Seattle-area protests: Protesters remain on Capitol Hill on seventh day of action after George Floyds killing – Seattle Times

In response to alarms raised in recent days by protesters about Seattle officers covering their badge numbers with black mourning bands, Police Chief Carmen Best issued a directive Thursday telling all officers to display their badge numbers.

At the same time, Mayor Jenny Durkan rejected a demand by some demonstrators that half of the Seattle Police Department's budget be redirected to community programs and social services.

"We will not defund by 50%, but we will make sure that we have a level of commitment to community that we can make an investment that is proportionate to the needs and that those communities that have been left behind and locked out of the system can see that we as a city have heard the voices," said Durkan, referring to an aim brought Wednesday to City Hall by organizers of a large protest.

People demonstrating against police killings of Black people began to express concern about the black bands Saturday, saying the symbols worn over badge numbers to honor slain cops could make it difficult to identity officers engaged in misconduct.

Best and Durkan initially defended the practice, noting officers also wear name tags. But they bent on the issue as criticism continued to mount this week, vowing to work toward a new policy Wednesday and then taking action Thursday.

"This afternoon, I will be issuing a special order to address this," Best announced in a news conference with the mayor.

"All officers will have their badge numbers prominently displayed," she said, adding officers should retain the ability to pay homage in other ways.

"We want to make sure we are being transparent and people don't have the belief we are in any away trying to hide who we are."

Disseminating the directive might take "a day or so," Best said.

She and Durkan hailed a large Capitol Hill crowd that demonstrated past midnight and dispersed peacefully Wednesday night.

"We will always meet peace with peace," said Best, who visited barricades near the Police Department's East Precinct in person to speak with protesters amid a surge in public complaints about officers escalating encounters with pepper spray, tear gas and flash-bangs devices.

Though Best and Durkan repeatedly have blamed violent troublemakers for sowing chaos, Durkan canceled Seattle's curfew Wednesday night and spoke Thursday about altered police tactics.

The Police Department moved officers away from the barricades and asked protesters to stop each other from throwing bottles, the mayor said. They listened when citizen journalist Omari Salisbury suggested they set up a sound system to communicate with the demonstrators, the mayor said, not addressing why that step wasn't taken days ago.

Durkan mentioned "a powerful moment" when officers lowered their shields and protesters lowered the umbrellas they had brought to guard against pepper spray. "We need more dialogue," she said.

"I'm grateful there were no injuries and arrests," she said. "That must remain the goal ... I have every confidence that can be achieved."

Asked about the demand delivered by community leader Nikkita Oliver and other organizers Wednesday, Durkan said every Seattle agency, including the Police Department, "will see cuts" this year as she and the City Council seek to close a projected budget gap.

The departments budget is more than $400 million this year, accounting for about a quarter of Seattles general-fund budget. City Councilmembers Kshama Sawant and Tammy Morales joined Oliver and other activists Wednesday in calling for that spending to be reduced.

The money would be better spent on job training, restorative-justice programs, youth programs, homeless services and public housing that can prevent problems than on a militarized police force, they contend.

"Thing that actually improve the lives of our neighbors," Morales said. "That's how we should be investing our money."

Under similar pressure, Los Angeles leaders announced Wednesday proposals redistribute $250 million, including up to $150 million in police spending, to disenfranchised communities.

Durkan said she would seek to balance police and community needs.

"True public safety is not just when a police officer shows up to the door," she said. "True public safety comes from good prenatal care, access to childcare and preschool, access to real education and economic opportunities, to health care and to affordable housing."

Yet Durkan indicated she wants to mostly maintain police spending."When people dial 991, they want the police department and the fire department to show up," she said. "We have to make sure we have enough people and resources to make that true."

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Seattle-area protests: Protesters remain on Capitol Hill on seventh day of action after George Floyds killing - Seattle Times