If the current pace continues, SPD is on track to hire more than 250 officers this year, which would set a new record for most total hires in any year in recent record.

“A well-staffed and well-trained police department is essential to effective public safety in Seattle,” Harrell said. “Our work to modernize recruiting and increase qualified applications is showing results through record hiring in 2025 – putting us on a path to restore Seattle Police Department staffing. Seattle is a city where officers are valued, supported, and part of the team, and together we are making meaningful progress to improve safety for our community.”

The steady increase in hiring is reflected in the department’s application numbers, too. SPD received 1,218 officer applications in the first quarter of the year, an increase from 690 applications last year.

“We’re having success in terms of hiring and I am so proud of the work being done by our recruiters, background detectives, and training unit,” Barnes said. “Since I arrived in Seattle, I have had the pleasure of swearing in four classes of promising new officers. These officers are the next generation of the Seattle Police Department. They’re a smart, diverse, and community-focused group.”

Harrell said Seattle has prioritized police officer recruitment and retention by attracting more candidates, streamlining the hiring process, and investing in existing officers. Officials said it has also reduced the hiring process for police officer candidates from five to nine months to three to five months, helping them be more competitive with other agencies.

In May 2024, Harrell signed a new contract for rank-and-file officers that included their first wage increase since January 2021. Recruits now start at $103,000 with a $7,500 hiring incentive, and lateral transfers from another agency start at $116,000 with a $50,000 incentive. Before the new contract, Seattle was 15th in police pay in the Puget Sound.