How many sworn police officers are part of seattle police department
Executive summary
The most recent department figure in the provided reporting lists 1,123 sworn officers in the Seattle Police Department as of August 31, a figure reported on the SPD Blotter in late 2025 [1]. City budget documents and SPD projections, however, show a separate planning target of roughly 1,184 funded officer positions for 2026, reflecting a difference between current sworn strength and funded or projected staffing levels [2].
1. Current reported headcount: the SPD’s snapshot
The Seattle Police Department’s own public reporting captured in the SPD Blotter states that “as of August 31, the department employed 1,123 sworn officers,” a count that includes command staff through recruits in the academy and represents the department’s operational sworn headcount at that snapshot in time [1].
2. Funded positions and budgeted targets: a higher number on paper
City budget materials and public projections present a different measure: the 2026 proposed budget included funding to support “approximately 1,184 officers,” a planning target meant to reflect funded position authority and the city’s expectation for hiring and retention, not necessarily the exact number of officers currently sworn and on-duty [2].
3. Why the two numbers diverge: hires, separations and projections
The gap between an active sworn headcount and a funded or budgeted officer count (about 1,184) arises because budgets set position authority and dollars, while actual sworn strength fluctuates with hires, academy classes, resignations, retirements and lateral transfers; SPD materials explicitly note projections of “significantly higher number of filled sworn officers than are currently funded” for 2025–2026 as hiring accelerated [2] [1].
4. Historical context: staffing highs, lows and how counting has changed
Earlier reporting and federal data show a history of fluctuation: Seattle was reported to have had about 1,419 officers in 2019 per FBI-reported figures cited by The Seattle Times, then fell to lower counts during and after 2020 with figures such as 1,094 noted in local coverage of a 30-year low, illustrating that the department’s sworn total has varied substantially in recent years [3] [4].
5. How the department and city frame these numbers — motives and messaging
SPD communications and city budget documents have an implicit agenda to demonstrate progress on recruitment and to justify budget requests: the SPD Blotter highlighted hiring milestones and a narrative of rebuilding staffing, while the 2026 proposed budget leaned on projections to secure funding for roughly 1,184 officer positions and related equipment [1] [2]. Independent reporting has tended to treat budgeted positions and active sworn counts separately, which can create confusion for readers comparing different sources [4] [3].
6. Limits of the available reporting and what is not claimed
The provided sources give a clear snapshot (1,123 sworn officers as of Aug. 31, per SPD Blotter) and a budgeted/planned figure (about 1,184 funded positions for 2026) but do not supply a day‑of‑today live roster or a single reconciled number that captures both funded positions and actual filled sworn slots at the present moment; therefore it is not possible from these sources alone to state a single definitive current total beyond those cited figures [1] [2].
7. Bottom line
Based on the reporting provided, the best-supported answer is that the Seattle Police Department reported employing 1,123 sworn officers as of August 31 (SPD Blotter) while the City’s 2026 proposed budget funds approximately 1,184 officer positions as a hiring and funding target, reflecting the difference between active sworn headcount and budgeted/funded positions [1] [2].