Defunding Seattle Police Would Lead to Job Losses, Chief Says

Police officers behind a barricade look on as protesters fill the street in front of Seattle City Hall, in Seattle on June 3, 2020. Elaine Thompson/AP Photo

About 1,100 Seattle Police personnel will lose their jobs or face transfers if efforts to defund the department are successful, Police Chief Carmen Best said.

A majority of the Seattle City Council supports a plan that would slash the department’s budget by 50 percent.