Seattle police in Queen Anne, Magnolia and Ballard will keep working short-staffed after SPD killed its hiring bonuses effective Sept. 1.

The department confirmed to KING 5 on Aug. 26, that it will stop offering incentives for both lateral and entry-level applicants, citing budget constraints.

The lateral bonus had been worth up to $50,000 plus $7,500 in moving expenses. Entry-level recruits received $7,500 plus $5,000 for relocation.

SPD made the decision on its own. The mayor's office was not involved, according to the department.

Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) President Kent Loux called the move "cutting the legs out from under" the department's recruitment campaign. SPD has 927 deployable officers against a target of 1,250, Loux said.

"Why would you cut this program off? … We've had significant success recruiting people and just chopping it off at its knees suddenly seems irresponsible," Loux told KING 5.

The department lost more than 700 officers over five years ending in March 2024, reaching its lowest staffing in roughly 30 years. Patrol ranks have hovered near 490 since 2023, according to SPD's first-quarter 2026 staffing report. A consistent reduction in 911 response times is unlikely until new officers supplement patrol, that report found.

SPD has hired 108 people so far in 2026, slightly behind the 116 hired during the same period in 2025, according to KOMO News. The department received 3,583 entry-level applications and 147 lateral applications this year.

In a written statement, SPD said the incentives are paused until the department's budget forecast is clear. Whether the pause becomes permanent is unresolved.

The city faces a projected budget deficit of roughly $175 million to $200 million. SPD's 2026 operational budget runs between $462 million and $486 million, and its overtime spending hit $55 million in 2025 after growing 112% since 2022.

The timing puts the decision at odds with the Seattle City Council's stated priorities. In June, Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle told SPD to "continue the hiring, to maintain the momentum," as reported by PubliCola.

At the same June meeting, Councilmember Rob Saka said slowing hiring would be "tantamount to defunding the police." Neither council member has responded publicly to the Sept. 1 decision.

In a separate move, Kettle proposed cutting a $2.5 million SPD recruiting advertising contract in a July 25 letter to Mayor Katie Wilson, according to KIRO 7. That contract is a different line item from the hiring bonuses.

The incentive cut lands during a leadership vacuum. Interim Chief Andre Sayles took over after former Chief Shon Barnes resigned in late July following the Bite of Seattle shooting.

Mayor Wilson launched a nationwide search for a permanent chief on Aug. 25, with a hire expected by early 2027.

Applicants already in the hiring pipeline or who submitted applications in August will still receive the bonuses. Anyone applying Tuesday or later will not.