Ep. 18 Another Seattle Police Officer Departs. Why and What’s Next.

On Being a Police Officer

Ep. 18 My interview with another officer who recently left the Seattle Police Department. We discuss why he originally made the move from his home town in Alabama to join SPD, only to make the tough decision to leave due to the lack of community support and not being able to police effectively, including seeing victims re-victimized when police cannot make arrests. As he says, having to be a proactive officer turning a blind eye to crime. We get into these and other issues in this current environment. This officer is also one of two SPD officers that King County Metro bus driver Eric Stark credits with saving his life after he, Eric, was shot while driving the bus in March 2019. And as I always do, I ask him why he became a police officer, what the rewards have been, how much a thank you means, and what’s keeping him going – his answer in part – remembering why he became a police officer in the first place.