In an “unfiltered, raw, and unapologetic” resignation letter, a now-retired Seattle police officer vented 23 years of harboured resentment towards the force and the city’s authorities.
The Seattle Police Department’s former Lt. Jessica Taylor retired on August 1. She penned a scathing letter instead of completing the typical leave interview form, criticising Seattle City Council members, Mayor Bruce Harrell, and Police Chief Adrian Diaz for enabling the city to slide into “anarchy & chaos.”
Taylor, who went public with her 15-page tirade Tuesday on “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH, accused the police department of being “a breeding ground of lies, deceit, favouritism, and rampant corruption.”
“Chief Diaz, let me tell you, the state of the Seattle Police Department and this city is a disgrace,” she wrote. “The toxic mix of the Seattle City Council’s absurdity, the spinelessness of the Mayor, the leniency of the prosecutor’s office, and your failed leadership has accelerated this city’s downhill slide straight to rock bottom. The problems were already brewing before you came on the scene, but since your arrival, it’s been a free fall into anarchy & chaos.”
According to her, politicians prioritise politics over the welfare of Seattle people, and as a result, “criminals are running this city.”
“The Seattle City Council has lost touch with reality and is making decisions that defy common sense and basic logic,” Taylor charged. “Their priority is playing politics and pandering to radical ideologies, rather than genuinely serving the city’s and its residents best interests. Their absurd policies have turned Seattle into a playground for anarchists and criminals, and they seem utterly unconcerned with the devastating consequences of their actions.”
She attacked Democratic Mayor Harrell, claiming that he prioritised political correctness over public safety and “disregards the rampant lawlessness on our streets.” Taylor refused to defend Diaz and alleged that the police chief twists the facts and engages in “political games.”
“Know that this city’s officers and citizens are suffering under your failed leadership and the incompetence of those in power,” Taylor wrote. “The people of this city deserve leaders who will stand up for what’s right, enforce law and order, prosecute those who break it, and prioritize the safety and well-being of its residents above all else. It’s time for a reckoning, and the citizens of Seattle deserve competent leadership.”
Homelessness, riotous rallies, including the fatal Capital Hill Occupied Protest, growing crime, which hit a 14-year high in 2022, and other problems have plagued Seattle in recent years. According to KOMO News, the police department is understaffed, which results in longer response times to 911 calls from people who might be in danger and require assistance.
Taylor claimed that her profession had a negative impact on her in an interview with KTTH anchor Jason Rantz. She has Trigeminal Neuralgia, a persistent illness that results in excruciating facial discomfort. She requested an exemption when the city enforced a COVID-19 vaccination requirement out of concern that the vaccine’s unidentified side effects would negatively affect her condition. She said in her letter that rather than receiving an exemption, she was placed on leave without pay.
Taylor alleges that the “Defund the Police” movement attacked the department in 2020 while she was prohibited from working there, which had a terrible impact on morale. Nearly 600 cops have left the department since then.
“SPD is dangerously understaffed, and the officers and their families are suffering,” Taylor wrote. “The hours are ruthlessly long, and due to the staffing crisis (created by you, the mayor, and the council), these unsafe conditions are entirely unacceptable. Completely. They have also been working for years without a contract — Also unacceptable.”
Taylor admitted to Rantz that, despite her issues with the department, leaving was difficult. She enjoys living in Seattle and is active in the neighbourhood, volunteering her time to assist the homeless and the Special Olympics. She received a Patriot Award in 2019 from the National Guard, which honours managers who provide exceptional support to National Guard members.
She yet felt she had to speak up as her coworkers carried on with business as usual.
“I wanted to go out with the truth,” Taylor told KTTH.
A police department representative did not explicitly respond to Taylor’s comments in the statement.
“While we don’t address personnel issues, the Seattle Police Department is working alongside our city partners to restore the department to over 1400 officers. We want our officers to feel valued and respected for their hard work every single day. We are committed to highlighting that work on a routine basis.”
