Most of the crime spree in Democrat cities can be traced back to the “Defund the Police” demands after the death of George Floyd.
Many cities scaled back their policing but were quick to regret their decisions as crime soared.
Now, one city is looking for more cops but their recruitment plan is turning heads for all the wrong reasons.
After the death of George Floyd during the summer of 2020, the city of Seattle devolved into what outsiders might easily have mistaken to be a war zone.
During one of the riots, protesters removed two AR-15 rifles from an abandoned police cruiser.
A Fox News reporter said that a rioter was firing one of those weapons into vehicles.
Another reporter reported explosions during the afternoon of May 30th.
Eventually, the radicals would proclaim the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) after police were forced to abandon a precinct.
The cops eventually reclaimed control of the area but not until weeks later, and after multiple fatalities.
Despite this, local activists continued to call for defunding the police and the department, and the budget was cut in 2020 and 2021.
The results were disastrous.
Citywide crime overall increased significantly when compared to previous years.
Robbery, aggravated assaults, and motor vehicle thefts were significantly higher after the riots when compared to a previous five-year weighted average.
Now that it has become clear that defunding the police was obviously wrong-headed, the political winds have shifted.
Given the epidemic of crime brought on by leftist policies, the city of Seattle needs more cops.
Seattle finally sees fit to hire more cops but there’s a big catch
But Seattle wouldn’t be a city run by the far left if even the solution to this problem pitched by local officials wasn’t itself a slap in the face of the law-abiding citizens.
According to 770 KTTH, a new state law is allowing recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival Status (DACA) to apply for civil service jobs across Washington.
This law allows for this in the police departments and fire departments.
For eligibility in the DACA program, illegal aliens must have come to the United States before their 16th birthday and lack the legal authorization to live here.
Understandably, this is leading to frustration and resentment among legal citizens who are interested in these jobs.
Local radio station 770 KTTH, reports the existence of an “alarming staffing crisis” affecting the Seattle Police Department.
The report asserts that the department “could use as many qualified applicants as possible” because there are only 424 patrol officers employed, with 280 eligible for retirement this year across all positions.
Leftist officials created the staffing shortages
The shortages are self-inflicted largely because the mayor’s office has a history of playing politics.
770 KTTH says that Ben Dalgetty, a strategy lead for Mayor Bruce Harrell (D), sent a memo to SPD human resources asking for “less” images and videos of “officers who are white, male,” and “officers with military bearing.”
He instead wanted more “officers of color,” “officers of different genders,” and “officers who are younger.”
With criminal activity remaining near an all-time high in the city, the prospect of regular citizens being pulled over for speeding, jaywalking or other minor offenses by someone who isn’t even a legal citizen is troubling.
With the law just going into effect on June 6, it’s unlikely many, if any, applicants have applied yet.
Stay tuned to Blue State Blues for any updates to this ongoing story.
