Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat first focused on this issue after his own property was stolen out of his car and police didn’t respond to 911 calls, even though he was able to direct police to directly to the criminals via an app on his stolen phone. In a second column, Westneat said some officers blamed the new Department of Justice (DOJ) rules for this “de-policing.”
Then something interesting happened, readers suggested that had Westneat lived in another part of Seattle, this might not have happened. That’s because the Laurelhurst and Windemere neighborhoods have their own off-duty police force that residents pay through community funds.
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) still covers the neighborhood, but they’re getting double coverage in Laurelhurst with the hiring of off-duty officers who listen to the scanners about six nights a week and respond to incidents. Residents seem happy to pay, although a person armed with an assault rifle broke into several homes in the neighborhood on Halloween.
Westneat said this effort “may even free up some regular police resources for the rest of us.”
But a community having the resources to pay for its own additional security force is a sign of privilege that other neighborhoods simply don’t have. The idea seems to have garnered some support from other neighborhoods interested in creating their own security team. But as Westneat pointed out, this could create two cities of the haves and have-nots.
We’re already seeing gentrification and income divide play out in Seattle, with those who can’t afford it being pushed farther from the city core. This type of system, while well-intentioned, could potentially create an even worse situation for the lower-income neighborhoods, as criminals shy away from places with a persistent, paid-for police presence.
There’s also the question of who checks these off-duty officers to make sure they’re complying with proper use-of-force. As we all know, SPD is under those DOJ rules because of excessive force.
Do we all want a safer Seattle where SPD addresses the skyrocketing property crime issue? Absolutely. Do we need to examine all effects of the DOJ rules, including the possibility that police are shying away from active police work? You bet. Should neighbors watch out and keep an active eye on their neighborhood? Yes.
But hiring a private force isn’t a solution. “Public” safety should be for everyone — not for just a select few who can afford more security.