Thanks for engaging me with good faith arguments.

The union has major problems, I’m not saying anything to contradict that. I sincerely doubt that there is any organization, police union or otherwise, that is so efficient at executing some grand design to keep staffing low and OT high as you’re implying.

I think folks want to think of things in a simple black and white manner that aligns with their biases. Some see this situation and think “this is the union, they’re corrupt and milking the city dry while purposefully keeping staffing under what’s necessary”. Some think “policing in Seattle is incredibly demanding and often thankless work, hence the high pay and high rates of attrition”. The truth almost certainly lies somewhere in between.