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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Mayor to add 25 cops for neighborhood beats
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
4/5/2005 3:00:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Office of the Mayor (206) 684-4000
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Mayor to add 25 cops for neighborhood beats
New officers to be divided among 5 precincts
Seattle – Mayor Greg Nickels sent legislation to the City Council today adding 25 new police officers to patrol neighborhoods and improve safety across the city.
The new officers will be deployed among the city’s five precincts – North, East, West, Southeast and Southwest. Following nine months training, the new officers will hit the streets beginning next summer.
“Seattle is one of the safest cities in the nation, but we can do better,” Nickels said. “We owe it to the citizens of Seattle and our police officers to provide more resources to prevent crime and protect our neighborhoods.”
At five public safety town hall meetings last year, residents urged the mayor to add more police officers in the neighborhoods. During his State of the City address in February, Nickels pledged to do just that.
“These new positions allow us to put more patrol officers in neighborhoods, while freeing up resources to further our commitment to combat burglaries, open-air drug dealing and auto thefts,” said Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske.
Pending council approval, the City would spend approximately $837,000 this year to cover the recruitment and training costs for the 25 new officers. Next year, the annual cost will be approximately $1.7 million.
Nickels is working on a plan to fund these new positions and is expected to submit it to council later this month.
Get the mayor’s inside view on initiatives to promote transportation, public safety, economic opportunity and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm.
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Office of the Mayor
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