Hollingsworth Abstains as New SPD Crowd Control Rules Move Forward

In a recent meeting, Seattle City Council member Joy Hollingsworth abstained from voting on new crowd control regulations put forward by the Seattle Police Department (SPD). She expressed that crowd control policies are not a priority for her office, which is currently focused on increasing the number of patrol officers available in the city. The public safety committee she is part of rejected amendments aimed at imposing stricter regulations on police actions during protests. The new legislation allows SPD incident commanders to have more discretion in using crowd control tools, such as pepper spray and blast balls. Moreover, the SPD reported a positive shift in recruitment, hiring 84 new officers while losing only 83 last year.

This development is significant as it marks the first time in five years that the department has seen a net gain in officers. The proposed rules will soon be presented to the full council for final approval. As the city grapples with the memories of protests from 2020, the implications of these decisions are critical for community relations and public safety.