Nordstrom Flags Low Police Response at Downtown Seattle Store

Nordstrom’s CEO Erik Nordstrom disclosed that, between January and July of this year, the flagship downtown Seattle store placed 70 calls to 911 and police arrived to only 20 of them—a 29 % response rate. By contrast, the company’s Southcenter Mall location in Tukwila received police on every one of its 47 calls. The downtown calls involved shoplifting, disruptive customers, check fraud, assault, public drug use and “person-down” reports.

Seattle Times

Seattle police operate with a $488 million budget and currently have 489 patrol officers, down from 694 in 2020. The department’s overall staffing is 25 % lower than six years ago, even as the budget has risen about 20 % since 2020. For the most urgent “Priority 1” 911 calls, the city’s target is a response within seven minutes; the median time this year is seven minutes, but the average is 9.6 minutes. “Priority 2” calls—those involving threats of violence or property damage—average a 56-minute response, an improvement from a period when some lower-priority calls went unanswered.

Seattle Times

In a recent letter, 35 executives from firms including Microsoft, Costco and Alaska Airlines urged Seattle to recommit to the seven-minute response goal for serious calls and to redirect resources to meet that standard. The signatories also asked for a stronger police presence in neighborhoods such as Little Saigon and for tougher action against drug markets.

Seattle Times

Seattle police have acknowledged frustration when suspects booked for minor offenses are released the next day without prosecution. City officials note that longer response times correlate with fewer incidents being successfully reported, which can impede investigations and victim services.

Seattle Times

“There’s clear evidence that longer response times lead to fewer incidents being successfully reported,” — Jeff Asher, of AH Datalytics.

Seattle Times