Seattle Police Department
| Seattle Police Department | |
|---|---|
Patch of the department | |
| Abbreviation | SPD |
| Motto | Service, Pride, Dedication |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1869 |
| Annual budget | $365m (2022) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Washington, U.S. |
| Seattle Police jurisdiction | |
| Size | 142.5 square miles (369 km2) |
| Population | 737,015 (2020) |
| Legal jurisdiction | City of Seattle |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Police officers | 913 of 1,200 (2024) |
| Civilian employees | 631 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Precincts | 5 |
| Website | |
| seattle | |
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is responsible for the entire city except for the campus of the University of Washington (which is under the university's police department).
Law enforcement in Seattle began with the election of John T. Jordan as town marshal in 1869. The SPD was officially organized on June 2, 1869, predating the incorporation of Seattle by the territorial legislature in December. Today, it has a number of specialty units including SWAT, bike patrol, harbor patrol, motorcycles, and a variety of detective units.
Between 2012 and 2025, the SPD was under federal oversight after a United States Department of Justice investigation found that SPD officers routinely used excessive force.
Patrolmen are represented by the Seattle Police Officers' Guild in labor negotiations.