Report: Nearly 80% of 911 calls made to Seattle police in 2017-19 were for noncriminal events
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattlenews/article/911-calls-to-Seattle-police-17185684.php
Of the 1.2 million calls made to Seattle police during that time, only 6% involved felony activity, the agency said in its analysis. Just over 14% of calls involved misdemeanor activity.
Activists argue that most work can be done by someone other than an armed officer, who they say can escalate a situation. In turn, they say trained professionals should respond to calls alone or with an officer, as long as the officer keeps their distance.
The agencys report appears to validate the activists argument, at least in Seattle.
The agency recommends that Seattle police assign each call type to one of these four tiers and respond to 911 calls accordingly. However, whether Seattles current mayor, Bruce Harrell, will implement these recommendations is unclear. On the campaign trail, Harrell said he understood the need for alternatives to policing but also pledged to augment the departments presence within the city.