A report found that Seattle pays police officers as much as $414,543.
364 Seattle Police Department (SPD) employees made over $200,000 in 2019, and 1,326 Seattle officers made at least 6 figures, Forbes reported Tuesday. The top 10 highest paid officers made between $304,417 and $414,543.
The city generously compensates their other employees too; tree trimmers make over $150,000, the chief librarian makes $197,704, electricians are paid $271,070 and electrical lineworkers earn more than $300,000. (RELATED: Tucson Police Put On The Defensive After Death Of Latino Man In Custody)
1,052 officers, 172 sergeants, 61 lieutenants and 23 captains at the SPD earned a salary of more than $100,000. Taxpayers shelled out $237 million to compensate all of the city’s 6-figure workers.
Forbes also found 102 annual pensions worth over $100,000 each.
The news comes as activists call for defunding the police, a call that became popular during protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who May 25 died while in Minneapolis police custody. Nationwide protests and riots have continued for nearly a month.
Defend good people.
Defund the police.
— CHIKA ???? (@oranicuhh) June 26, 2020
Defund — and I can’t stress this enough — the police.
— Fred (@WaywardWinifred) June 25, 2020
“CONTRARY TO THE CURRENT NARRATIVE”
What a cute little sweeping denial of any police brutality by the LAPD to hide in the middle of your not so subtle pat on the back. Y’all have obviously learned nothing to have the audacity to tweet that. Defund the police. https://t.co/K2qQzIhQaD
— Mykie (@GlamandGore) June 25, 2020
Several places have already cut ties with police departments. Minneapolis, where George Floyd died, recently unanimously voted to disband their police department. The Oakland school board also voted Wednesday to ban the police from their schools.
Protesters created the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone in Seattle, where they said police aren’t allowed in. Without police protection, the area has seen numerous acts of violence. There have been several shootings, including a fatal one Saturday.