SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Police Department swore in four new police officers who previously worked in Seattle on Monday.
This comes four months after Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward invited officers from departments that were losing funding to come work in Spokane.
"Back in August, I let law enforcement know if their cities were defunding police departments, the City of Spokane was hiring," Woodward wrote on Facebook. "Please join me in welcoming these four lateral officers from Seattle who were sworn in today. A BIG win for Spokane!"
The Seattle City Council cut the Seattle Police Department's budget by 18% for 2021, which includes cuts to overtime and training. The cuts will also leave vacant jobs unfilled, and 911 dispatchers and parking enforcement will no longer be the department's responsibility.
"Each officer expressed an interest in joining the Spokane Police Department in part because of the department’s reputation as a quality organization and because of the community support toward law enforcement," Spokane Police Department Communications Manager Julie Humphreys wrote in a press release about the new recruits.
All four officers worked for the Seattle Police Department for five years or more.