SPD: Blame game

I was disappointed by the editorial “Council again fails Seattle with police defunding” [Sept. 26, Opinion]. The Seattle Police Department is failing to adequately protect public safety, and instead of placing responsibility for their failures on SPD, the editorial board blames the Seattle City Council.

SPD seems to be the only organization that people want to reward for failure, and it seems well aware that by failing to do its job, the blame will be placed elsewhere. This pattern only encourages it to do worse.

If police are failing to do their jobs, why would we reward them with more money and officers? I would like to see them improve, including by reducing discriminatory policing practices, before they receive additional funding. Let’s reward SPD for succeeding rather than failing.

Rebecca Szper, Seattle