Editor's Note: District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka took exception to our story authored by Correspondent Liz Steen and published October 8 and asked if we could let him respond to add corrections and further clarity. What follows is his response and the original set of questions and responses:

"In the interest of full transparency, I am providing the complete responses my office submitted to Ms. Steen through the Legislative Department Communications Team. I would also like to clarify a few points raised in the resulting article:

Question 1: I did not mention hiring bonuses. The Mayor’s budget proposal reduces the Seattle Police Department’s marketing budget. I believe a strong and strategic marketing plan is essential for SPD to meet its hiring goals, and that was the focus of my comments to Ms. Steen.

Question 7: The SPD budget does not break down how resources allocated to criminal investigations are distributed among property crimes and other crime categories. Likewise, the Law Department budget does not specify how prosecution resources are allocated between different types of cases. For that reason, I look forward to the upcoming Central Staff briefings on both budgets. These will give policymakers and the public a clearer picture.

Question 8: The ratio of police officers to residents has gone down over the years and we need to correct that. The total SPD budget funds more than officer salaries, so adding 200 officers will not require enhancing the SPD budget by 15%.  

My office values and maintains strong relationships with our local media partners, including Westside Seattle. I look forward to continued engagement with Ms. Steen and all members of the press as I work to serve the community in a transparent, accountable, and responsive manner.

Responses submitted to Ms. Steen on Wednesday, 10/07/2026

1. What is, to you, the most significant change to this budget when compared to the budget for the previous fiscal year, in terms of impact on public safety in West Seattle?

My initial reaction is that there are two changes I believe will have the most significant impact on public safety in West Seattle.  One of these changes is the reduction in overtime for the Seattle Fire Department (SFD).  Local 27 (the union that represents our firefighters) has made a very compelling case that overtime is necessary for SFD to meet minimum staffing thresholds on a daily basis.  Not having resources available to pay overtime will result in longer response times, which puts our community at risk.  

Second, the reduction to the marketing budget for the Seattle Police Department (SPD) is also concerning.  In order to meet our aggressive police staffing goals, we need to have a robust, far-reaching marketing plan.  I see this reduction as a step backward, one that will eventually lead to fewer officers assigned to the Southwest Precinct.

#2 – 6.  These are terrific questions. As mentioned above, our office is hoping to gain clarity from Central Staff throughout next week. In the meantime, we encourage you to reach out to the Mayor’s Office for their responses as it relates to her proposed budget on these specific points.

7. Do you believe that, as represented in this budget, the city’s commitment to investigating and prosecuting property crime is higher, lower, or about the same as previous years?

My office remains committed to making sure the SPD and the City Attorney’s Office have the appropriate resources within their staffing constraints to investigate and prosecute criminal behavior – both property and violent. The specifics of how funds are allocated for investigating and prosecuting property crimes are unclear to me after my initial review of the Mayor’s proposed budget.  I’m looking forward to learning more during the Central Staff presentations next week.

8. Are there any staffing costs that you would like to see funded in the future that could not be included in this budget?

We need more first responders! 

Mayor Wilson’s 2027-28 budget funds 1250 police officers. This is fewer officers than we had 14 years ago!  In 2012, Seattle had approximately 600,000 residents and 1,272 officers.  That is a ratio of approximately 2 officers per 1,000 residents.  With our current population of approximately 823,000, the Mayor’s maximum number of sworn officers results in a ratio of approximately 1.5 officers per 1,000 residents.  To give you additional context, FBI data indicate comparable cities had at least 2.5 officers per 1,000 residents in 2019.   

I would like to see funding for approximately 1,400 to 1,450 police officers so that we can see a significant reduction in 911 response times, proactive patrols, and investigative follow-up.

In order to address public safety more holistically, we need more first responders in SFD and CARE.  These departments partner with the SPD to make sure emergencies are handled by employees who have the appropriate training and expertise.  We also need adequate staffing across all City departments so that our programs supporting gun violence prevention, positive teen late-night opportunities, economic opportunities, early learning, and other programs that set people on the right path and therefore preempt crime can thrive.