Seattle’s first black female police chief has announced her resignation following a city vote to slash law enforcement budgets and salaries.
Carmen Best, whose own salary was also cut, described the cuts as “punitive.”
She had been on the force for 28 years
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RT reports: Seattle’s city council approved legislation to enact significant cuts in a 7-1 vote on Monday, which will eliminate some $4 million from the police department’s $400 million yearly budget, including a sizable reduction of $800,000 to the PD’s recruitment spending. Among other measures, the 2020 budget package will also cap Best’s salary at $275,000, reduced from $294,000.
Hours after the vote, local media were inundated with reports that Best, the city’s first black and female police chief, was stepping down. She confirmed the news in a letter to the Seattle Police Department on Monday evening, saying that her resignation would be effective from September 2.
Best did not reveal in the letter what prompted her to end her career with the SPD. However, local media linked the move to the budget cuts, citing sources close to the chief.
While the cuts will also see up to 100 officers laid off from the force by November and a $150,000 pay cap for command staff, they fall far short of the 50 percent cut sought by some activists, who have been vocal in demanding to see the SDP defunded following the police killing of George Floyd in late May. Among those calling for a more radical proposal is councilmember Kshama Sawant – the lone dissenter in Monday’s vote – who insisted the cuts did not go far enough, arguing “this budget fails working people.”
Best’s attorney, Anne Bremner, previously argued that the police chief was being targeted with retaliation over past criticisms of the city council, alleging that lawmakers had moved against her in secret.
“[Best] and Jenny Durkan gave a press conference where they were critical of the council. In my view, this was retaliation because as soon as they did that, the council – in a vote that was not publicized, that was not on the agenda publicly – voted to reduce her salary,” Bremner told a local news outlet.
Critics have already weighed in on the reports, with one local journalist calling the move “surreal,” while suggesting the city council had “[chased] off a police chief, a Seattle veteran, and a woman of color.” Others noted the irony that the fight against ‘white supremacy’ had forced a black woman out of her job.
Niamh Harris
she was an useless political pawn anyway
How does the idea that America is racist stand up to the daily displays of privileged, well paid black Americans and including people of authority in the news? Mayors, Police Chiefs and Superintendents, Judges, Lawmakers, millionaire ball-players and rap-stars? We elected a black man President, twice!
No kidding. Look at our selection of movies…75% black. Commercials? The black is the voice of wisdom, living in style. The white male is either effeminate or a complete doofus while the white woman is omnipotent. Makes me want to puke.
It’s projection from the usual suspects.
they accuse non-Diversity people of what Diversity supremacist do everyday.
The Diversity supremacy scheme REQUIRES a bogyman to rationalize protected class people’s privileges and entitlements by law.
The only real privilege is by law, and privilege-by-law is EXACTLY what diversity supremacist demand and receive.
Unfortunately police everywhere are filled with corruptions ,thieving murdering lying drug dealing money laundering officers running organised crime rackets making them millions. Its reality .They arwcso crooked they dont deserve to be treated as if law,abiding honestvipstandingvmembers of community worthy of high wages anymore than corrupt bankers lawyers politicians doctors nurses or anyone else do .Its a great shame for the decent honest hard working people ,but they have failed to police their own workplaces sufficiently to protect community from predators. They have failed in their duty as has the Department of Justice and the bureaucracies who have declined into .dens of thieves and murderous criminals disguised as pillars if community values Globally . I don’t know what the solution to systemic epidemics of criminality in corporations is ,but I think it starts with Corporate Law and its modus operandi in developing its subjects morality.
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Seattle will now become a slum-hole. The Pacific northwest is ruined.
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