPARENT DISCUSSION
OF WHAT THIS USE OF CITY
RESOURCES IS AND THE OUTCOME
FROM IT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> NEXT, WE'RE MOVING TO
REMOTE SPEAKERS. REMOTE
SPEAKERS, PLEASE REMEMBER TO
PRESS STAR SIX AFTER YOU HEAR
THE PROMPT OF YOU HAVE BEEN
UNMUTED.
>> HI, MY NAME IS DAVID HAINES.
WE ONLY LEGALIZED PROPER GROWN
MARIJUANA, YET PREVIOUS COUNCIL
AND MAYORS ACTED LIKE WE
LEGALIZED CRACKNESS. AND UNDER
3.5 GRIMES. CALLING THEM
NON-VIOLENT MISDEMEANORS.
IMPLODING SOCIETY. AND HIRING
THE POLICE CHIEF WHO BROKE UP
EVERY CRIME FIGHTING UNIT AT
THE INTERIM CHIEF AND
PRIORITIZE OVERTIME AT
LAW-ABIDING EVENTS WHILE GOING
AROUND POLITICKING A BLAME GAME
ON INNOCENT HOMELESS, CREATING
A WAR ON THE POOR, MISLEADING
THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY,
CREATING AN EASIER PAYDAY FOR
COPS, WHILE SHIFTING THE
PARADIGM OF POLICING AWAY FROM
COMBATING THE SCOURGE OF
ILLICIT DRUGS, RUINING THE
PURSUITS OF HAPPINESS FOR THE
COMMUNITY AT LARGE TO A WAR ON
THE HOMELESS. WE NEED CITY AND
METRO POLICE TO BEGIN TRUST
TESTING DRUG ADDICTS,
QUESTIONING THEM TO FIND OUT
WHERE THEY KEEP GETTING THE
DRUGS TO SHUT THEM DOWN.
INSTEAD WE HAVE A SABOTAGED
RESPONSE WHERE REPEAT OFFENDERS
ARE RUNNING INTERFERENCE FOR
IT, GETTING FIRST PRIORITY ON
HOUSING AND SERVICES, COURTESY
LEESA DUGARD OF JUST CARE,
WHILE INNOCENT HOMELESS ARE
FORSAKEN, DISCRIMINATED, HATED,
VICTIMIZED. THE PRESENT POLICE
CHIEF IS ON RECORD OF SAYING
HE'S MAKING IT UP TO THE BLACK
AND BROWN COMMUNITY FOR PAST
WRONGS, RESULTING IN NOT POLICE
THE COMMUNITY PROPERLY.
ALLOWING CRIMINALS TO TERRORIZE
THE COMMUNITY. WE NEED A NEW
TRUSTWORTHY POLICE CHIEF WHO
DOESN'T RUN INTERFERENCE FOR
CRIMINALS WHILE CREATING A RACE
WAR THAT WILL ALLOW THE
SHIFTING OF THE POLICE REFORM
AND SYMPATHY FOR THE BOTTOM OF
THE BARREL POLICIES. THANK YOU.
>> THAT IS ALL OF OUR PUBLIC
COMMENTERS.
>> THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE
ON TO THE THE SECOND ITEM OF
BUSINESS. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE
READ ITEM TWO INTO THE RECORD.
>> PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
APPROACH BRIEFING AND REMARKS.
BY CHAIR KETTLE.
>> THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR
COMING. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR
THE CHIEFS AND YOUR TEAMS FOR
APPEARING TODAY. REALLY
APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. TO
START OFF FOR OUR COMMITTEE,
THE MISSION OF THE PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMISSION IS TO PROVIDE
A SAFE BASE FOR SEATTLE AND
THROUGH POLICY DIRECTION AND
OVERSIGHT. WE ENVISION A FUTURE
WHERE FAMILIES FEEL SAFE,
SENDING THEIR KID ON THE BUS TO
SCHOOL. BUSINESSES CAN OPERATE
WITHOUT PAYING FOR PRIVATE
SECURITY AND THE CITY CAN
RESPOND IN A TIMELY AND
APPROPRIATE MATTER TO PEOPLE
EXPERIENCING ACUTE CRISISES.
OUR PRIMARY MISSION AREA ARE
CRIME AND SECURITY, FIRE AND
RESCUE, AND ALTERNATIVE
RESPONSE IN EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS. OUR COMMITTEE'S
SECONDARY MISSION AREAS ARE
TRAFFIC SAFETY AND PEDESTRIAN
SAFETY. AGAIN, WITH BIKE SAFETY
AND IN COLLABORATION WITH THE
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, PARK
SAFETY AND TECHNOLOGY, AND
COLLABORATION WITH THE PARKS
UTILITY AND THE TECHNOLOGY
COMMITTEE AND YOUTH AND YOUNG
ADULT VIOLENCE. AND ENFORCEMENT
WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE. AND CARRY OUT THE
OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES. AND
THE CORE FUNCTIONS OF THE
COMMITTEE HAS SEEN ALSO WITH
THE CPC, THE COMMUNITY POLICE
COMMISSION. AND THE INSPECTOR
GENERALS. THEY WILL BE DONE
WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY. IN THE END, THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND
THE CARE DEPARTMENT, THE OFFICE
OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND
ALONG WITH THE COMMUNITY POLICE
COMMISSION, THE OFFICE OF
POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE
OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL. IN ADDITION WE HAVE
THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND
THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL COURT
UNDER THE JURISDICTION. AND YOU
KNOW, WHAT'S WRONG TO NOTE IN
THE AREA OF PUBLIC SAFETY, WE,
AS A CITY, MUST ACKNOWLEDGE AND
AFFIRM THE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT
RACES AND SOCIAL ECONOMIC
BACKGROUNDS EXPERIENCE PUBLIC
SAFETY VERY DIFFERENTLY. AND
THESE EXPERIENCES, SOMETIMES
TRAUMATIC. THEY NEED TO BE
HEARD AND BE CENTRAL IN
DISCUSSING TODAY'S APPROACH TO
PUBLIC SAFETY. PUBLIC SAFETY
DOES NOT EXIST IN THE VACUUM.
SO MANY FACTORS IMPACT OUR
PUBLIC SAFETY. FOR EXAMPLE, WE
CANNOT SUCCEED IN PUBLIC SAFETY
IF WE DO NOT ALSO SUCCEED IN
PUBLIC HEALTH. PUBLIC SAFETY
AND PUBLIC HEALTH ARE INDEED
TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN. WE
MUST BUILD ON THE NEW CARE
DEPARTMENT. ELEMENTS OF POLICE
AND FIRE AND ALONG WITH THE
HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO
ADDRESS THESE CO-OCCURRING
ISSUES. WE MUST BETTER TACKLE
OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND THOSE
SUFFICIENTING FROM THE
CHALLENGES ARE IMPACTING AND
BEING IMPACTED BY WHAT WE ARE
SEEING IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
SPECIFICALLY TO THE COMPLEX
ISSUES AROUND CRIME, WE
APPROACH PUBLIC SAFETY WITH
COMPASSION AND WISDOM. YES,
COMPASSION WITH EMPATHY. BUT
ALSO WISDOM, KNOWING THAT WE
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE
BROADER COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO
CREATE A CITY THAT WILL OPERATE
BETTER FOR THE HOLE WITHIN THE
SOCIAL CONTRACT THAT WILL MAKE
UP OUR LAWS, AND WE WANT TO BE
SURE TO RECOGNIZE EVERYONE'S
HUMANITY. WE HAVE ALLOWED A
PERMISSIVE ENVIRONMENT TO TAKE
ROUTE IN OUR CITY, AND ALSO THE
RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE AND THE
LAWLESSNESS THAT WE HAVE OFTEN
SEEN IN OUR CITY. THE IMPACT OF
THE ENVIRONMENT HAS HARMED
COMMUNITIES ACROSS SEATTLE. OUR
MANDATE IS PUBLIC SAFETY. TO
ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY
CHALLENGES AND IMPROVE OUR
PUBLIC SAFETY POSTURE. THE
PERMISSIVE ENVIRONMENT IS
UNDERLINING THE FACTOR BEHIND
CRIME AND REFLECTING THE
INABILITY TO ADDRESS OUR
PRESSING PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS.
THERE ARE SIX PILLARS THAT WE
WILL PRIORITIZE IN ADDRESSING
THE PERMISSIVE ENVIRONMENT. WE
RECOGNIZE THE NUMBER OF THESE
PILLARS DO NOT SQUARELY FIT
WITHIN THE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMUNITY, BUT ARE A PART OF
THE HOLISTIC VIEW OF PUBLIC
SAFETY AND THE PERMISSIVE
ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL ALLOW
CRIME TO FLOURISH. OUR
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK IS CREATED
WITH INTENTION TO SEEKING TO
RESTRICT THAT ENVIRONMENT. AS
CHIEF SMITH NOTED, NOT GO FOR
THE PERFECT, BUT TO GET WHAT
HAD IS ACCOMPLISHED. IT FOCUSES
ON THE SPD STAFFING FIRST AND
FOREMOST, LEGAL TOOLS,
ORDINANCES AND THE LIKES. THIRD
PILLAR IS UNSECURED VACANT
BUILDINGS AND LOTS. FOURTH IS
GRAFFITI. FIFTH IS PUBLIC
HEALTH AS MENTIONED ITS
IMPORTANT TO PUBLIC SAFETY. AND
THIS FRAME WORK WILL BE THE
BASIS ALONG WITH REVIEWING THE
NINE DEPARTMENTS OFFICE AND
COMMISSION AHEAD OF THE BUDGET
PROCESS. TO CLOSE, OUR APPROACH
WILL START WITH THE THREE Cs,
COMMUNICATION, COORDINATION,
AND COLLABORATION. IT'S
ESSENTIAL FOR OUR COMMITTEE TO
COMMUNICATE WELL WITH OUR
CONSTITUENTS, OUR STAKEHOLDERS,
OTHER COMMITTEES, AS
REPRESENTED HERE. AND TO
ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL OF CREATING
THAT SAFE BASE FOR OUR FAMILY,
OUR BUSINESSES, OUR ARTS AND
CULTURE, AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
YES, THAT SAFE BASE FOR OUR
CITY. HOWEVER, I'M GOING TO
TAKE THE CITY WIDE ALL HANDS ON
DECK EFFORT IN ORDER TO
DISMANTLE THE EFFORTS THAT
THREATENS TO BE PERENNIAL AND
UNDERMINING TO SEATTLE'S NEXT
GENERATION. FROM THE NON-PROFIT
SERVICE PROVIDER TO THE
COMMUNITY GROUPS, OUR CITY
COUNCIL TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
COMMUNITY COUNCIL. OUR PUBLIC
SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, INDEED TO
EACH OF US INDIVIDUALLY. WE ALL
HAVE A JOB TO DO TO CREATE A
BETTER, SAFER, HEALTHIER
SEATTLE. YES, A VIBRANT
THRIVING SEATTLE. THANK YOU.
NOW I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER
TO OUR VICE CHAIR FOR ANY
COMMENTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
>> I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO SPEAK AND I APPRECIATE ALL
YOUR COMMENTS. I JUST WANT TO
USE THIS MOMENT TO UNDERLINE A
FEW POINTS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
I'M JUST A DAD FROM DELRIDGE,
AND YOU KNOW, I SAW SOME REAL
CHALLENGES IN MY COMMUNITY IN
WEST SEATTLE AND RELATED TO
PUBLIC SAFETY. THAT'S WHY I'M
PRIVILEGED TO SERVE ALONGSIDE
YOU ALL FOR THE PUBLIC. PUBLIC
SAFETY IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO
ME PERSONALLY. I THINK WE NEED
TO USE OUR TIME IN THIS
COMMITTEE TO HEAL. THE
COMMUNITY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH
PUBLIC SAFETY AND TO CREATE A
VENUE FOR DIALOGUE ABOUT WHAT
PUBLIC SAFETY MEANS AT THIS
TIME AND IN THIS PLACE. FOR ME,
FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK ABOUT
PUBLIC SAFETY HOLISTICALLY.
PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND
ENFORCEMENT. MAKE NO MISTAKE.
TODAY ENFORCEMENT AND POLICING
STILL PLAYS A ROLE IN OUR
BROADER PUBLIC SAFETY
CHALLENGES IN ADDRESSING
MEANINGFULLY OUR BROADER PUBLIC
SAFETY CHALLENGES. BY ALSO
BELIEVE THAT HEALING WILL HELP
FOSTER A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR
POLICE OFFICERS AND
FIREFIGHTERS, AND THEY WILL
HELP US RETAIN OUR CURRENT
OFFICERS, HELPING US BRING THE
STAFFING BACK TO FULL STAFFING
AND THOSE LEVELS. WHY? SO WE
ALL HAVE BETTER RESPONSE TIMES.
WE NEED TO BUILD TRUST BETWEEN
OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT
AND COMMUNITY THROUGH
MEANINGFUL ACCOUNTABILITY THAT
CREATES LEARNING RATHER THAN
PUNISHES FOR THE SAKE OF PUN
BISHMENT. I HAVE VERY HIGH
STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONALISM
AND EXCELLENCE FOR OUR PUBLIC
SAFETY OFFICIALS. AND I INTEND
TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO HOLD
PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE AND
ORGANIZATIONS ACCOUNTABLE FOR
RESULTS. I AM LOOKING FORWARD
TO EXPANDING OUR CARE
DEPARTMENT. TO BUILD ON OUR
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OR BEHAVIORAL
CRISIS CAPABILITIES, AND
WATCHING OUR COMMUNITY GROW AND
STRENGTHEN OUR NON-SWORN
RESPONSE CAPABILITIES AS WELL.
I'M ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO
WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE
MUNICIPAL COURT TO REINFORCE
THE FIBERS THAT HOLD OUR
JUSTICE SYSTEM TOGETHER. WE CAN
ONLY DO SO MUCH. WORKING
COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH, YOU CAN ONLY
DO SO MUCH. IT'S GOING TO TAKE
ALL OF US INCLUDING THE CITY
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE
MUNICIPAL COURTS, TO MAKE SURE
WE HAVE THE BEST PUBLIC SAFETY
SYSTEM THAT IS COORDINATED,
ALIGNED, AND INFORMED. BUT I
ALSO WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW
THAT I, AND I THINK WE ALL ARE
COMMITTED TO DOING THE WORK TO
MAKE SURE EVERYONE IN SEATTLE
FEELS NOT ONLY PROTECTED, BUT
RESPECTED. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR SAKA.
ALL RIGHT, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON
TO OUR THIRD ITEM OF BUSINESS.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ ITEM
3 INTO THE RECORD.
>> SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION WITH
CHIEF ADRIAN DIAZ AND DEPUTY
MAYOR BURGESS.
>> THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS
MORNING. I UNDERSTAND DEPUTY
MAYOR BURGESS WOULD LIKE TO
BEGIN WITH AN INTRODUCTION?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR KETTLE,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
ALLOWING US TO APPEAR AT YOUR
FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU
FOR BEING ON ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT COMMITTEES. CHIEF
SMITH WAS WITH YOU EARLIER
TODAY. BUT I'M VERY PROUD TO
BE HERE WITH CHIEF DIAZ AND
CHIEF SCOGGINS. MAYOR
HARRELL'S VISION FOR PUBLIC
SAFETY. EVERY PERSON WILL BE
SAFE IN OUR CITY. HE ALSO WANTS
OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES TO
BE DELIVERED WITH THE HIGHEST
STANDARD AND FOR EVEN TO BE
TREATED FAIRLY AND
RESPECTFULLY. SO EACH OF THE
THREE CHIEFS ARE COMMITTED AS
WELL. I BELIEVE CHIEF DIAZ WILL
BE NEXT.
>> THANK YOU, CHIEF DIAZ. AND
WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR QUESTIONS
AT THE END OR IN DIFFERENT
POINTS?
>> OKAY, PERFECT. THANK YOU
CITY COUNCIL. COUNCIL PRESIDENT
FOR TACKLING SOME TOUGH ISSUES.
THIS YEAR HAS STARTED OFF. I'VE
HAD INTERACTIONS WITH SEVERAL
DURING THIS TIME. WE'VE HAD AN
UNFORTUNATE YOUNG MAN THAT WAS
KILLED IN WEST SEATTLE. WE'VE
HAD SOME CHALLENGES UP ON THE
I-5 CORRIDOR. YOU KNOW, A
VARIETY OF OTHER DIFFERENT
CRIME ISSUES THAT HAVE OCCURRED
THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SEATTLE.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMITMENT TO ADDRESSING PUBLIC
SAFETY AS DEPUTY MAYOR
MENTIONED. WE ARE COMMITTED,
YOU KNOW, FOR US, IT'S THE
PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE. WE ARE
COMMITTED TO SERVICE AND
HELPING OTHERS AND HELPING
THOSE IN NEED. AND WE WANT TO
DO IT IN A COMPASSION AND
EMPATHETIC APPROACH. AND THAT
IS WHAT EVERY SINGLE DAY OUR
OFFICERS ARE TRYING TO DO TO
MAKING SURE OUR PEOPLE FEEL
VALUED, RESPECTED IN THE
COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE
FOR ME THAT WE VALUE AND
RESPECT THE OFFICES THAT GO OUT
AND DO THE HARD WORK EVERY
SINGLE DAY. WE'LL START OFF
WITH OUR YEAR-END REVIEW. AND
THIS LAST YEAR, WE ACTUALLY SAW
A 9% REDUCTION IN OVERALL
CRIME. BUT I'M VERY CAUTIOUS
WITH THOSE DETAILS BECAUSE WHEN
YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL CRIME
REDUCTION, IT WAS ACTUALLY A
10% IRREDUCTION IN PROPERTY
CRIME. HOWEVER, WE KNOW THAT
MANY BUSINESSES SOMETIMES GO
UNREPORTED. AND SO NOT ALWAYS
AN ACCURATE REFLECTION OF
OVERALL CRIME. WHAT WE HAVE
ACTUALLY WORKED TOWARDS IS
ACTUALLY BUILDING A NEW ONLINE
REPORTING SYSTEM THAT WILL
ALLOW PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY BE
ABLE TO REPORT THINGS IN A MUCH
MORE EFFICIENT MANNER THAN WE
HOPED TO HAVE UP ONLINE WITHIN
THE NEXT Q1 OF THIS YEAR. THAT
ALSO HAS OPTIONS IN THAT SYSTEM
TO BE ABLE TO HAVE LANGUAGE
ADDITIONS AND ALLOW US TO BE
ABLE TO COMMUNICATE DIFFERENTLY
WITH THE PUBLIC THAN EVER
BEFORE. WE'RE EXCITED FOR THAT
NEW POTENTIAL ONBOARDING. BUT
WE ARE HOPING THIS WILL
HOPEFULLY REFLECT A LITTLE
BETTER, MORE OF OUR PROPERTY
CRIME THAN WE'VE HAD IN THE
PAST. WHEN IT COMES TO VIOLENT
CRIME, WE'VE SEEN A REDUCTION
IN VIOLENT CRIME BY 6%. AND
THAT 6% ISN'T A REDUCTION WHEN
IT COMES TO SHOOTINGS. WHEN IT
COMES TO SHOOTINGSs, WE
ACTUALLY HAD A 1% IN REDUCTION,
BUT A 3% INCREASE IN PEOPLE
BEING INJURED IN THOSE
SHOOTINGS. WHEN IT COMES TO THE
HOMICIDES, WE SAW A MASSIVE
INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF
HOMICIDES LAST YEAR AND WE
SURPASSED OUR RECORD BY HAVING
73 HOMICIDES. NOW THAT NUMBER
HAD IS A STRANGE NUMBER BECAUSE
THOSE INCIDENTS MIGHT NOT OCCUR
LAST YEAR. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF
THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED AND
THAT IT ENDED UP HAVING SO MANY
PEOPLE PASS AWAY THAT YEAR AND
THAT IS THE REASON WHY THAT
CONTRIBUTED UP TO A HIGH
NUMBER. AND ALREADY IN THE
FIRST MONTH, WE'VE ALSO SEEN A
MASSIVE REDUCTION COMPARED TO
THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. AND IT
IS UNFORTUNATE THAT WE'VE HAD
FIVE HOMICIDES, BUT THAT'S
ACTUALLY A BIG REDUCTION FROM
WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST
SEVERAL YEARS. AND SO WHEN WE
ACTUALLY LOOK AT ONE OF THE
OTHER THINGS WE ARE ACTUALLY
TALKING ABOUT, IT'S OUR TOTAL
COUNT OF OFFICERS. LAST YEAR WE
ACTUALLY SAW A REDUCTION IN
OVERALL COUNT OF OFFICERS. WE
ARE DOWN ROUGHLY ABOUT 1047.
THAT INCLUDES OUR RECRUITS.
THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE IN THE FTO
PHASE OF OUR DEPARTMENT, AS
WELL AS PEOPLE THAT ARE ON
LONG-TERM LEAD AND DEPLORABLE
WORK FORCE. HOWEVER, THERE WERE
-- WE ACTUALLY SAW MORE HIRES
IN THE REDUCTION OF PEOPLE
LEAVING, SO WE ARE ACTUALLY
KEEPING PIECE HERE IN THE
DEPARTMENT COMPARED TO THE LAST
FOUR OR FIVE YEARS IF YOU LOOK
AT IT HISTORICALLY. THIS IS OUR
SHOTS FIRED. SO LAST YEAR AS I
MENTIONED, WE HAD A 1%
REDUCTION. IN 2022, IT WAS THE
HIGHEST LEVEL OF THE SHOTS
FIRED SINCE WE STARTED KEEPING
TRACK AND REALLY IDENTIFYING
THE AMOUNT OF SHOTS FIRED THAT
ARE HAPPENING IN THE CITY. WE
HAD 738 IN 2022. LAST YEAR WE
HAD 730. AND SO WHILE IT IS A
SMALL REDUCTION, IT IS NOT
REALLY A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION
IN WHAT WE ARE SEEING. BUT
REALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE
NUMBERS, ONE OF THE BIGGEST
HARDSHIPS THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY
SEEING IS THE AMOUNT OF ROUNDS
THAT ARE BEING FIRED IN THIS
CITY. IF YOU LOOK AT A
FOUR-YEAR HISTORICAL TREND,
FOUR YEARS AGO, WE WOULD HAVE
2,500 ROUNDS FIRED. LAST YEAR
WE WOULD HAVE OVER 5,700 ROUNDS
FIRED. NOT JUST DOUBLE, BUT
MORE THAN DOUBLED. AND WHAT
WE'RE EXPERIENCING ON THE
STREETS, WHAT OFFICERS ARE
EXPERIENCING ON THE STREETS IS
RECOVERING WHAT THEY ARE CALLED
GLOCK SWITCHES, WHICH TAKES
GUNS AND MAKES THEM AUTOMATIC.
WHEN THEY SEE THE HIGH-CAPACITY
MAGAZINES, THEY ARE NOT JUST
LIKE A STANDARD CLIP OF A
HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINE, WHICH
HAS MORE THAN 10 ROUNDS.
THEY'RE STARTING TO SEE WHAT
WE CALL 50-ROUND DRUM
MAGAZINES. IT LOOKS LIKE A
TOMMY GUN. AND IT IS A ROUND
THING THAT'S ADDED TO THE GUN.
IT ALLOWS SOMEBODY TO SWITCH
THAT GUN FROM AUTOMATIC AND
FIRE 50 ROUNDS IN JUST A MATTER
OF SECONDS. AND THAT ACTUALLY
CREATES A LOT OF INJURY FOR
THOSE. THAT'S WHY WE'RE
SEEING SOME OF THE MASS
SHOOTINGS THAT WE'VE HAD IN
THIS CITY. LAST YEAR ALONE IN A
THREE WEEK PERIOD, WE HAD THREE
DEFERENT MASS SHOOTINGS. WE HAD
THE ONE THAT HAPPENED AT A
CAPITAL HILL BLOCK PARTY.
SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE HAD ONE
DOWN AT RAINIER BEACH THAT WAS
A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR
VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION WORK. AND
THEN THE THIRD ONE WAS
AFFECTING OUR HOOKAH LOUNGE
THAT ENDED UP HAVING NINE
PEOPLE HURT, THREE OF THEM
DEAD. AND SO THIS IS THAT
GROWING TREND THAT OTHER CITIES
ARE EXPERIENCING AS WELL. BUT
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE
WORKING, COMMITTED TO MAKING
SURE WE ADDRESS. WE'VE SEEN IN
THAT FOUR-YEAR INCREASE,
AVERAGING ABOUT ONE SHOOTING,
JUST A LITTLE OVER ONE SHOOTING
A DAY. OUR SHOTS FIRED A DAY.
NOW IN 2023, WE ARE AVERAGING
ABOUT TWO SHOTS FIRED A DAY. SO
WE ACTUALLY IN THIS SLIDE, IT
BREAKS DOWN EACH MONTH WHAT WE
HAVE EXPERIENCED, WHICH AS YOU
CAN SEE DURING THE SUMMER
MONTHS OF THAT JULY, WE END UP
SEEING THAT INCREASED IN THE
AMOUNTS OF SHOTS FIRED BECAUSE
MORE PEOPLE WERE OUT AND
ACTIVE, AND THEY ARE OUT DOING
STUFF. SO THAT IS WHEN WE
TYPICALLY SEE A HIGHER LEVEL OF
VIOLENCE. THIS LAST YEAR DURING
THAT TIME, I ACTUALLY
INSTITUTED A CRIME VIOLENCE
REDUCTION TASK FORCE TO TRY TO
BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE
AFTER TWO HOMICIDES. WE SAW THE
REDUCTION IN THOSE SHOTS FIRED.
FOR US ON THOSE AREAS, WE SAW A
9% OVERALL REDUCTION IN THOSE
FOUR YEAR AREAS, WHICH RIGHT
NOW, WE ARE PLANNING FOR THE
SUMMER. WE ARE ALREADY SETTING
UP FOR THE SAME PROCESS, SO
THAT WAY WE WILL GET AHEAD OF
THE SITUATIONS FOR THE SUMMER,
SO WE ARE NOT, YOU KNOW,
BEHIND, TRYING TO ADDRESS
THINGS ON THE FLY. AS I
MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE'S A 1%
DECREASE IN THE GUN VIOLENCE
INCIDENT, HAVING THOSE SHOTS
FIRED. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO,
WE RECOVERED 32 GUNS, THE MOST
GUNS EVER RECOVERED. IF YOU
LOOK OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS,
WE'VE HAD OVER A THOUSAND GUNS
RECOVERED EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
THEY CONTINUE TO GO UP. WHEN
YOU HAVE THOSE GUNS AND 375
LESS OFFICERS ON THE STREETS,
YOU HAVE A GUN PROBLEM. IT'S
GREAT WORK THAT THE OFFICERS
ARE DOING TO MAKE SURE THEY
TAKE THE GUNS OFF THE STREETS,
DOING IT WITH LES STAFFING. IF
YOU COULD IMAGINE, IF YOU THINK
OF ALL THE ROUNDS THAT ARE
BEING FIRED, IMAGINE WHAT IT
WOULD HAVE BEEN IF WE HAD NOT
BEEN RECOVERING THE GUNS THAT
WE WOULD HAVE. MANY OF THESE
GUNS THAT WE ARE RECOVERING,
THEY ARE NOT BEING USED IN JUST
ONE CASE, BUT THEY ARE BEING
USED IN TWO OR THREE CASES,
FOUR PLUS. SOME OF THE GUNS
RECOVERED HAVE BEEN UP TO 16
CASES. SO THAT IS SOME OF THE
SERIOUS CONCERNS THAT WE ALL
HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO
ADDRESS, TO WORK WITH THE COURT
SYSTEMS TO MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE AREN'T IN VIOLATION OF
THAT AND THAT THEY ARE BEING
HELD. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO
WORK. THIS SLIDE IS A
REFLECTION OF THOSE GUN
RECOVERIES. AS I MENTIONED,
SEVEN YEARS, WE HAVE RECOVERED
OVER A THOUSAND GUNS EACH YEAR.
WE WERE RECOVERING UNDER A
THOUSAND GUNS WITH BETTER
STAFFING. AND SO AGAIN, EVERY
YEAR WE WILL SEE A RISE, BUT
IT'S OUR COMMITMENT BECAUSE WE
ARE SEEING A LOT MORE FOCUSED
EFFORTS ON MAKING SURE WE'LL
GET THE GUNS REMOVED. THEY'RE
BECOMING A PART OF EVERY DAY
THINGS SUCH AS AUTO THEFT. WHEN
I WAS IN PATROL, YOU WOULD DO
AN AUTO THEFT AND YOU WOULDN'T
SEE THAT GUN BEING RECOVERED.
NOW IT'S BECOME A REGULAR
EFFORT IN THAT WORK. AND SO
THINGS THAT ARE MUCH SMALLER
EVENTS ARE ACTUALLY BECOMING
MUCH BIGGER EVENTS. AS I
MENTIONED OVER THE LAST SEVEN
YEARS, YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS
SLIDE THERE IS SOMETHING THAT
WE STARTED OFF WITH THOSE
OFFICERS. THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF
OFFICERS THAT WE WOULD HAVE.
EVERY YEAR WE CONTINUE TO SEE
THAT REDUCTION EVEN IN 2018 AND
2019. PRIOR TO GEORGE FLOYD, WE
SAW THE REDUCTION. THEN WE SAW
THE BIGGER REDUCTION HITTING
THE YEAR OF GEORGE FLOYD IN
2020. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE
LAST SEVEN YEARS, OUR LAST FIVE
YEARS, WE LOST 715 PERSONNEL.
WHAT THAT MEANS, IT'S OVER
HALF THE DEPARTMENT IN 2017.
AND WE ARE ROUGHLY DOWN ABOUT
WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO TO
MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. WE'VE HAD
TO, YOU KNOW, PUT PEOPLE BACK
INTO PATROL, DIFFERENT UNITS,
REALLY STREAMLINE OUR WORK TO
MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH
PEOPLE ANSWERING 911 CALLS.
TOUGH DECISIONS, BUT THEY HAD
TO BE DONE. IF NOT WE WOULDN'T
BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE
VIOLENT CRIMES WE HAVE HAD. WE
ARE STILL RESPONDING IN A
TIMELY MANNER. OUR GOAL IS TO
ADDRESS THE VIOLENT CRIME
PRIORITY ONE CALL STATUS. WE'RE
ABOUT 7.5 MINUTES AS OF LAST
YEAR. BUT EVERY SECOND COUNTS
WHEN IT COMES TO SAVING LIVES.
IT'S IMPORTANT NOT ONLY THAT
WE WOULD RAISE THE AMOUNT OF
OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE, BUT THAT
WE ARE COMMITTED TO TAKING SOME
OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE
IN THE PAST AND WE UTILIZE THEM
TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ON SOME
OF THOSE ISSUES. IT IS NOT
ABOUT REDUCING OFFICERS BECAUSE
WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE WE
HAVE OFFICERS THAT ARE HEALTHY
AND THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO
TAKE TIME OFF, AND THEY HAVE
THE ABILITY TO KIND OF REST AND
RELAX AND NOT BE CONSTANTLY
GOING AND GOING AND GOING. BUT
RIGHT NOW OUR PATROL OFFICERS
SPEND 85% OF THE TIME ON A
CALL. THIS IS A REFLECTION OF
OUR SEPARATION. AND THIS LAST
YEAR WE LOST 36 MORE THAN
HIRED. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT
IS A MUCH BETTER SITUATION THAN
THE PREVIOUS YEARS WHERE WE
LOST 101, 90, 135. WE ONLY HAD
TWO YEARS IN THE LAST SEVEN
YEARS THAT WE HAVE HIRED MORE
PEOPLE THAN WE HAVE LOST. AND
THAT WAS THREE YEARS BEFORE
GEORGE FLOYD. SO THERE IS
ALREADY PRIOR TO GEORGE FLOYD,
THERE IS ALREADY A VERY BIG
STRUGGLE IN TRYING TO MAKE SURE
YOU HIT IT. BUT AS WE WOULD GET
UP, WE ARE ACTUALLY SEEING MUCH
MORE INCREASES NOW AFTER
SEVERAL YEARS FROM GEORGE
FLOYD. WE ARE ACTUALLY SEEING
MORE PEOPLE STARTING TO SPARK
THAT INTEREST AND HOPEFULLY
BEING ABLE TO START COMING BACK
INTO POLICING AS AN ACTUAL JOB
OF SERVICE. WHEN YOU ASK
PEOPLE, YOU'RE YOUNG PEOPLE.
JUST A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THEY
DIDN'T SEE SERVICE AS A JOB.
NOW THEY ARE SEEING IT AS A
SERVICE JOB. A PART OF THAT IS
WE ARE SEEING OTHER PROFESSIONS
DOWNSIZE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT
TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER FIELDS
THAT ARE DOWNSIZING. PEOPLE
WILL START TO REALIZE, WHAT DO
I WANT TO DO? THEN THEY START
TO FIGURE OUT IT'S A SERVICE
AND PEOPLE WANT TO BE A PART OF
IT. WE ARE HOPING OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL YEARS, WE WILL SEE A
DECREASE IN SIGNIFICANT
APPLICANTS AND HIRES. DECENT
DECREE, WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS
DECENT DECREE FOR ALMOST A
12-YEAR PERIOD OF TIME. THIS
LAST YEAR OUR JUDGE RULED WE
WERE ABLE TO ELIMINATE
PARAGRAPHS OF THE CONSENT
DECREE. THERE WERE 99
PHOTOGRAPHS THAT ANYTHING FROM
CRISIS INTERVENTION, USE OF
FORCE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT,
MANY OF THOSE PARAGRAPHS WERE
ELIMINATED. BUT WE STILL HAVE A
COUPLE LEFT THAT THE JUDGE
STILL WANTS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
ADHERING TO. ONE IS IN
CONJUNCTION WITH OUR CROWD
MANAGEMENT, DATA ANALYTICS, AND
ALSO TAKING THE CITY AND
ACTUALLY PUTTING IN
ACCOUNTABILITY, WHICH IS MAINLY
ON THE CONTRACT. IT'S AN
IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THEM TO
ADDRESS BECAUSE OUR OFFICERS
HAVE GONE MANY YEARS WITHOUT A
CONTRACT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THEY'RE VALUED AND RESPECTED
AND THEY HAVE A PAY STRUCTURE
TO ALLOW THEM TO BE ON THE TOP
OF THE GAME. WORKING HARD TO
HOPEFULLY CLOSE OUT THE
OBJECTIONS IN 2024 FOR THE
CONSENT DECREE. IT WAS IN A
FULL CONSENT DECREE TO ACTUALLY
GET THROUGH THAT, AND THAT IS
OUR COMMITMENT. AND THE SLIDE
IS PROBABLY PUT OUT OR SHOULD
HAVE BEEN AROUND THE SHOOTINGS
OF THE SHOTS FIRED. BECAUSE
WE'RE RESPONDING TO A HIGH
LEVEL OF PRIORITY ONE CALLS FOR
SERVICE IN CONJUNCTION WITH
SHOOTINGS AND SHOTS FIRED AND
AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS AND
ROBBERIES. OUR OFFICERS, YOU
KNOW, THEY ARE HAVING A SECURE
SCENES. SOMETIMES PRIOR TO THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT BEING ABLE TO
SAFELY BE SECURED IN. WE ARE
HAVING TO TREAT SOME OF THE
INJURIES. WE HAVE PUT ON 56
CHEST COMPRESSIONS LAST YEAR
ALONE. WE DID 117 CASES OF
NARCAN. THESE ARE ALL LIFE
SAVING MEASURES. BECAUSE OF THE
AMOUNT OF SHOOTINGS THAT WE
HAVE, THESE ARE WAITS TO HELP,
TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE INTO A
GOOD PRESERVED STATE BEFORE THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ABLE TO
TREAT THEM AND TAKE CARE OF
THEM AND GET THEM UP TO SAVE
LIVES. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR
OFFICERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO
THAT BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY ARE
VERY COMPLEX SEEMS. ONE OF OUR
OFFICERS, LITERALLY GOING FROM
PATIENT TO PATIENT TO PATIENT,
TRYING TO MAKE SURE THE SEEN.
AND THOSE ARE DIFFICULT
SITUATIONS. AGAIN, WE ARE ALL
TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE
THAT ONE VALUE AND MAKING SURE
PEOPLE FEEL SAFE AND THEY ARE
BEING TREATED FAIRLY. THAT'S
WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHIEF
DIAZ. REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR
RUN THROUGH ON ALL THESE
DIFFERENT POINTS. I JUST WANTED
TO ASK BECAUSE SPD STAFFING IS
OUR FIRST PILLAR IN TERMS OF
THE ADDRESSING FOR THE
PERMISSIVE ENVIRONMENT. ASKED
THE QUESTION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT
THAT IN TERMS OF THE CHALLENGES
THAT YOU'RE SEEING, AND ALSO
THE RETENTION SIDE IN HOW YOU
SEE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO
SIDES. SOMETHING THAT I'VE
SAID BEFORE. TO ASK THE MEN AND
WOMEN YACHT L POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND THE MAYOR'S TEAM, ONE YEAR
IF THEY ARE LOOKING TO RETIRE
OR TRANSFER TO ANOTHER
JURISDICTION. I THINK, YOU
KNOW, DURING THE COURSE OF
2024, WE CAN MAKE CHANGES AND
REALLY CHANGE THE DYNAMICS AS
IT RELATES TO RECRUITMENT AND
RETENTION. SO I WILL ASK THAT
QUESTION OR MAKE THAT ASK
PUBLICLY HERE TO DO SO. AND
WITH THAT LEAD IN, RECRUITMENT
AND RETENTION, ANYTHING THAT
YOU'RE SEEING DIFFERENTLY? WHAT
IS THE SPECIFIC CHALLENGE AND
CAN ONE PLAY OFF ON THE OTHER?
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?
>> AND IN REGARDS TO
RETIREMENTS. MANY PEOPLE WILL
RETIRE PRIOR TO JULY OR JUNE 1.
PEOPLE CAN GET THE RAISES AS A
PART OF THEIR RETIREMENT. THIS
IS THE FIRST TIME IN THE LAST
FOUR YEARS THAT WE ARE BREAKING
EVEN, THE PEOPLE LEAVING.
THAT'S A GOOD PLACE AND
FINALLY A GOOD AVENUE TO BE AT
JUST IN THE FIRST MONTH. BUT WE
NEED TO RETAIN OUR OFFICERS, E
RETAIN OUR OFFICERS FIRST AND
FOREMOST IS BEING ABLE TO GET A
CONTRACT FOR THE OFFICERS. WHEN
THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH YEARS OR
FOUR YEARS WITHOUT A CONTRACT
OR A PAY RAISE, THAT'S BEEN A
HUGE CHALLENGE FOR THEM. WHILE
THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS ACROSS
THE REGION, THEY HAVE SEEN
THOSE RAISES AND THEY HAVE SEEN
THE DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE
DIFFERENT INCENTIVES THAT HAVE,
YOU KNOW, PUT PEOPLE THERE ON
THE AGENCIES. AND WE ARE
LOOKING AT WHAT INCENTIVE THAT
WE COULD PROVIDE. BEING ABLE TO
MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT
TOOLS AND THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT.
WE ARE ALSO TRYING TO UNVAIL
SOME OTHER OPTIONS THAT
POTENTIALLY COULD BE A PART OF
THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. SO
THEY ARE STILL FORTHCOMING. WE
WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE
WHAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO
THIS JOB. AND IT IS ALSO ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT YOU WILL HAVE
TO DO IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF
TRAUMATIZING THIS DEPARTMENT.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS YES, YOU
KNOW, THERE WAS TRAUMA THAT
ALSO OCCURRED WITHIN THE
COMMUNITY. BUT OFFICERS THAT
ARE LITERALLY RESPONDING TO THE
911 CALLS THAT ARE GOING TO
LIFE SAFETY SITUATIONS. 85% OF
THE TIME, THEIR ADRENALINE IS
RUSHING AND THEY ARE TRYING TO
HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CALMNESS
AFTER THE CALL UNWINDS, THAT
THEY DON'T HAVE THAT
OPPORTUNITY. WE CAN'T TAKE
THEM OUT OF SERVICE TO SAY HEY,
YOU NEED TO RELAX A LITTLE BIT.
THAT WILL HAVE A COMPONENT OF
WELLNESS. WE NEED TO TAKE CARE
OF OUR OFFICES AND FOCUS ON
THEIR WELLNESS. IT'S A COMMIT,
PUSHING FOR AN EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF WELLNESS, WHICH WE
ARE HOPING TO HIRE SOON IN THE
NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. WE HAVE
DEVELOPED GOOD NEWS, BUT WE
NEED A GOOD COMPREHENSIVE PLANS
TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DEALING
WITH THE TRAUMA OUR OFFICERS
ARE FACING EVERY SINGLE DAY.
>> THAT'S SO CRITICAL. VICE
CHAIR SAKA?
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND
CHIEF DIAZ FOR YOUR
PRESENTATION TODAY. ALSO THANK
YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN
COLLABORATION WITH RESPECT TO
WHAT YOU ELUDED TO IT IN YOUR
EARLIER COMMENTS. BUT YOU AND I
HAVE HAD THE TRAGIC OPPORTUNITY
TO WORK TOGETHER A LITTLE
EARLIER THAN I THINK BOTH OF US
ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED. IN
RESPONDING TO THE TRAGIC
KILLING AND THE DEATH OF
15-YEAR-OLD ADAN. BUT I JUST
WANT TO APPLAUD YOU AND THANK
YOU AND FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. I
LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO
WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE FULLY FULFILL OUR
INVESTIGATIVE FUNCTIONS TO MAKE
SURE THE FAMILY HAS THE ANSWERS
THAT THEY SO RIGHTFULLY
DESERVE, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT OFFICER
MORALE. THERE ARE CERTAIN
SPECIFIC POLICY IDEAS AND
SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN HELP
ENGINEER AND BRING ABOUT AND WE
WILL AND WORKING WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE TO DO THIS AND
INCLUDING GETTING A NEW
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING VALUE IN
PLACE AND THE NUMBER ONE FACTOR
THAT COULD HELP IMPROVE GENDER
TRUST AND CONFIDENCE FROM
VARIETY AGENCIES WHO MIGHT
CONTINUE TO GROW THEIR CAREER
IN SEATTLE. WE ARE ALL THINKING
ABOUT THAT AND WORKING ON THAT.
THERE ARE ARE OTHER STRUCK
CURS, THAT WE ALL HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO
REITERATE AND IMPROVE. BOTTOM
LINE IS QUESTION GET A NEW
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
IN PLACE. WE WILL, AND WE CAN
CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THESE GREAT
INCENTIVES AND ANY NUMBER OF
OTHER POTENTIAL POLICY TO HELP
DRIVE EQUIPMENT. AND IF OFFICER
MORALE IS LOW AND REMAINS LOW,
IT'S ALL FOR NOTHING. SO I
THINK BROADLY THE CHALLENGE OR
THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE
OFFICE MORALE IS A SHARED ONE.
NO ONE PERSON THINKS A LOT OF
US HAVE BEEN GOING DOWN TO ROLL
CALLS, AND MORE COMING, BUT YOU
ARE THE CHIEF. WE WOULD BE
CURIOUS TO SEE HOW YOU ARE
THINKING ABOUT IMPROVING OFFICE
MORALE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
>> YES, YOU BROUGHT UP SEVERAL
GOOD THINGS. NUMBER ONE,
CONTRACT. NUMBER TWO, HAVING
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ATTEND
ROLL CALL. SOME IN THE PAST
HAVE, BUT NOT RIGHT OFF THE BAT
IN ENGAGING OFFICERS AND HAVING
DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS.
LISTENING TO THE OFFICERS,
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THAT. IT'S
IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE'S A
LOT OF LEVEL OF MISTRUST. AND
SO THAT IS A HUGE THING. I WANT
TO THANK YOU, ALL THE PEOPLE
WHO HAVE DONE THOSE ROLL CALLS
INITIALLY, AND I KNOW PEOPLE
WILL DO MORE OF THOSE. SO
REALLY THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE
ARE SETTING OUR STAFF
THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT. AND
I HAVE CHIEF OFFICER BRIAN
MAXEY HERE. AND OUR LEGAL
ADVISER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
LEGAL ADVISER, WHO JUST DID A
ROLL CALL ALL IF THE SOUTH
PRECINCT, AND THEY ARE RIGHT
NOW WORKING OUT OF THE WEST
PRECINCT. A PART OF THAT IS
MAKING SURE THE EXECUTIVE
COMMAND STAFF IS ENGAGING ALL
THE OFFICERS. I NEED TO BE
HEARING FROM IT AND THAT I HAVE
RESPONDED TO ILL AT DIFFERENT
SCENES AND ANSWERING THE 911
CALLS. I KNOW THAT IS STILL NOT
ENOUGH. AND SO WE WILL HAVE TO
MAKE SURE WE ARE PRESENT EVERY
SINGLE TIME, JUST LIKE BEING IN
THAT COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE TO BE
PRESENT ALL THE TIME. AND THAT
WILL HOPEFULLY GAIN THE TRUST
AND TO BE ABLE TO GAIN THE
SUPPORT OF OUR OFFICERS,
BUILDING MORALE. I CAN TELL YOU
IN MY CAREER IT IS NOT AN EASY
JOB, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I
DON'T THINK THAT THE MORALE
WAS LOW AND IT IS A NATURE OF
THE JOB BECAUSE IT IS
EXPERIENCING TRAUMA. AND JUST
BEING ABLE TO SAY THANK YOU TO
THE OFFICERS. OVERALL THAT WILL
START TO COME ABOUT AND BEING
ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE WELLNESS
PROGRAM, THAT WILL ALSO HELP,
YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH SOME OF THE
STUFF THAT OUR OFFICERS ARE
EXPERIENCING ON THE DAILY BASIS
IS WHAT WILL HELP US AND HELP
OUR OFFICERS TO BE ABLE TO GET
THROUGH THE DIFFERENT
CHALLENGES. AND THEN WE'RE
ALSO BUILDING A PROGRAM AS I'VE
MENTIONED IN THE PAST. THAT
THEY WILL HAVE A WHOLE NEW CITY
COUNCIL. BUT WE ARE ALSO
BUILDING A PROGRAM FOR THE
BATCH. IT'S ABOUT DEVELOPING
THE RESILIENCY IN OUR BRAND NEW
RECRUITS WITH OVER 100
OFFICERS, 100 RECRUITS ATTEND
THAT. AND WHETHER IT IS LATERAL
THROUGH THAT PROGRAM AND WE ARE
HAVING THE DISCUSSIONS WITH
THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE I WANT
THEM TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IT IS
LIKE WHEN IT IS NOT AN
ENFORCEMENT SITUATION. AND IN
BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS,
THEY WILL FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE
SITUATION. THIS IS AN ONGOING
PLAN THAT WE WILL END UP BEING
ABLE TO CARRY IT OUT AND THEY
WILL BE ADDED TO THAT PLAN.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHIEF
DIAZ AND FOR THAT SHOUTOUT.
THAT IS SOMETHING THEY ALL NEED
TO UNDERSTAND AND IT IS A
FANTASTIC PROGRAM AS WE LOOK TO
DEVELOP THE NEW SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT. NEXT UP COUNCIL
PRESIDENT NELSON.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
SETTING US UP WITH YOUR
PRIORITIES, CHAIR KETTLE. AND
DOESN'T THIS FEEL DIFFERENT? [
LAUGHTER ] SO THANK YOU ALL FOR
BEING HERE. EVERYTHING, I'M
GOING TO GO WITH YOUR FIRST
PILLAR, EVERYTHING IN MY MIND
DEPENDS ON BRINGING STAFFING
LEVELS BACK UP. WE'VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR TWO
YEARS AND IT IS GOOD TO NOTE WE
ENDED LAST YEAR IN NET POSITIVE
TERRITORY. IT IS STILL NOT
HAPPENING FAST ENOUGH. AND I
HAVE A PERSONAL STAKE IN THIS
BECAUSE I LED THE LEGISLATIVE
INITIATIVE TO REESTABLISH
HIRING BONUSES AND THAT WAS
MADE POSSIBLE BY THE MAYOR'S
LEGISLATION THAT LIFTED THE
PROVISO TO ALLOW FOR THAT. AND
SO WHEN WE SEE THESE NUMBERS,
THERE IS A TENDENCY TO SAY
WELL, IT IS JUST NOT WORKING. I
DON'T LIKE HEARING THAT AND
THEN PEOPLE PIVOT TO EVERY CITY
IS HAVING A HARD TIME HIRING
OFFICERS, LOOK AT WEST COAST. I
DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN THE OTHER CITIES
BECAUSE I REPRESENT SEATTLE. I
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR
LOOKING AT THE DETAILS IN
FINDING OUT OR TRYING TO
ESTABLISH WHY WE ARE HAVING A
HARD TIME STAFFING THEM BACK UP
BECAUSE WHEN WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT THE CRISIS THAT WE NEED
OUR INVESTIGATORS BACK. WHEN I
FIRST STARTED, YOU HAD MOVED
THEM INTO PATROL. AND SO IT IS
REALLY SERIOUS. ALSO THOSE
POSITIONS ALLOW FOR UPWARD
MOBILITY. AND THAT ALSO
IMPROVES MORALE AND IF THAT IS
NOT HAPPENING, ETC. I WOULD
LIKE TO KNOW AS WE HEARD CHAIR
KETTLE THAT THERE ARE SOME
IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD BE
MADE. SO WHAT IS SPD DOING ON
THIS OR HOW ARE YOU WORKING ON
DIGGING INTO HOW IMPROVEMENTS
COULD BE MADE IN RECRUITMENT
AND HIRING PRACTICES?
>> AND WE'VE -- EVEN WHEN
SOMEONE COULD FAIL A PHYSICAL,
SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST AREN'T
FEELING THAT WELL THAT DAY AND
THEY ARE ACTUALLY ALLOWING THEM
TO CYCLE THROUGH THE NEXT
SESSION OF TESTING BEFORE AND
THAT WAS BEFORE THEY WOULD
TEST. THEY WOULD BE GOBBLED UP
BY ANOTHER AGENCY BECAUSE IF
I'M GOING TO WAIT SIX MONTHS,
I MIGHT AS WELL TEST FOR THE
OTHER AGENCY. WE ARE ACTUALLY
LOOKING AT WHO WE TEST WITH. WE
WOULD HAVE A NATIONAL TESTING
NETWORK AND LOOKING AT
SWITCHING COMPANIES. WE ARE
WORKING WITH OUR PUBLIC SERVICE
COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO DO
THAT. BECAUSE IT OPENS UP THE
DOOR FOR A LOT. WHEN YOU APPLY,
IT WILL OPEN UP FOR A LOT MORE
AGENCIES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE
ACCESS TO IN THAT APPLICATION
PROCESS. WE ARE ACTUALLY SEEING
MORE INCREASE IN THAT
APPLICATION NOW AND THAT IS A
GOOD THING. WE ARE ACTUALLY
SEEING THE LAST NUMBERS THAT I
LOOKED WAS OVER 60 PEOPLE FROM
THE LATERALS THAT WERE
APPLYING, WHICH IS GOOD. AND TO
SEE THAT INTEREST AND THEY ARE
RECRUITING AND THE CONTRACTS
WITH THEM, IT IS REAL PUSHING
OUT A LOT OF ADS AND I JUST MET
WITH THEM THIS LAST WEEK IN
LOOKING AT IT. WE ARE DOING A
VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SERIES TO
TARGET THE POPULATIONS IN THE
COMMUNITY AND WHETHER YOU HAVE
THOSE SERIES OR WE ARE TRYING
TO FOCUS THAT THEY COULD SEE
AND SEND THIS OFF TO MAYBE A
MILITARY BASE TO SAY HEY, I'M
LISTENING TO THE OFFICER AND
THEY ARE EXPERIENCED AS THEY
TRANSITION BACK TO THE CIVILIAN
WORLD. MAYBE SEATTLE MIGHT BE A
GOOD AGENCY. I KNOW PORTLAND
HAS DONE A LOT OF RECRUITING.
IN THE MILITARY BASIS, THEY
HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO GET
CLOSER UP TO THE NAME OF THE
NUMBERS THAT THEY ARE HOPING TO
HAVE, SO I DO HOPE THEY ARE
LOOKING AT THE OTHER AGENCIES
TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE DOING WITH
THOSE SUCCESSES. AND THEY ALSO
EXPERIENCED VERY SIMILAR TRAUMA
OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. SO WE
TALK PRETTY REGULARLY AND WITH
THE WEST COAST CITIES THAT I DO
TALK PRETTY REGULARLY. SAN
FRANCISCO, OAKLAND, AND
PORTLAND BECAUSE SOME OF THE
SAME CHALLENGES THAT THEY ARE
EXPERIENCING ARE STUFF THAT
WE'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE OR
VICE VERSA. LIKE WE MIGHT
EXPERIENCE SOMETHING BEFORE
THEY DO. IT HELPS US TO BE ABLE
TO BOUNCE THOSE IDEAS OFF OF
IT. AND SO WE ARE FEELING LIKE
THE RECRUITING AND HIRING PLAN
IS STARTING TO PICK UP TO GAIN
MOMENTUM, BUT WE STILL HAVE,
YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE
DAY, WE ARE ALL VYING FOR THE
SAME APPLICANT, SO WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THEY WILL ALLOW US TO
BE IN THAT PART. AND IT IS
ABOUT 14 ON THE PAY STRUCTURE.
AND WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE
OTHER AGENCIES, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE ARE PAYING A LITTLE BIT
BETTER, AND THEY HAVE LESS
ISSUES OR LESS CHALLENGES, THAT
IS A HUGE ISSUE. AND IT IS A
REASON WHY COUNCIL MEMBER
KETTLE, WE ACTUALLY PUSHED OUT
WHAT YOU SAID THROUGHOUT THE
DEPARTMENT TO SAY HEY, PLEASE
STAY AN EXTRA YEAR. THIS IS
COMING FROM YOUR COUNCIL
MEMBER. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR
OFFICERS TO HEAR THAT BECAUSE
RIGHT NOW, WE WANT TO BE ABLE
TO RETAIN OUR OFFICERS. AND
THEN WE NEED TO HIRE IT TO MAKE
IT A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WILL
FEEL LIKE OKAY, WE ARE GOING TO
BE VALUED AND RESPECTED. EVERY
ASPECT IS ON THE TABLE, SO I
MIGHT CALL YOU TO BE A PART OF
THE RECRUITING BECAUSE THEY DO
NEED. I CAN TELL YOU 27 YEARS
AGO. I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS ON
THE CITY COUNCIL. I COULD TELL
YOU NOW THAT EVERY MEMBER, THEY
HAVE COME IN TO THIS ACADEMY OR
COMING INTO THE DEPARTMENT.
THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU
STAND FOR AND ALL THE DIFFERENT
THINGS THAT YOU RAN ON, THE
PLATFORM. AND THAT IS A HUGE
DIFFERENCE BECAUSE THEY ARE
PAYING ATTENTION AND BECAUSE
THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
WHEN THEY COME TO THIS CITY
THAT THE CITY IS THE RIGHT CITY
FOR THEM. AND SO I THINK ALL OF
THIS HOLISTICALLY HAS TO
HOLISTICALLY HAS TO BE A PART
OF THE PROGRAM.
>> IN KEEPING OR FIRST OF ALL,
WE HAVE TO KEEP THE OFFICERS
THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE NOT READY
FOR RETIREMENT AND SO I'M ON
IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> CHIEF, I APPRECIATE THE
MILITARY REFERENCE. BUT
REMEMBER IT IS NOT JUST JBLM,
BUT WE HAVE WHIDBEY, EVERETT.
DON'T FORGET THE NAVY SIDE OF
THINGS.
>> I WILL BE QUICK, THANK YOU,
CHAIR KETTLE. THANK YOU, CHIEF
DIAZ. AND ONE OF THE THINGS
I'VE BEEN VERY ALARMED IN
TALKING TO. AND THEY ARE THE
YOUTH THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH
SOME OF THE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR
IN OUR CITY. THEY'RE ALARMED
TOO AS WELL. I DON'T THINK WE
HAVE BAD KIDS. AND THEY JUST
KNOW THAT THERE IS THIS
ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE WHERE THEY
WILL NOT GET CAUGHT IN CERTAIN
THINGS. I THINK WE HAVE DONE A
GREAT JOB OF INVESTING A LOT OF
THOSE PIECES GOING OFF THE DOME
OF ALL THE VIOLENCE
INTERVENTION ORGANIZATIONS THAT
WE HAVE IN OUR CITY. ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT WE'RE MISSING IS
THE PREVENTION PIECE AND THAT
ENGAGEMENT WHERE YOU'VE HAD A
POSITIVE ACTIVITY, EXPOSURE,
YOU KNOW, TO VEER THEM OFF THE
PATH, SO THEY GET THEM OFF OF
SOCIAL MEDIA, RIGHT? HAS THERE
BEEN SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE
SEEN THAT HAS BEEN ALARMING
WITH OUR KIDS AND THE YOUNG AGE
THAT YOU ARE LIKE HEY, THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO PAY
ATTENTION TO?
>> YES, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT
THAT UP. RIGHT NOW CARJACKINGS
IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING A HUGE
INCREASE OF. I GIVE THAT
CONTEXT BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY,
THE POLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH
FORUM HAD A BIG CONFERENCE IN
DC TALKING ABOUT OTHER AGENCIES
AND WHAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING.
IT'S THE NUMBER ONE TOPICS.
JUVENILES PARTICIPATING IN THE
CARJACKINGS IS ONE OF THE
TOPSIDE, SAME ISSUE. AND SO DC,
WHO IS A SMALLER CITY THAN US
ACTUALLY HAD 954. SO WHEN I
PRESENTED THAT FOR US, WE SAW
AN INCREASE. I EXPLAINED 110
AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE 110? I'M
LIKE YEAH, BUT FOR OUR CITY,
ONE IS TOO MUCH AND THAT THIS
IS THE ISSUE. RIGHT NOW WHEN
YOU LOOK AT THE PEOPLE THAT WE
HAVE MADE A REST ON, 25% HAVE
BEEN JUVENILES. AND IF YOU LOOK
AT ANYTHING UNDER THE AGE OF
25, IT COMES UP CLOSE TO 60%
UNDER THE AGE OF 25. AND THAT
IS A HUGE, HUGE CHALLENGE. AND
I THINK THAT WE ARE WORKING
WITH OUR PROSECUTORS OFFICE TO
MAKING SURE THAT SOME OF THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE COMMITTING TO
THE CARJACKINGS AND THEY ARE
USUALLY ARMED CARJACKING. THEY
ARE NOT THREATENING TO TAKE
YOUR CAR AND THEY ARE BUMPING
PEOPLE GETTING THEM OUT OF THE
CAR AND USING THE HANDGUNS TO
THREATEN THEM AND PISTOL
WHIPPING PEOPLE. WE REALLY NEED
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW
THAT'S WRONG. THEY NEED A TIME
OUT AND THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE
THAT SOMETIMES THEY END UP
SEEING, YOU KNOW, THAT LEVEL OF
ENFORCEMENT AND BECAUSE THAT
WILL END UP SAVING THEIR LIVES.
IF WE DON'T INTERVENE
SOMETIMES, THAT JAIL IS GOING
TO END UP INTERVENING. IF NOT,
THEY ARE GOING TO BE DEAD. AND
WHEN I LOOKED AT THE WORK I DID
IN THE PAST, WHETHER IT WOULD
HELP CREATE THE PREVENTION
INITIATIVE AND THE SOUTH PARK
ACTION AGENDA, AND YOU WOULD
LOOK AT THE VICTIMS OF THE
VIOLENCE. THEY ALL STARTED OUT
AS MISSING PERSON, RUN AWAY,
BURGLARY, THEFT, RUNAWAY,
THEFT. THESE ARE THE VICTIMS OF
THAT. SO WE KNOW SOME OF THE
PRECURSORS TO INTERVENE FOR IT
TO HELP FAMILIES BEING ABLE TO
DO THE PREVENTION WORK, SO THEY
DON'T FIND THEMSELVES ENGAGED,
SOMETIMES THE ACTIVITY OF THAT.
AND BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS THE
NEEDS EARLY ON AND THEY ARE
HUGE. I'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE
FOR THAT WORK AND ALSO I WOULD
SAY WE NEED TO WORK WITH OUR
COURT SYSTEMS AND THE
PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE THAT WHEN
WE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE PEOPLE
THAT ARE NOT COMMITTING JUST
ONE OR TWO CRIMES. AND WE NEED
TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE HELD. IF
NOT THEY ARE GOING TO BE DEAD.
>> THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBER MOORE?
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR.
THANK YOU, CHIEF DIAZ FOR A
VERY INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW
THAT I DID GO ON A RIDE ALONG
DURING MY CAMPAIGN. IT WAS VERY
INFORMATIVE AND GAVE ME A MUCH
GREATER APPRECIATION OF THE
WORK THAT WE ARE ASKING OUR
OFFICERS TO ENGAGE IN. AND TO
YOUR POINT, THEY ARE RUNNING
FROM PRIORITY ONE CALL TO
PRIORITY ONE CALL THAT IS
HIGHLY TRAUMATIC, EMOTIONALLY
DRAINING WORK. [ CAPTIONERS
TRANSITIONING ]
ARE SEVERAL IMPORTANT PIECES.
ONE IS BOTH THE SENSE OF HAVING
SUPPORT FROM THE ELECTED
OFFICIALS AND THE COUNCIL. AND
TO THAT, I THINK WE NEED TO BE
CLEAR THAT WE ARE GOING TO
ALLOW POLICE TO POLICE. I THINK
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF
MICROMANAGING IN THE PRIOR
COUNCILS. SOME OF THAT HAS COME
ABOUT BECAUSE OF THE CONSENT
DECREE, WHICH WAS VERY
IMPORTANT. AND I WANT TO
COMMEND THE SPD FOR COMPLYING
VERY WELL WITH THE CONSENT
DECREE. BUT I THINK THERE IS A
SENSE AMONG RANK AND FILE THAT
WE ARE CONSTANTLY
MICROMANAGING, AND WE'VE TAKEN
THEIR POWER AWAY TO POLICE. I
WANT TO COMMIT TO YOU AT LEAST
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE I'M GOING
TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT IN
LEGISLATION THAT COMES FORWARD.
I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
THAT WE WORK WITH, AS CHAIR
KETTLE HAS MENTIONED, THERE'S
NO JAIL SPACE. IT'S NOT BEING
UTILIZED. I THINK WE PAY FOR
190 BEDS A NIGHT AND YOU'RE
GETTING WHAT, 40? MAYBE?
THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO
BE DEALT WITH AT THE EXEC TEL
LEVEL, AND WE AT THE COUNCIL
NEED TO BE SUPPORTING THAT AND
PERHAPS LOOKING AT GOING
ELSEWHERE OR HAVE THE HARD
CONVERSATION ABOUT THE JAIL
SPACE. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO
SEND THE MESSAGE THAT PEOPLE
ARE GOING TO BE HELD
ACCOUNTABILITY. THAT DOESN'T
MEAN WE'RE GOING TO CREATE
LONG RECORDS FOR THEM. POLICE
NEED TO FEEL LIKE THE WORK
THEY'RE DOING MATTERS.
OTHERWISE THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE
GOING TO DEPOLICE. THAT SAID, I
HEARD A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT
THE NEED TO GET A CONTRACT AND
TO, THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE
IMPORTANT FOR PAY AND FOR THE
SENSE THAT OFFICERS ARE VALUED
IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I WOULD
SAY TO THAT, I ABSOLUTELY
AGREE. BUT THAT'S ALSO A TWO
WAY STREET. AND THE ONE THING
THAT JUDGE ROBART HAS
CONSISTENTLY TALKED ABOUT IS
THE NEED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND
DISCIPLINE. AND THAT IS THE
SECOND PRONG OF WHAT IS STILL
REMAINING TO BE COMPLETED. AND
SO WHILE THE COUNCIL CAN MAKE
SURE WE DON'T MICROMANAGE, WE
ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE
STRUCTURES IN PLACE THAT ALLOW
YOU AS CHIEF TO HOLD OFFICERS
ACCOUNTABLE, ROBUSTLY
ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHEN THEY DO
NOT ENGAGE IN CONSTITUTIONAL OR
PROFESSIONAL POLICING. AND SO
TAKING THE LEAD FROM THE
FEDERAL JUDGE WHO HAS BEEN
MANAGING THIS A VERY LONG TIME,
I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT'S
ALSO A PIECE OF THIS
RELATIONSHIP THAT IS IMPORTANT
TO ME AND THE COUNCIL, AT
LEAST. SO. THANK YOU.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK
YOU.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
MOORE. I NOTE THE VARIOUS
PIECES, YOUR POINT ABOUT THE
KING COUNTY JAIL. THAT'S
PILLAR SIX IN TERMS OF THE
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK. I NOTE
YOUR MICROMANAGEMENT. ONE OF
THE THINGS IN THE NAVAL CAREER,
YOU GET THESE LEADERSHIP
POINTS. AND TRAINING AND YOU
CAN'T DO THAT IF A SERGEANT
CAN'T BE A SERGEANT. BUT
UNDERLYING IT ALL IS
COUNCILMEMBER MOORE SAID, IT'S
ACCOUNTABILITY AND
TRANSPARENCY. WITH THAT, I
WOULD JUST ADD REGARDING YOUR
CONSENT TO RESTATUS, OUR NEXT
MEETING WILL HAVE THE THREE
LEGGED STOOL. THAT WILL BE TWO
WEEKS FROM TODAY. SO I WILL
LOOK TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE
CONSENT DECREE STATUS SLIDE
BEFORE THAT MEETING. WITH THAT
SAID, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
MINDFUL OF THE TIME AND THE
FACT THAT WE HAVE CHIEF
SCOGGINS HERE. THANK YOU CHIEF
DIAZ FOR JOINING US THIS
MORNING. NOW TO THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT. SO, WE WILL NOW
MOVE ON TO THE LAST ITEM OF
BUSINESS. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE
READ ITEM FOUR INTO THE RECORD.
>> SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION WITH
CHIEF HAROLD SCOGGINS.
>> WELCOME CHIEF SCOGGINS AND
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS
MORNING. I REALLY APPRECIATE
IT. ONCE YOU'RE SET WE'LL
START.
AGAIN, WELCOME CHIEF SCOGGINS.
>> ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. AND
THANK YOU FOR INVITING THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT IN THIS MORNING TO
GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE
SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO
CHAIR KETTLE, IT WAS GREAT
MEETING WITH YOU A COUPLE WEEKS
AGO. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. MY
TEAM AND I. COUNCIL PRESIDENT,
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AND
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I THINK
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T
LEAD WITH A THANK YOU OF ALL
THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE
SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE
AMAZING WORK THEY DO EVERY DAY
IN GOING OUT THE DOOR TO SERVE
COMMUNITY. THAT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT WORK AND OFTEN TIMES
THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T SEE IT,
BUT WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON
BEHIND THE SCENES. SO WE PUT
TOGETHER A FEW SLIDES ON THINGS
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS
MORNING. AND IT'S MY GOAL TO
GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW ON
RESPONSE AND FIRE PREVENTION
THIS MORNING. BUT I THINK THE
WAY WE LOOK AT THIS IS
MITIGATION PREVENTION AND
EDUCATION. THE MITIGATION IS
WHAT YOU SEE EVERY DAY WHEN YOU
SEE THE FIREFIGHTERS GOING OUT
THE DOOR TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH
LIGHTS AND SIRENS. THERE'S A
LOT THAT GOES INTO MITIGATION.
IT'S HAVING GREAT EQUIPMENT.
IT'S HAVING THE NEEDED TOOLS
AND THE FIRE ENGINES AND LADDER
TRUCKS AND THE AID CAR. IT'S
THE TRAINING THAT WE REALLY
WORK HARD TO STAY IN COMPLIANCE
WITH IT. WHETHER IT'S THE
WASHINGTON ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
OR THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION
SAFETY TRAINING STANDARDS OR
THE RATINGS BUREAU. THERE'S A
LOT THAT GOES INTO MITIGATION.
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SEES IS THE
RIGS GOING OUT THE DOORS,
FIREFIGHTERS JUMPING OFF THE
RIGS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.
RIGOROUS EMS STANDARDS AND THE
PARAMEDICS AND EMT'S ADHERE
TO. THE SECOND PIECE TO THAT IS
PREVENTION. OUR FIRE PREVENTION
BUREAU AND ALL THE WORK WE DO
IN WORKING HARD TO MAKE SEATTLE
SAFE FOR THOSE WHO LIVE HERE,
WORK HERE AND VISIT HERE.
THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO
THAT. THE THIRD PIECE WE FOCUS
ON AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS
EDUCATION. GETTING OUT THE DOOR
AND GETTING INTO THE DIFFERENT
PLACES AROUND THE COMMUNITY AND
TRYING TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY
ON FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY. SO
THIS MORNING WE'RE GOING TO
TALK ABOUT MITIGATION AND
PREVENTION AND WE'RE GOING TO
GO OVER THE STAFFING AND WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE
MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTH
PROGRAM. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE
SOME QUESTIONS AT THE END IF I
WASN'T THOROUGH ENOUGH IN MY
COMMENTS. THE SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT, WE'RE BROKEN UP
INTO BASICALLY FOUR ARMS. WE'RE
FORTUNATE THIS MORNING TO HAVE
THREE OF MY EXECUTIVE TEAM
MEMBERS HERE IN THE ROOM THIS
MORNING. I'D LIKE TO TAKE A
MOMENT TO INTRODUCE THEM. TIM
MENICE. IF YOU HAVE ANY FIRE
PREVENTION QUESTIONS, HE'S THE
RIGHT PERSON FOR THAT.
ASSISTANT BRIAN HASTINGS IS THE
OPERATION CHIEF. HE'S RIGHT
THERE IN THE CROWD. AND HE HAS
A BIG RESPONSIBILITY FOR
OPERATIONS. AND OUR
ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR IS HELEN FITZPATRICK.
SHE IS OVERSEES THE HR, OUR
FINANCE, OUR IT, OUR PUBLIC
AFFAIRS FOR ALL OF THE SEATTLE
FIRE DEPARTMENT. ONE MEMBER WHO
IS MISSING TODAY IS ASSISTANT
CHIEF CHRIS LOMBARD. HE GOT ON
A PLANE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND
HAD A MEETING IN D.C. TODAY HE
SITS ON THE NATIONAL FIRST
COMMITTEE. THEY HAD A COMMITTEE
MEETING TODAY AND FLYING BACK
TONIGHT. THAT'S 11 HOURS OF
FLYING FOR A HALF DAY MEETING.
YOU CAN SEE THE PIECES
ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATIONS OR
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OR FIRE
PREVENTION OR ADMIN. I WON'T
SPEND A LOT OF TIME THERE
BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE
INFORMATION. THE WAY THE CITY
IS BROKEN UP IS ALWAYS REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO
UNDERSTAND. YOU CAN SEE THE
DIFFERENT COLORS ON THE MAPS.
THOSE ARE DIFFERENT BATTALIONS
AND HOW WE HAVE THE CITY BROKEN
UP. WE HAVE 33 FIRE STATIONS
SPACED OUT IN NEIGHBORHOODS ALL
OVER THE CITY. BATTALIONS FOUR
AND SIX ARE TO THE NORTH.
BATTALION TWO IS THE ORANGE IN
THE MIDDLE AND BATTALION SEVEN
AND FIVE IS WEST SEATTLE. AND
THEN THE SOUTH END OF THE CITY.
EACH OF THOSE BATTALIONS HAS A
DIFFERENT CHIEF IN CHARGE AND
WE HAVE ONE ON DUTY DEPUTY
CHIEF EACH AND EVERY DAY. SOME
OF THE UNITS NOT LISTED ON THE
SLIDES. IT'S IMPORTANT YOU
UNDERSTAND. WE HAVE A WORLD
CLASS TECHNICAL RESCUE TEAM IN
FIRE STATION 14. OUR DIVERS ARE
TECHNICAL RESCUE EXPERTS
THEY'RE OUT OF THERE. THE
MARINE RESPONSE TEAMS ARE OUT
OF FIRE STATION 36. IF YOU'RE
GOING ACROSS THE WEST SEATTLE
BRIDGE, RIGHT TO THE LEFT IF
YOU'RE GOING WEST, THAT'S FIRE
STATION 36. THEY HAVE A BIG
RESPONSIBILITY IN MAKING SURE
THE DEPARTMENT IS WELL TRAINED
FOR THE VESSEL RESPONSES AND
THE MARINE RESPONSES. OUR
HAZMAT TEAM IS OUT OF FIRE
STATION 10 AND OUR DECON TEAM
IS OUT OF STATION 27 IN
GEORGETOWN. OUR NEWEST
TECHNICAL RESCUE TEAM IS OUT OF
FIRE STATION 25 ON CAPITAL
HILL. THE ENERGY RESPONSE TEAM.
SOME OF THE OTHER UNITS THAT
YOU MAY SEE FROM TIME TO TIME,
YOU MAY SEE FIREFIGHTERS DURING
THE SUMMER MONTHS OR WINTER
MONTHS JUMPING OFF A FIRE
ENGINE IN A WET SUIT AND
JUMPING IN THE WATER. WE HAVE
RESCUE SWIMMERS ALL OVER THE
CITY AT A VARIETY OF STATIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO ALL OF THE
DIFFERENT RESPONSES. THAT'S A
BRIEF LAY OF THE LAND OF THE
SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT. OUR
STAFFING IS SOMETHING WE'VE
BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO.
STAFFING IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED OVER
THE LAST TEN YEARS OR SO. IN
THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN
THE LAST TEN YEARS, WE'VE HIRED
HALF THE DEPARTMENT. THAT MEANS
HALF OF THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE
TEN YEARS OR LESS. WE'RE GOING
THROUGH A GENERATIONAL
TRANSITION AND COVID AND ALL
THE OTHER THINGS DIDN'T HELP
WITH THAT. THE RETIREMENT
ENHANCEMENT THAT HAPPENED IN
THE LEGISLATURE. ALL OF THOSE
THINGS PLAYED A PART IN THAT.
WE WOULD BE FULLY STAFFED AT
1,198 POSITIONS. CURRENTLY WE
HAVE, AND THAT'S 1111 SWORN
UNIFORM POSITIONS AND 87
PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBERS.
CURRENTLY IN THE DEPARTMENT WE
HAVE APPROXIMATELY 125
VACANCIES. AND 120 OF THOSE ARE
IN THE OPERATIONS SIDE. AND
THAT'S THE FIREFIGHTERS' SIDE.
FIVE OF THOSE ARE ON THE
ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE. FORTUNATE
ENOUGH, WE HAVE A NEW ACADEMY
STARTING TOMORROW. VALENTINE'S
DAY. 45 OR SO NEW SEATTLE FIRE
RECRUITS WILL SHOW UP AT OUR
JOINT TRAINING CENTER AT 9401
MYERSWAY. THEY'LL BE THERE FOR
THE NEXT 15 AND A HALF WEEKS.
AND YOU CAN SEE BY SOME OF THE
NUMBERS ON THE PAGE THERE,
RECRUITMENT ISN'T THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT'S PROBLEM. OUR
PROBLEM AND CHALLENGE IS WE
HAVE A RIGOROUS TRAINING
ACADEMY. WE GENERALLY LOSE
ABOUT A THIRD. IN 2023, WE LOST
A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A THIRD
OF THE RECRUITS THAT ENTER INTO
OUR TRAINING PROGRAM. SO WE
ALWAYS HAVE A LOT OF
APPLICATIONS. WE ALWAYS HAVE A
LOT OF FOLKS SIGNING UP. OFTEN
TIMES, WHEN INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO
PUT ON 50, 60, 70 POUNDS WORTH
OF GEAR AND PUT A BREATHER ON
AND THEN START WORK ONCE YOU
GET ALL YOUR GEAR ON, A LOT OF
FOLKS REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND
THE NATURE OF THE WORK THAT WE
DO. SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S
SOME CHALLENGES THERE. WE PUT A
NUMBER OF PROGRAMS IN PLAY TO
TRY AND HELP CREATE AWARENESS.
HELP INDIVIDUALS BECOME BETTER
TRAINED AND ALL OF THOSE
THINGS. IT'S AN ONGOING
CHALLENGE THAT WE FACE. THE
SECOND CLASS OF THE YEAR WILL
START IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
SO GENERALLY WE HAVE TWO
RECRUIT TRAINING CLASSES A YEAR
AND WE DO OUR TRAINING
OURSELVES. SO WE MAKE THE
CLASSES THE SIZE THEY NEED TO
BE OR THE NUMBER THAT'S
ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET. OUR
GOAL IS WORKING TOWARDS
REDUCING THAT VACANCY COUNT.
THAT'S A BIG DEAL FOR US. WE
WERE FORTUNATE THIS YEAR,
JANUARY 1 OF THIS YEAR, 26 NEW
FTE'S WENT INTO THE POSITION
COUNT OF THE SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT. FOR LADDER 13 IN
WEST SEATTLE AND MEDIC 26 IN
SOUTH PARK. SO DECEMBER 31, OUR
POSITION COUNT WOULD HAVE
LOOKED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
THAN ON JANUARY 1. THOSE
POSITIONS ACTUALLY WENT INTO
THE COUNT. LATER THIS YEAR IN
OCTOBER, WE'LL BE OPENING UP
OUR APPLICATIONS. WE'RE REALLY
EXCITED ABOUT THAT. OUR PUBLIC
AFFAIRS TEAM AND THE WORK FORCE
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR ARE
PUTTING TOGETHER A RECRUITMENT
STRATEGY FOR US AND MARKETING
PLAN. WE'RE GOING TO BE
KICKING THAT OFF AND WE'LL BE
EXCITED ABOUT THAT. IT'LL BE
OPEN FOR EIGHT WEEKS. TO GIVE
YOU PERSPECTIVE, IN MARCH OF
2022 TO APRIL 19 OF 2022, JUST
ABOUT SEVEN WEEKS, WE RECEIVED
ABOUT 3,000 APPLICATIONS IN
SEVEN WEEKS. SO WE'LL SEE WHAT
WE GET. WE'RE GOING TO BE OPEN
A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN THAT.
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. BUT
WE ARE GOING THROUGH A
TRANSITION IN THE ORGANIZATION.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR CALLS,
THESE ARE OUR CALLS COMING INTO
THE FIRE ALARM CENTER. THAT'S
OUR DISPATCH CENTER. WHEN THEY
COME INTO THE 911 CENTER AND
CHIEF SMITH'S SHOP. IF IT'S A
FIRE OR MEDICAL EMERGENCY, THAT
CALL IS IMMEDIATELY TRANSFERRED
TO THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND OUR DISPATCHERS DO AN
AMAZING JOB IN TRIAGING THAT
INFORMATION AND GETTING THE
DISPATCHES OUT THE DOOR. WHAT
YOU CAN SEE IS AN UPWARD TREND.
WE SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISED AT
THAT. IF YOU LOOK AT THE OFFICE
OF PLANNINGS' WEBSITE AND YOU
LOOK AT THEIR QUICK FACTS,
SINCE 2010, THE CITY OF SEATTLE
HAS GROWN BY 170,000 PEOPLE.
OVER 92,000 NEW RESIDENTIAL
UNITS HAVE BEEN BUILT IN THE
CITY. WE'RE BECOMING A MORE
POPULATED CITY. AND WHAT WE
KNOW FROM THAT IS MORE PEOPLE
YOU HAVE IN THE CITY, THE MORE
CALLS YOU'RE GOING TO GO ON.
OUR DISPATCHERS, THEY DO AN
AMAZING JOB. OUR GOAL IS TO
ANSWER THE PHONE IN 15 SECONDS
OR LESS 90% OF THE TIME. OUR
DISPATCHERS ARE DOING A GREAT
JOB THERE, AND THEY'RE WELL
ABOVE 90% IN GETTING THE PHONE
ANSWERED. FOR HIGH HAZARD EMS
AND FIRE CALLS AND THAT'S
AFTER WE GO THROUGH THE
EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCHING
PROTOCOLS, OUR GOAL IS TO GET
THEM DISPATCHED IN 60 SECONDS
OR LESS. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE,
THE MORE CALLS COMING IN, THIS
IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE
CHALLENGING. THAT'S ONE OF THE
CHALLENGES WE CONTINUE TO FACE.
I'M SURE IT'S THE SAME IN
CHIEF SMITH'S SHOP IN THE 911
CENTER AS WELL. IF YOU TAKE OUT
2020 FROM THE CHART, YOU'LL
SEE A STEADY UPWARDS CLIMB.
MORE PEOPLE ARE USING THE
SYSTEM. ALL THOSE CALLS DO NOT
RESULT IN A 911 DISPATCH. FOR A
VARIETY OF REASONS. WHAT I HAVE
ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW IS THE
NUMBER OF CALLS THAT THE
INCIDENTS THAT ARE DISPATCHED.
LAST YEAR WE WERE AT 111,000
INCIDENTS. THAT'S THE MOST IN
OUR HISTORY. EACH YEAR WE
CONTINUE TO CLIMB. THESE ARE
UNITS GOING OUT THE DOOR ON
RESPONSE. SOME RESPONSES HAVE A
SINGLE UNIT. SOME RESPONSES
HAVE TWO UNITS. SOME RESPONSES
HAVE FOUR OR FIVE. DEPENDING ON
HOW BIG THE EVENT IS. SO ONE
PHONE CALL MAY NOT EQUAL ONE
INCIDENT. ONE PHONE CALL COULD
EQUAL FIVE TO 15 UNITS GOING
OUT THE DOOR DEPENDING ON HOW
BIG THE INCIDENT IS. WHAT WE'RE
SEEING IS THE CITY IS GETTING
BUSIER. I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT
SOME OF THE AREAS THAT STAND
OUT FOR US WHERE THE CITY IS
GETTING BUSIER. SO WHAT THIS
GRAPH SHOWS IS OUR ADVANCED
LIFE SUPPORT IS ALS. THOSE ARE
THE CRITICAL MEDICAL
EMERGENCIES. IF YOU LOOK YEAR
AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, THEY'RE
GOING UP. SO THE ADDITION OF
MEDIC 26 WAS NEEDED BECAUSE
THAT'S WHAT OUR PARAMEDICS ARE
RIDING ON. THOSE ARE THE CALLS
THEY GO ON. ADVANCED LIFE
SUPPORT CALLS. THE BIG BAR IN
THE MIDDLE IS BASING LIFE
SUPPORT. THE LOWER EMERGENCY
CALLS. YOU NEED TO BE SEEN. YOU
NEED TO BE CHECKED OUT. YOU MAY
NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, SO WE GO
OUT THE DOOR A LOT ON THOSE
CALLS, TOO. THERE'S A LOT OF
FIRES THAT HAPPEN IN THE CITY.
THAT NUMBER IS FIRES, IT'S
EXTRA INDICATIONS, IT'S ALL
THE OTHER THINGS YOU HAVE A
LARGE RESPONSE. THE VISUAL HERE
IS EVERYTHING IS GOING UP.
THAT'S THE IMPACT THAT WE'RE
SEEING OUT THERE EACH AND EVERY
DAY. SO SOME OF THE TOPICS YOU
MAY HAVE TOUCHED ON THIS
MORNING. I THINK THIS IS A
PRETTY BIG ONE. THIS IS
SOMETHING WE TRACK AND PAY
ATTENTION TO IS THE HOMELESS
RESPONSES. THAT'S IMPORTANT
FOR US. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME
IN AND AROUND ENCAMPMENTS. AND
THIS NUMBER IS MORE THAN 10% OF
OUR RESOURCES. IF YOU LOOK AT
2023, 1300 FIRE RELATED
HOMELESS RESPONSES AND 11,7 #
0EMS RELATED HOMELESS
RESPONSES. THAT'S 10% OF THE
CALL LOAD RIGHT THERE. THE GOOD
NEWS IS FROM 2022 TO 2023, IT
ACTUALLY DECREASED. AND I DO
BELIEVE THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE
WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH
THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM AND ALL
THE EFFORTS THAT'S BEEN GOING
ON. AND WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT
IN OUR DATA AND ANALYTICS. BUT
IT'S STILL A PRETTY
SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OUR
WORK. AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY
DOESN'T SEE A LOT OF TIMES IS
IT'S 2:00 IN THE MORNING UNTIL
2:00 IN THE AFTERNOON TO 4:00
TO 4:00 IN THE MORNING, WE'RE
GOING INTO PLACES ON A REGULAR
BASES THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
HOW DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS
THESE LOCATIONS CAN BE. THIS
GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW OFTEN
OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE ENTERING
INTO THESE SPACES. AND THEN
OVERDOSE EMERGENCIES. AS WAS
TALKED ABOUT EARLIER. IN 2023,
WE WENT ON OVER 5,000 OVERDOSES
OF ALL KINDS. AND YOU CAN SEE
THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE FROM
2022 AND THEN FROM 2021. BUT SO
MUCH SO WE BROKE OUT THE OPIOID
ONLY OVERDOSES. OVER 3800
OPIOID ONLY OVERDOSES. THIS HAS
A REAL SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. A
LOT OF IT ARE SIRENS UP AND
DOWN THE STREET. IN AND AROUND
THE CITY ON A REGULAR BASIS.
BUT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT
PORTION OF OUR CALLS. PROBABLY
4% ARE TIED TO OVERDOSES. THAT
HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR
RESPONSES EACH AND EVERY DAY.
AND SOME ARE IN AND AROUND
ENCAMPMENTS AND THINGS LIKE
THAT. THIS IS ONE OF THE AREAS
WE'RE CHALLENGED IN THE CITY.
AS YOU ALL KNOW. THERE'S A
DIRECT RELATIONSHIP TO THE
NUMBER OF OUT OF HOSPITAL
CARDIAC ARRESTS. THAT'S WHAT
THE ACRONYM IS ON THE SCREEN
THERE. FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO
WE WERE HOVERING AROUND -- IN
2023, WE ENDED WITH 666. I
TALKED TO THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR
ABOUT THIS, DR. MICHAEL SAYER,
AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS.
THERE'S A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP
FROM THE NUMBER OF CARDIAC
ARRESTS TO DRUG OVERDOSES ON
THE STREETS IMPACTING THIS
NUMBER AND GOING UP. AND PEOPLE
ARE PASSING AWAY FROM CARDIAC
ARRESTS. AND WE CAN SEE IT. WE
TRACK EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
THE EMS TEAM UNDER THE
DIRECTION OF DR. MICHAEL
SAYER, THE IMPACTS ARE REAL.
THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE RESPONDING
TO THESE EVENTS ON A REGULAR
BASIS. THE VIOLENCE IS AN
UPTICK. IF YOU LOOK FOUR OR
FIVE YEARS AGO. WE HAVE A FEW
CATEGORIES. SCENES OF VIOLENCE.
THAT'S TO WHEN WE'RE CALLED
TO A SCENE OF VIOLENCE BECAUSE
THERE'S BEEN A STABBING OR
SHOOTING OR AN ASSAULT OF SOME
KIND. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE
WERE 2 TO 300. RIGHT NOW 495.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER
SIGNIFICANT LINES. THE 151
NUMBER IN THE GREEN, THAT'S
EXPEDITE. OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE
GOTTEN ON SCENE, PD WASN'T
CALLED TO THE SCENE WITH US BUT
BECAUSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON ON
SCENE, WE HAVE HAD TO CALL THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO
ASSIST. AND THEN THE SECOND ONE
IS FAST BACKUPS. THAT MEANS THE
INCIDENT ESCALATED EVEN MORE
AND WE NEED EVEN MORE OFFICERS.
SO I WANT TO GIVE THANKS TO THE
COUNCILMEMBER FOR PASSING THE
OBSTRUCTION LEGISLATION IN MAY
OF 2023, AND IT WENT INTO PLAY
OF JUNE OF 2023. BECAUSE THESE
NUMBERS RIGHT HERE ARE WHAT WE
LOOK AT. I LOOK AT THE ASSAULT
AND THREATENING BEHAVIOR
REPORTS THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS
SUBMIT. I TRY TO GET AN
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S
HAPPENING OUT ON THE STREETS.
WE ARE SEEING MORE VIOLENCE ON
THE STREET THAT WE ARE
RESPONDING TO. I DON'T WANT TO
LEAVE YOU WITH FIRES AREN'T
HAPPENING. THE ONES YOU
PROBABLY SEE ON THE NEWS MOST
OF THE TIME ARE VACANT BUILDING
FIRES. LAST YEAR WE HAD OVER
300 STRUCTURE FIRES IN THE
CITY. AND YOU KNOW, BECAUSE
WE'RE BECOMING SUCH A YOUNG
DEPARTMENT SO FAST, ABOUT
ONE-THIRD OF THAT 300 WE DID A
SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT REPORT.
THAT'S A PROCESS WHERE THE ON
SCENE UNITS DO A REVIEW AND
CREATE A TRAINING SESSION SO WE
CAN THEN SHARE WITH ALL OF OUR
FOLKS IN OPERATIONS. IT'S A
WAY OF SPEEDING UP THE LEARNING
BECAUSE WE'RE BECOMING YOUNGER
SO FAST. FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO
THE AVERAGE AGE IN THE
DEPARTMENT WAS 47 YEARS OF AGE.
NOW WE'RE DOWN TO 43. EVERY
TIME WE HIRE A NEW CLASS IT'S
GOING TO GO LOWER AND LOWER. WE
HAVE TO CREATE THESE TYPE OF
TRAINING PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE
THE FOLKS ARE AS TRAINED AS
THEY CAN TO GO OUT THE DOOR. ON
THE BOTTOM RIGHT YOU CAN SEE
HOW MANY STRUCTURE PYRES WE'RE
HAVING ANNUALLY, AND YOU CAN
SEE THAT'S TICKING UP FROM
WHERE IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO.
DERELICT BUILDING FIRES.
THAT'S ONE OF THE PILLARS FROM
THIS MORNING ON THE SLIDE.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THAT ON.
EVEN THIS MORNING. WE HAD
ANOTHER DERELICT BUILDING FIRE.
WE'RE AT FEBRUARY 13 IN 2024,
AND WE'VE ALREADY HAD 22 OF
THOSE THIS YEAR. SO FIRES WHERE
PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN IN AND
COMPROMISED A STRUCTURE AND A
SIGNIFICANT FIRE RESPONSE HAD
TO BE DEPLOYED TO PUT THE FIRE
OUT. IN 2023 WAS A VERY HIGH
YEAR FOR US FOR DERELICT
BUILDING FIRES. 131. IT SHOULD
BE NOTED IN 2023 WE HAD THREE
FIRE FATALITIES IN THESE
DERELICT VACANT BUILDINGS.
THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT SITUATION
FOR US BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE
FLOORS MAY HAVE BEEN
COMPROMISED. THE WALLS, THE
CEILINGS, THE ROOFS. ALL OF
THIS CHANGES THE FIRE DYNAMICS
AND THE FIRE BEHAVIOR IN A
STRUCTURE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE
FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE AN
AMAZING FIRE PREVENTION TEAM
AND SEATTLE DEPARTMENT OF
CONSTRUCTION AND INSPECTION TO
MAKE SURE BUILDINGS ARE BUILT
RIGHT. THERE'S A REASON WE
WANT THAT. SO WE CAN CONTROL
THE FIRE AND KEEP IT TO THE
ROOM OF ORIGIN. WHEN THE WALLS
ARE COMPROMISED AND THE FLOORS
ARE COMPROMISED AND THE
CEILINGS ARE COMPROMISED, IT
CHANGES THE DYNAMICS. SOME OF
THE BIG ONES YOU MAY HAVE SEEN
ARE 823 MADISON ON NEW YEAR'S
MORNING. OR THE LARGE VACANT
BUILDING FIRE ON GENESEE IN
DECEMBER. AND THE LIST GOES ON
AND ON AND ON. GENERALLY THESE
ARE NOT SMALL FIRES. THESE ARE
BIG THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING
TO WORK THROUGH. NOW FIRE
PREVENTION STAYS PRETTY BUSY IN
THE CITY OF SEATTLE. IN 2023,
WE INVESTIGATED 293 FIRES. THAT
TEAM IS OUT THE DOOR PUTTING IN
THE HARD EFFORTS TO TRY TO
FIGURE THIS OUT. THEY IDENTIFY
ABOUT 127 OF THE FIRES IN 2023
AS ARSON. OUR SPECIAL HAZARDS
UNIT. THEY STAY BUSY. OVER 5500
HAZMAT PERMITS ISSUED IN AND
AROUND THE CITY. NEW
CONSTRUCTION. WE CAN LOOK OUT
THE WINDOW AND SEE THE BUILDING
AND THE GROWTH AND THE
TRANSITION THAT'S TAKING PLACE
IN THE CITY. OVER 2900 PLANS
REVIEWED AND OVER 4,000 NEW
CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS. THAT
TEAM STAYS REALLY BUSY. AND
THEN COMPLIANCE. WHEN WE GET
THE COMPLAINTS FOR THE DERELICT
OR DANGEROUS BUILDINGS OR
UNSAFE SITUATIONS, WE HAVE A
TEAM THAT ROOTS ALL THAT OUT
AND TRIES TO CREATE A SAFE
SPACE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO
BE IN. THEN OUR SPECIAL EVENTS
UNIT. SOMETHING WE PROBABLY
TAKE FOR GRANTED, BUT WE DON'T.
ANY TIME THERE'S A SPORTING
EVENT, THERE'S A CONCERT,
THERE'S A PARADE, THERE'S A
COMMUNITY EVENT, OVER 2,000
TIMES IN 2023 OUR SPECIAL
EVENTS' UNIT REVIEWED THE
PERMITS AND IDENTIFIED THAT WE
NEED FOLKS ON SITE OR NOT. MOST
OF THE TIME FOR THE BIG EVENTS.
YOU CAN IMAGINE WE HAVE QUITE A
TEAM OF PEOPLE. SEAHAWKS'
SUNDAY WE HAVE 40 OR 50
FIREFIGHTERS IN DIFFERENT
PLACES ALL AROUND THE STADIUM.
THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE. OUR
GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THE
COMMUNITY IS SAFE. OVER 500
HIGH RISE BUILDINGS IN THE
CITY. WE WORK HARD TO GET
INSIDE OF THOSE BUILDINGS EACH
AND EVERY YEAR. AND WE
COMPLETED INSPECTIONS ON THOSE
TO MAKE SURE THOSE LIVING
ABOVEGROUND, IT'S IMPORTANT TO
MAKE SURE THE BUILDINGS ARE
SAFE. THE SYSTEM TESTING.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE DEPLOYED A
SYSTEM CALLED BRICEER. THAT
ALLOWED US TO TRACK THESE
SYSTEMS ACROSS THE SYSTEM. OVER
27,000 SYSTEMS IN THE CITY IN
15,000 BUILDINGS. THE FIRE
PREVENTION BUREAU DOES AN
AMAZING JOB BRINGING THEM INTO
COMPLIANCE WHEN THEY GET OUT OF
BALANCE. SOMETHING YOU'LL BE
SEEING IN Q2, THE FIRE CODE IS
GENERALLY LAGGING ABOUT THREE
YEARS BEHIND IN THE CODE CYCLE.
THAT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT. WE'RE
GOING TO BE BRINGING THE 2021
FIRE CODE UPDATES TO YOU. IT
WILL COME TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMITTEE FOR A REVIEW AND
COMMENT AND ALL OF THOSE
THINGS. OUR TEAM HAS DONE AN
AMAZING JOB. LEADERS IN THE
REGION AND STATE ON TRYING TO
ADDRESS THE NEW ISSUE WITH
LITHIUM ICON BATTERIES. THOSE
ARE ENERGY RESPONSE TEAMS.
WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE
FIRES IN SCOOTERS, IN BIKES, IN
BATTERY STORAGE SYSTEMS. AS THE
SYSTEMS CONTINUE TO BE
DEPLOYED, WE EXPECT THIS TO
CONTINUE TO GO UP. SO WE'RE
REALLY WORKING HARD THERE. SO
THOSE INSPECTIONS WERE OUR FIRE
PREVENTION BUREAU. ALL OF OUR
FIRE COMPANIES AND ALL OF OUR
FIRE STATIONS HAVE INSPECTIONS
TO DO ANNUALLY ALSO. AND IT'S
IMPORTANT TO NOTE. ONCE THAT
BUILDING IS FINALIZED AND IT'S
SIGNED OFF AND EVERYTHING IS
DONE WITH IT, THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT IS THE ONLY
DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY THAT
ACTUALLY TOUCHES IT ON A
REGULAR BASIS. SO LAST YEAR,
OUR SEATTLE FIREFIGHTERS GOT IN
91% OF ALL OF OUR ASSIGNED
INSPECTIONS. SOMETIMES IT'S
DIFFICULT FOR A VARIETY OF
REASONS TO GET IN ALL OF THEM.
THAT'S OVER 14,297 BUILDINGS.
BUT IT REQUIRED OVER 16,500
TOUCHES TO TRY AND GET INTO ALL
OF THOSE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
AND THEN ALL AROUND THE CITY,
YOU SEE THE HYDRANTS. WE GO AND
TEST THOSE ANNUALLY, TOO, TO
MAKE SURE THOSE ARE WORKING
OKAY. THAT'S OUR BREAD AND
BUTTER. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THEY'RE WORKING. THAT'S
IMPORTANT FOR US, TOO. A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THE HEALTH ONE TEAM.
YOU HEARD FROM CHIEF SMITH AND
OUR TEAM PARTNERS WITH THE CARE
TEAM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
THEY'RE OUT AND WORKING HARD
TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY. SOME
THINGS THAT SHOULD BE NOTED
WITH OUR MOBILE HEALTH TEAM.
LAST YEAR THEY WENT ON OVER
1100 DIRECT DISPATCHES. THAT
CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE DISPATCH
CENTER. THEY FOLLOWED UP ON
OVER 2900 REFERRALS. SO
FIREFIGHTERS ALL OVER THE CITY,
THEY GO INTO A SITUATION AND
THEY SAY HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT,
THIS NEEDS TO BE FOLLOWED UP
WITH HEALTH ONE-AND-ONE OF OUR
CASE MANAGERS. OVER 2900 TIMES.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE 1100
AND THE 2900 AND THE ADDITIONAL
6,000 TIMES IT GOES TO THE
NURSE NAVIGATOR PHONE LINE,
THAT'S ANOTHER 10,000
RESPONSES THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS
PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN ON.
AND IT'S PROBABLY HIGHER THAN
THAT. IF WE HAVE A HIGH
UTILIZER IN OUR SYSTEM, THAT
MEANS THAT'S SOMEONE WHO HAS
CALLED 911 THREE TIMES IN A
THREE MONTH PERIOD. THEY MAY
GET REFERRED TO OUR HEALTH ONE
TEAM FOR A FOLLOWUP. THEY COULD
BE A VULNERABLE ADULT OR
SOMEONE IN NEED OF CARE OR
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OR ADDICTION
ISSUES. ALL OF THOSE ITEMS, ALL
THOSE ARE REASONS FOR OUR TEAM
TO FOLLOW UP ON. OUR TEAM DOES
AN AMAZING JOB IN DOING THAT
AND REALLY TRYING TO GET PEOPLE
WHAT THEY NEED. SOMETIMES IT'S
GETTING THEM A DOCTORS'
APPOINTMENT THAT MAY NOT BE AN
EMERGENCY. SOMETIMES IT'S
FOLLOWING UP ON CALLING THE
DOCTOR WHILE THEY'RE THERE AND
GETTING THE APPOINTMENT AND
THEN GIVING THEM A LYFT VOUCHER
TO GET THERE AND BACK. ALL THAT
BECOMES IMPORTANT. THEY SPEND
ABOUT AN HOUR ON SCENE EVERY
TIME THEY GO OUT THE DOOR. IN
2023 IN JUNE AND I TALKED ABOUT
THE OVERDOSE INFORMATION, WE
TRANSITIONED ONE OF OUR HEALTH
ONE UNITS INTO HEALTH 99. THAT
BECAME OUR OVERDOSE RESPONSE
UNIT IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE OF
THE CITY. THAT LAUNCHED IN
JUNE. BETWEEN JUNE AND THE END
OF DECEMBER, THEY WENT ON OVER
260 OVERDOSES. THEIR GOAL WHEN
THEY GOT THERE WAS TO DEPLOY
NARCAN OR WHATEVER THEY NEEDED.
ONCE THE PERSON WAS REVIVED AND
IF THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO
THE HOSPITAL, IS WE WOULD CLEAR
ALL THE UNITS ON SCENE AND OUR
CASE MANAGERS AND OUR
FIREFIGHTERS WOULD THEN SPEND
THE TIME NEEDED TO TRY AND
CONVINCE THAT PERSON TO GO AND
GET HELP. THAT'S THE NUMBER
ONE REASON THEY'RE THERE. AND
THEY ACTUALLY HAD QUITE A FEW
SUCCESS STORIES IN 2023 AND
WE'LL BE PRESENTING TO THE
MAYORS' OFFICE OUR SIX MONTH
REPORT COMING OUT OF THAT.
THAT'S SUCH CRITICAL WORK WHEN
YOU SEE WE HAD OVER 5,000
OVERDOSES IN 2023 AND OVER 3800
OF THOSE WERE OPIOID BASE.
IT'S PRESENTING SOME NEW IDEAS
AND THINGS WE SHOULD BE DOING.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND
TRANSITION INTO TO CONTINUE TO
HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE IN NEED.
THE LAST SLIDE IS JUST
INFORMATION. JUST TO GIVE YOU
AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE OTHER
THINGS THAT GO ON. SO I HAVE
WASHINGTON TASK FORCE 1
DEPLOYMENTS. OUR TEAM WENT TO
MAUI LAST YEAR TO HELP WITH THE
SEARCH IN MAUI. OUR TEAM GOES
OUT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. IT
COULD BE THE TASK FORCE 1 TEAM
OR IT COULD BE THE WILD LAND
FIREFIGHTERS GOING OUT TO HELP
AROUND THE STATE OR HELP OUR
NEIGHBORING STATES. LAST YEAR
WE WERE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO
DEPLOY A LOT OF NEEDED TRAINING
FOR THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
TRAINING, SUICIDE INTERVENTION
TRAINING, OUR THERAPY DOG TEAMS
HAVE BEEN OUT AND ABOUT AND OUR
RESILIENCY COACHING. ALL THAT
IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE A COUPLE OF
YEARS BACK WE WERE ABLE TO FIRE
A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
COORDINATOR. ONE OF THE GOALS
IS TO HIRE AN EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF WELLNESS. THESE ARE
THE TYPE OF POSITIONS THAT ARE
REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOUR
FOLKS ARE SEEING TRAUMA ON A
DAILY BASIS. TO HELP PROVIDE
THEM WITH TOOLS AND SKILLS TO
HELP COPE. IF YOU'RE SEEING
CARDIAC ARRESTS EVERY DAY. IF
YOU'RE SEEING SHOOTINGS EVERY
DAY. IF YOU'RE SEEING
OVERDOSES EVERY DAY. THIS
STARTS TO WEAR ON AN
INDIVIDUAL. THAT BECOMES VERY
IMPORTANT. WE HAD A COUPLE OF,
AN IT SUCCESS AND LAUNCHED A
NEW LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
WE HAVE TWO BIG ONES IN FLIGHT.
OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT INCIDENT
REPORTING SYSTEM AND OUR NEW
STAFFING SYSTEM. THE LAST LINE
I HAVE ON THERE IS SOMETHING
THAT I AND WE ARE REALLY PROUD
OF. YOU KNOW, WE MET THE MARK.
WE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A
CLASS 1 FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE
STATE OF WASHINGTON. WE ARE THE
ONLY ONE IN THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON. ONLY 1% OF FIRE
DEPARTMENTS NATIONALLY. 32,000
FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE IN THE
UNITED STATES, APPROXIMATELY.
ONLY 1% MEET THIS RATING. WHAT
THAT MEANS IS WE'RE STAFFED
APPROPRIATELY. WE HAVE THE
PROPER EQUIPMENT. WE MEET THE
TRAINING STANDARDS. OUR WATER
SYSTEM DOES AN AMAZING JOB AND
OUR DISPATCH CENTER IS HIGHLY
FUNCTIONING. ALL THOSE ARE
COMPONENTS THAT ARE RATED. OUR
NEXT RATING, AND IT'S DONE
EVERY FIVE YEARS. IN 2026 WE
EXPECT WASHINGTON SURVEYING AND
RATING BUREAU TO COME BACK AND
GIVE ME YOUR RECORDS, AND WE'LL
BE PROUD TO SHOW THEM WHAT WE
GOT. I'LL PAUSE THERE AND SEE
IF THERE'S QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF
SCOGGINS. THAT LAST SLIDE I
REALLY APPRECIATED THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE AT THE FIRE
STATION 31 GROUND BREAKING. I
REALLY APPRECIATED YOUR
BRIEFING. PARTLY BECAUSE
HIGHLIGHTING THE OBSTRUCTION
ORDNANCE, THAT GOES TO PILLAR
TWO. THESE ARE THE THINGS WE
NEED TO DO MOVING FORWARD, TOO.
THE VACANT BUILDING. ONE THING
I NOTED EARLIER, THE FACT THAT
WE'RE WORKING ACROSS
COMMITTEES ON THE VARIOUS
ISSUES. NOT MENTIONED IS THE
FACT, AND I'VE HAD
CONVERSATIONS WITH
COUNCILMEMBER MORALES, WE NEED
TO WORK WITH LAND USE. THIS IS
A MAJOR ISSUE. WE NEED TO WORK
AS A COUNCIL WITH THE MAYORS'
TEAM AND THEN SDCI TO GET
MOVING ON THIS. WE NEED QUICKER
MOVEMENT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES
BEFORE IT BECOMES A FIRE OR A
LIFE THREATENING POTENTIAL
SITUATION. WE NEED TO GET AHEAD
OF THE CURVE. THAT'S WHERE
PILLAR THREE COMES UP. IF WE
ADDRESS THE VACANT BUILDINGS,
THAT GOES TO GETTING RID OF THE
PERMISSIVE CHALLENGE WE HAVE.
I'M MINDFUL OF PILLAR FIVE.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ROLE
YOU PLAY. QUICKLY, JUST MY
QUESTION THOUGH IS NOT REALLY
UNDERSTOOD, I DON'T THINK, IS
THE FACT THAT BECAUSE OF THIS
PERMISSIVE ENVIRONMENT, OUR
FIRE ENGINES, THE LADDER
TRUCKS, THE PERSONNEL, THEY'VE
BEEN ATTACKED AT TIMES. WHAT IS
THE IMPACT IN THAT ALONG WITH
THE OPT TEMPO IN TERMS OF GOING
BACK TO THE QUESTION OF THE
MORALE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT?
HOW IS THAT PLAYING IN IN TERMS
OF THE FACT THAT COULD HAPPEN?
GEAR COULD BE STOLEN OFF A
TRUCK OR LADDER TRUCK? WHAT
IMPACT IS THAT HAVING?
>> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION,
CHAIR KETTLE. THE IMPACT ARE
SIGNIFICANT. MORALE WAS
MENTIONED EARLIER WITH SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT. ALL THESE
EVENTS YOU MENTIONED IMPACTS
THE MORALE IN THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT. WE'RE PARKED
SOMEWHERE AND SOMEONE STEALS
OUR EQUIPMENT. OR WE'RE
ATTACKED WHILE TRYING TO
PROVIDE LIFE SAVING CARE TO A
PERSON WHO IS REALLY IN NEED.
AND WHEN IT HAPPENS, OVER AND
OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THE
FIREFIGHTERS MAY FEEL LIKE
WELL, NO ONE IS PAYING
ATTENTION. NO ONE IS WATCHING
WHAT'S HAPPENING. WHICH IS WHY
WE STARTED OUR ASSAULT AND
THREATENING BEHAVIORS DASH
BOARD SO WE CAN TRACK THE
EVENTS TAKING PLACE THAT LED TO
ENGAGING IN THE CONVERSATION
FOR THE OBSTRUCTION ORDNANCE
BECAUSE YOU COULD DO ALL THESE
THINGS TO A FIREFIGHTER AND IT
WOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED
OBSTRUCTION. WE'RE TRYING TO
DO OUR JOB AND PROVIDE LIFE
SAVING EMS CARE. AND THERE WAS
NO PROTECTIONS IN PLACE.
THAT'S WHY THAT SIGNIFICANT.
ALL THE NUMBERS ON THE RISE
THAT I SHOWED YOU ON THE
SLIDES, OUR FIREFIGHTERS WANT
TO KNOW PEOPLE ARE LISTENING.
PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION.
WE'RE TAKING THE NECESSARY
STEPS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GO
TO ENCAMPMENTS 12, 13, 14,000
TIMES A YEAR. WE DON'T HAVE TO
RESPOND TO 5,000 OVERDOSES IN A
YEAR. I MEAN, CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF YOU'RE A FIREFIGHTER
WORKING AT FIRE STATION 10 OR
FIRE STATION 2 BOTH IN THE
DOWNTOWN CORE AND RESPONDING TO
OVERDOSE AFTER OVERDOSE AFTER
OVERDOSE IN THE SAME DAY? IT
WEARS ON YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
IF WE HAD A BROWN BAG, THAT BAG
WOULD START TO RIP. THIS IS WHY
OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
COORDINATOR AND THE WORK SHE
DOES, KRISTEN COX, BECOMES SO
IMPORTANT. ANY REMEDIES OR
SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS,
THEY WILL HELP WITH MORALE. OUR
FIREFIGHTERS WILL KNOW THAT
YOU'RE LISTENING AND PAYING
ATTENTION.
>> THANK YOU. WE'RE DEFINITELY
LISTENING AND PAYING ATTENTION.
THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO
SAY, THANK ALL OF THEM FOR
THEIR SERVICE. THANK YOU FOR
WEARING THE UNIFORM. THANK YOU
FOR RESPONDING TO THOSE CALLS.
IT'S SUCH A CRITICAL FUNCTION
AND SERVICE TO OUR CITY. SO,
THANK YOU. WITH THAT, COUNCIL
PRESIDENT.
>> TWO QUICK QUESTIONS. YOU'RE
TRACKING OPIOID ONLY OVERDOSE
EMERGENCIES AND YOU HAD THE
NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS CARDIAC
ARRESTS. WHAT DRUGS ARE BEING
USED WHEN THOSE CARDIAC ARRESTS
OCCUR? IS THAT METH? ARE YOU
TRACKING IF IT'S DIFFERENT
THAN OPIOID?
>> IT COULD BE A COMBINATION.
IT COULD BE METH, HEROIN,
FENTANYL AND OFTEN TIMES, IT IS
AN INTERSECTION OF MULTIPLE
THINGS. SO WE ARE TRACKING
THAT. WHICH IS WHY OUR MEDICAL
DIRECTOR REVIEWS ALL OF THOSE
REPORTS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF
STUFF OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. WHAT
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL
TELL YOU, THE COST OF
PURCHASING THESE DRUGS IS WAY
DOWN. SO IT BECOMES WAY MORE
ACCESSIBLE THAN MAYBE IT WAS IN
THE PAST.
>> AND WITH REPORTS THAT METH
IS GETTING STRONGER AND
STRONGER AND THE FACT THAT WE
DON'T REALLY HAVE A MEDICAL
TREATMENT FOR METH, THAT'S
WHAT I'M TRYING TO DIG INTO.
SECOND QUESTION IS THE DERELICT
BUILDING FIRES. OKAY, SO I HAVE
BEEN FOCUSED ON VACANT
BUILDINGS AND THEY CATCH ON
FIRE SOMETIMES, OFTEN TIMES
BECAUSE OF TRESPASSERS. IS IT
BECAUSE THE OWNERS WANT TO
DEMOLISH THE BUILDINGS AND
THEY'RE NOT GETTING PERMITS
FAST ENOUGH?
>> I BELIEVE IT'S A
COMBINATION OF THINGS. SOME OF
THE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE IN LINE
FOR DEMOLITION OF SOME OF THE
BUILDINGS AND IT CAN BE A LONG
PROCESS TO GET IT ALL THE WAY
TO THE FINISH LINE TO GET THE
PERMIT APPROVE WHETHER YOU HAVE
TO REMOVE ASPESTIS. I BELIEVE
THOSE ARE BUILDING OWNERS NOT
ENGAGED. GENERALLY THERE'S A
TREND. IF THERE'S FIRE
DEPARTMENT RESPONSES THERE OVER
AND OVER, POLICE DEPARTMENT
RESPONSES THERE OVER AND OVER,
THE VACANT BUILDING, WORK
GROUP. STEVEN LYNCH'S TEAM.
THEY'RE CITING THE PROPERTY
OWNER OVER AND OVER AND NOT
PAYING THEIR FINES, I THINK WE
SHOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE
INTENTIONAL STEPS TO ABATE THE
PROBLEM. SOMETIMES TO ABATE THE
PROBLEM MEANS YOU HAVE TO
DEMOLISH THE BUILDING. THE LAST
THING I EVER WANT TO DO IS SIT
UP HERE IN FRONT OF YOU AND WE
HAVE A FIREFIGHTER THAT WENT
DOWN IN ONE OF THE BUILDINGS
THAT WAS VACANT AND WE KNEW IT
WAS A PROBLEM AND WE DIDN'T DO
ANYTHING. MY FRIEND CHIEF MILES
FORD IN BALTIMORE HAD TO GO
THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE.
THERE'S A COMBINATION OF
THINGS. THERE ARE THINGS WE
NEED. WE NEED THE PROPERTY
OWNERS TO BE ENGAGED IN THIS
PROCESS FOR THE SAFETY REASONS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. THAT SOUNDS LIKE
A NUISANCE PROPERTY ORDINANCE
ISSUE. NEXT, COUNCILMEMBER
HOLLINGSWORTH.
>> THANK YOU CHIEF SCOGGINS AND
THANK YOU TO YOUR STAFF FOR
BEING HERE. DEFINITELY WANT TO
GIVE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT A BIG
SHOUTOUT. YOU ALL, A LOT OF
TIMES WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC
SAFETY WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THE
SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT. YOU
ARE A BIG PIECE TO THAT
CONVERSATION, AND YOU'VE DONE
PHENOMENAL WORK. ONE OF MY
FIREFIGHTERS WAS THE GREAT LATE
JERRY JONES WHO WAS MY
BASKETBALL COACH GROWING UP.
HIS DAUGHTER ANGIE JONES. A
QUESTION I HAD WAS RELATED TO
THE STAFFING PIECE. DO YOU FEEL
LIKE OUR STAFFING LEVELS, WE'RE
INCREASING A TON OF POPULATION.
WE UNDERSTAND THERE ARE GOING
TO BE MORE CALLS. WE SAW THE
CALLS HAVE GONE UP. THE
STAFFING LEVELS HAVE KIND OF, I
DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE
CONTINUING TO KIND OF STAY
CONSISTENT. DO YOU FEEL LIKE
WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE
FIREFIGHTERS OVER AS WE ARE
CONTINUING TO BUILD MORE
HOUSING AND KIND OF ABSORB A
LOT OF THE POPULATION GROWTH?
>> THE SHORT ANSWER IS I DO.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU PERSPECTIVE.
THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN
AROUND SEATTLE FOR A LONG TIME,
YOU CAN JUST REMEMBER WHAT
SOUTH LAKE UNION USED TO BE AND
WHAT IT IS NOW. THE POPULATION
HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY. SO
THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE IN THE CITY
THAT I'LL POINT OUT. FIRE
STATION TWO IN BELL TOWN. THAT
ENGINE OUT OF THAT STATION IS
RUNNING CLOSE TO 4,000 CALLS A
YEAR. WE HAVE TWO AID CARS IN
THAT STATION. ONE IS A 24 HOUR
AID CAR. THE LADDER TRUCK IS
RUNNING OVER 3,000 CALLS A YEAR
OUT OF THAT ONE STATION.
BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH THAT'S
TAKEN PLACE. THERE ARE THOSE
EXAMPLES. THAT AREA OF THE
DOWNTOWN HAS GROWN SO
SIGNIFICANTLY. WE HAVE TO HAVE
THE CONVERSATIONS. THAT'S WHY
I THINK THE NEXT TIME WHEN
THETY IS UPDATING THE
COMPREHENSIONIVE PLAN, I
BELIEVE PUBLIC SAFETY SHOULD BE
INCLUDED. THE POLICE, FIRE
DEPARTMENT, CARE TEAM, OFFICE
OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND
REALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT THE
GROWTH IS DOING AND THE IMPACTS
IT'S HAVING ON PUBLIC SAFETY
IN THE CITY. THE SHORT ANSWER
IS YES.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT
RECOMMENDATION. COUNCILMEMBER
SAKA, VICE CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK
YOU CHIEF SCOGGINS. REALLY
APPRECIATE THIS PRESENTATION.
THIS OVERVIEW. IT WAS A
PLEASURE CONNECTING WITH YOU
DURING THE MEETING A FEW WEEKS
AGO. I WANT TO ECHO THE
SENTIMENT IN EXPRESSING MY
GRATITUDE. THANKS AND
APPRECIATION FOR YOU AND THE
BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WEAR
THE UNIFORM OF OUR SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT. AND WHO SHOW UP
EVERY DAY AND DO THE WORK AND
HELP KEEP US SAFE AND PROTECTED
IN A VARIETY OF MEANS. REALLY,
REALLY DO RECOGNIZE YOUR AND
APPRECIATION YOUR INVALUABLE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND JUST FOR CLARITY, I HAPPEN
TO SAY THAT NOW BECAUSE YOU ARE
THE CAPSTONE OF WE HAD THE
THREE CHIEFS HERE. THAT SAME
SENTIMENT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE
IS SHARED FOR OUR POLICE
OFFICERS AND OUR NEW THIRD
RESPONSE. CORESPONSE MODEL.
CARE DEPARTMENT. THE CARE
DEPARTMENT. THE CIVILIANS THAT
WEAR POLO SHIRTS IN RESPONDING.
I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU DO
EVERY DAY. I WANT TO HARP UPON
A MESSAGE I HEARD A MOMENT AGO
FROM COUNCILMEMBER MOORE ON THE
SENSE. IN THAT CONTEXT IT WAS
APPLIED TO POLICING, BUT I CAN
SEE HOW THIS AND HAVING HAD
CONVERSATIONS WITH
FIREFIGHTERS, I THINK THIS IS A
SHARED ONE AT LEAST AT A HIGH
LEVEL. THE NOTION THAT WE NEED
TO ALLOW POLICE TO POLICE. AND
I COULDN'T AGREE MORE. I'M
HERE TO EMPOWER ALL OF OUR
FIRST RESPONDERS. POLICING,
FIREFIGHTERS, CARE DEPARTMENT
WORKERS, ET CETERA, TO
EFFECTIVELY CARRY OUT THEIR
PUBLIC SAFETY MANDATE. AND
RATHER THAN SORT OF MEDDLE AND
MICROMANAGE, YOU KNOW, I VIEW
MY RESPONSIBILITY ON THIS BOARD
AS AN OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY
IN MAKING SURE EVERYONE HAS THE
TOOLS AND RESOURCES THEY NEED
TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND AGAIN,
NOT THE SAME AS MAKING SURE WE
DON'T HAVE SWIFT
ACCOUNTABILITY AND HIGH
STANDARDS. SO THANK YOU ALL,
AGAIN, FOR ALL YOU DO. I HAVE
TWO QUESTIONS. ONE IS QUICK. IF
YOU CAN HELP CLARIFY. AT ONE OF
THE EARLIER SLIDES YOU
REFERENCED THAT OVER THE LAST
TEN YEARS WE'VE SEEN A 50%
TURNOVER OF FIREFIGHTERS. AND
JUST WOULD LOVE TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND, IS THAT NET NEW
FIREFIGHTERS OR DOES THAT ALSO
CONTEMPLATE LIKE PEOPLE WHO
HAVE MAYBE LATERALED FROM
ANOTHER DEPARTMENT AND CAME
OVER HERE OR IS THAT 50% OF THE
NEW FORCE INCLUDE JUST PEOPLE
WHO ARE BRAND NEW RECRUITS? THE
SECOND QUESTION THAT I HAVE
KIND OF UNRELATED BUT THIS HITS
TO THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN
PUBLIC SAFETY AND ANY NUMBER OF
OTHER CRITICALLY IMPORTANT
ISSUES. IN THIS CASE
TRANSPORTATION. I THINK
THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO
EXPLORE SIGNIFICANTLY GROW AND
EXPANDING THE EV CHARGING
INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE
CITY. AND YOU MENTIONED SOME
POTENTIAL CHALLENGES WITH
LITHIUM ION BATTERIES. CURIOUS
TO HEAR YOUR INITIAL THOUGHT
AND HOW THAT MIGHT, MAY OR MAY
NOT SHOW UP AS WE REWORK AND
UPDATE THE FIRE CODE. BE
CURIOUS TO HEAR YOUR INITIAL
THOUGHTS, CHIEF, ON WHAT ARE
SOME KIND OF EMERGING ISSUES
WITH LITHIUM ION BATTERIES,
PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO
THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
>> I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 2015,
AND SINCE THAT POINT IN TIME,
WE'VE HIRED ABOUT 550 NEW
FIREFIGHTERS. NOW WE DON'T
HAVE A LATERAL PROCESS IN THE
SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE
HIRE FIREFIGHTERS FROM OTHER
FIRE DEPARTMENTS, BUT THEY ALL
GO THROUGH THE SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT RECRUITMENT PROGRAM.
THERE ARE SOME THAT HAVE BEEN
HIRED, BUT THEY ALL GO THROUGH
THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
TRAINING PROGRAM. AND SO WE
WERE AN OLDER DEPARTMENT. I
THINK WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, I
LOOKED AT WHAT WAS THE
POPULATION THAT WAS ABLE TO
RETIRE? THAT MEANS 53 YEARS OF
AGE. APPROXIMATELY 20 YEARS OF
SERVICE. WE WERE WELL OVER 30%
OF THE POPULATION. WE KNEW WE
WERE GOING THROUGH THE
TRANSITION. RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN
THE LOW 20s BECAUSE OF ALL THE
TRANSITIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN
DOING. WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION
TO IT. BUT IT MEANS WE HAVE TO
PAY MORE. WE HAVE A LOT MORE
FOLKS. AND A LOT OF NEW
LEADERS. LIEUTENANT IS THE
FIRST LINE SUPERVISOR. 80% OF
THE POPULATION WAS SIX YEARS OR
LESS ON THE JOB. SO THAT'S A
YOUNG DEPARTMENT. SO WE'RE
GETTING THERE FAST. SO THAT'S
THE FIRST QUESTION. THE SECOND
QUESTION IS LITHIUM ION
BATTERIES, WHETHER THEY'RE IN
THE SCOOTER OR AN E-BIKE OR IN
A VEHICLE, THERE'S CHALLENGES
WITH THEM BECAUSE OF
REIGNITION. THERE'S CHALLENGES
WITH THEM BECAUSE YOU CAN'T
PUT THEM OUT UNLESS YOU DUNK
THEM IN SOMETHING. AND AS MORE
BATTERY ENERGY STORED SYSTEMS
ARE COMING ONLINE, WHEN THEY
FAIL, IT MAY TAKE ONE BATTERY
THAT FAILS, BUT IF IT'S AN
E-BIKE BATTERY IT COULD BE THIS
BIG AND IT COULD HAVE DOZENS OF
OTHER BATTERIES IN THERE THAT
WILL START TO FAIL BECAUSE OF
THE ONE. WHEN IT'S A VEHICLE,
REIGNITION. IT CAN BURN. OR IT
CAN REIGNITE ON THE BACK OF A
TOW TRUCK OR REIGNITE AT THE
TOW YARD A WEEK LATER. OR THE
BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE IN
CHANDLER, ARIZONA. THEY HAD A
BATTERY ENERGY WAREHOUSE THAT
BURNED FOR TWO WEEKS. THOSE ARE
REAL CHALLENGES. THE FEDERAL
INFRASTRUCTURE IS PUTTING MONEY
INTO THIS INVESTMENT. WE HAVE
TO BE PREPARED FOR THE
CHALLENGES. JUST LIKE WE'VE
BEEN PREPARED OVER THE COURSE
OF OUR CAREER, THE HAZARDS HAVE
CHANGED, WE ADOPTED A HAZMAT
TEAM AND A TECHNICAL RESCUE
TEAM. WE ADDRESSED THE FIRE
CODE OVER THE DECADES. AMERICAS
BURNING WAS WRITTEN IN THE 70s
AND THAT WAS AMERICAS' FIRE
PROBLEM. WHAT WE TOOK ON WITH
AMERICAS' BURNING IS ADDRESSED
NATIONAL FIRE CODE TO MAKE IT
SAFER FOR EVERYONE. WILL THIS
BE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE ITEMS?
ABSOLUTELY. BUT IS IT A REAL
CHALLENGE BECAUSE IT'S NEW?
YES.
>> OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER MOORE.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHIEF
SCOGGINS. THIS IS VERY, VERY
INTERESTING AND NOW I'M
TERRIFIED MY CAR IS GOING TO
CATCH ON FIRE. I HAVE TO GO
BACK AND PAY ATTENTION ON THAT.
ON A SERIOUS NOTE, THE WORK
THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES
IS JUST PHENOMENAL. AND I THINK
TO A LARGE EXTENT YOU'RE TRULY
UNSUNG HEROS. THANK YOU FOR ALL
OF YOUR SERVICE IN EVERY WAY
THAT YOU PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE
CITY. I'M PARTICULARLY
INTERESTED IN THE HEALTH ONE.
AND I KNOW THAT AT LEAST I READ
IN THE PAPER THAT YOU WERE SORT
OF GIVEN THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
AND YOU STEPPED UP TO THE PLAIT
AND HAVE PERFORMED IT
ADMIRABLY. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT
YOUR THOUGHTS OF HOUSING HEALTH
ONE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT,
PARTICULARLY NOW THAT WE HAVE
THE CARE DEPARTMENT. I'M
INTERESTED IN THE INTERSECTION
BETWEEN THOSE DEPARTMENTS. IS
IT A GOOD PLACE TO HAVE IT
GIVEN THE TOLL IT'S TAKING ON
FIREFIGHTERS. NO AGENDA HERE.
I'M JUST INTERESTED IN IT.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I DRIVE AN
ELECTRIC VEHICLE ALSO SO I'M
THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS,
TOO. HEALTH ONE WAS BORN OUT OF
A NEED IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
TO ADDRESS LOW MEDICAL
EMERGENCIES. IN 2019 IN
NOVEMBER WHEN WE LAUNCHED A
PROGRAM, WE DID A YEAR AND A
HALF OF RESEARCH. THIS PROBLEM
WAS HAPPENING AROUND THE
NATION. WE HAVE A LOT OF 911
CALLS THAT COME INTO THE FIRE
ALARM CENTER THAT ARE NOT TRUE
911 EMERGENCIES. WE HAVE A LOT
OF HIGH UTILIZERS IN OUR
SYSTEM. WE HAD FOLKS IN OUR
SYSTEM WHO WOULD CALL DOZENS OF
TIMES IN A YEAR. THE ROOT OF IT
WAS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. THE
VULNERABLE ADULTS. WE MAY GO
INTO SOMEONE'S HOME AND THERE
MAY BE HORDING CONDITIONS OR
THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE
MEDICATIONS THEY NEED. WE MAY
HAVE GONE A NUMBER OF FALLS,
WHICH IS A MEDICAL ISSUE WE'VE
ONLY SEEN BECAUSE OF THE
MEDICAL ISSUE, AND WE'LL
FOLLOW UP AND PUT HANDRAILS IN
THE HOME TO HELP THE PERSON
OUT. SO THE FUNDAMENTAL
DIFFERENCE IS THE FOLLOWUP, THE
CASE MANAGEMENT. BUT BEING
ROOTED IN THE MEDICAL EMERGENCY
PIECE. IF WE DON'T ADDRESS THE
SMALL PROBLEMS THAT MAY BE
CHRONIC, THEY'RE GOING TO
BECOME BIGGER PROBLEMS. THAT'S
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PREVENT
WITH OUR HEALTH ONE PROGRAM.
AND NOW WE JUST LAST YEAR OVER
4,000 TOUCHES SO WE CAN SEE
THAT ALL IN THAT SPACE. IT
TAKES TIME. LIKE I MENTIONED
EARLIER, IT'S ABOUT AN HOUR A
CALL. WE HAVE 36 FIREFIGHTERS
WHO WORK IN OUR HEALTH ONE
PROGRAM ON A VARIETY OF
VOLUNTEER SHIFTS. BUT WE HAVE
CASE MANAGERS WHO CAN DO THE
CASE MANAGEMENT PART WITH US
THAT ARE WELL TRAINED TO DO
THAT WORK. PRETTY SOON WE'LL
HAVE A NURSE PRACTITIONER TO
COME ON BOARD TO HELP EVEN
MORE. WE CONTINUE TO GROW IT.
IT'S BASED ON THE
COMMUNITIES' NEEDS. THAT'S
WHAT WE'RE DOING.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH CHIEF
SCOGGINS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I ALSO WANTED TO NOTE THANK YOU
TO DEPUTY MAYOR BURGESS FOR
BEING ON THE LINE FOR THE
ENTIRE MEETING FOR ALL THREE
DEPARTMENTS. THANK YOU DEPUTY
MAYOR BURGESS. IS THERE
ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADJUST
AS WE CLOSE?
>> TWO VERY QUICK COMMENTS.
FIRST, WITH REGARD TO THE FIRE
CHIEFS' COMMENTS ON DERELICT
BUILDINGS. WE WILL BE SENDING
TO THE COUNCIL IN THE NEXT
COUPLE MONTHS EMERGENCY
DEMOLITION LEGISLATION TO
IMPROVE THAT SITUATION. SO
WATCH FOR THAT. AND THEN
LASTLY, THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT
PRESENTATION FOR THE LAST TWO
AND A HALF HOURS OR SO. I KNOW
THE MAYOR IS VERY PROUD OF ALL
OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS,
WHETHER THAT'S THE 911 CALL
TAKER OR DISPATCHER OR THE
FIREFIGHTERS, THE POLICE
OFFICERS, OUR EMERGENCY MEDICAL
TECHNICIANS, THE CARE TEAM, ALL
OF THOSE FOLKS. HE'S VERY
GRATEFUL, AND I KNOW YOU ARE AS
WELL. AND HEARING YOUR COMMENTS
ABOUT WHERE YOU WANT TO HEAD IN
THE FUTURE AND SUPPORTING OUR
PUBLIC SAFETY TEAMS IS VERY
GRATIFYING. SO, THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU DEPUTY MAYOR
BURGESS. REALLY APPRECIATE
THAT. WE'VE REACHED THE END OF
TODAY'S MEETING AGENDA. IS
THERE ANY FURTHER BUSINESS TO
COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE
BEFORE WE ADJOURN? LOOKING
LEFT. LOOKING RIGHT. HEARING NO
FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE
THE COMMITTEE, WE ARE
ADJOURNED.
[ MEETING CONCLUDED. ]