SEATTLE — At all precincts, Seattle police officers have been working overtime on a regular basis because of the department’s low staffing.
This week, the Seattle Police Department’s leadership is announcing a change to shift schedules to provide better staffing during peak hours. Starting on Wednesday, patrol officers will work 10-hour shifts with four days on and three days off. The change is also an effort to boost morale and recruitment.
Chuck Labertew, the President of Lincoln Towing says his business on Aurora Avenue ranked in the top five for the most 911 calls in the entire city last year.
"We were around 448 calls to this address could have been easily 1,000,” said Labertew. "We've had guns pointed at my clerks more than once."
He says when it's an urgent safety issue like that, police respond quickly.
"When I call them for break-ins, that sort of thing, sometimes it's just, wait your turn,” Labertew said.
The Seattle Police Department's 2022 Crime Report states that last year the median response time for priority one calls was seven minutes.
"For us, our marker is really trying to get under seven minutes,” said Chief Adrian Diaz during a Feb. 6 interview.
The Seattle Police Department’s new shifts are designed to provide adequate staffing during the peak hours of calls for service and improve officer retention and recruitment.
In a post, the Seattle Police Officers Guild said, "While it is a positive step… the city must deliver a fair and competitive contract to its officers."