Seattle Police Chief Diaz responds to staffing crisis, sexual assault cases

SEATTLE — After an internal email from a Seattle Police Department captain revealed that there are cases every week that are not getting assigned because there are simply not enough detectives, Police Chief Adrian Diaz issued a response on Thursday.

The staffing crisis is affecting how cases are being handled by the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit.

An internal email from Captain Steve Hirjak on May 17 reads, “With our current shortages, we are currently leaving an average of 4.6 cases unassigned per week.” The email says victim advocates will still reach out to all victims, but meanwhile, the police department is “maintaining a list of those cases that we will assign, but currently cannot assign due to staffing.”

The response from Diaz follows:

“I wanted to provide you with a staffing update as we enter the second half of the year. The Seattle Police Department has seen a reduction of 402 officers/detectives deployable staff since 2019. These losses have been felt in every corner of SPD at a time when homicides and incidents of gunfire are on the rise in our city.

“Recent news coverage over our department’s staffing issues has focused on the Sexual Assault Unit (SAU). Sexual violence is one of the most serious crimes our department investigates, and when I learned of staffing concerns in SAU in April, I immediately began work to bolster the unit with additional detectives, as well as non-police staff who provide support to victims of sexual violence. I was able to ensure the Investigations Bureau rapidly shifted an additional investigator to the unit, brought in support staff to SAU to process cases sent to prosecutors, and utilized skilled detectives in other units to aid in addressing SAU’s caseload. I also engaged with organizations doing important work with survivors of sexual assault in our region, which led to expanded outreach by the city’s Victim Support Team, to help survivors work through their trauma.

“We will continue to build on that work, despite the many challenges that remain ahead. In 2019 we had 234 detectives. Three years later, we have 134.

“In Patrol, officers are called on every day to augment low-staff levels across the city’s five precincts. The department is also routinely called on to assist in the safety, security, and traffic control around major sporting and arts events in our city. SPD continues to actively recruit and hire excellent law enforcement officers, but we forecast it will take approximately five to ten years to return our staffing to pre-2020 levels.

“I am thankful to our employees who have risen to meet our many challenges, working extra shifts and assisting colleagues in complex and necessary casework. They are working hard to keep our city safe. Our department will continue to carefully examine its use of limited resources. We know we must bring every crime victim and survivor the justice they deserve.”

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