A now-retired Seattle police officer unleashed 23 years of pent-up frustration with police and city leaders in an “unfiltered, raw, and unapologetic” resignation letter.
Lt. Jessica Taylor, formerly of the Seattle Police Department, retired on Aug. 1. However, instead of filling out the standard exit interview form, she wrote a scathing letter in which she lambasted Police Chief Adrian Diaz, Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Seattle City Council for allowing the city to descend 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, favoritism, 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.”
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She accused policymakers of caring more for politics than the wellbeing of Seattle residents, with the result being that “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.”
Turning on Mayor Harrell, a Democrat, she wrote the mayor has prioritized political correctness over safety and “disregards the rampant lawlessness on our streets.” Refusing to spare Diaz, Taylor said the police chief plays “political games” and manipulates the truth.
“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.”
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Seattle has struggled in recent years with riotous protests – including the deadly Capital Hill Occupied Protest – homelessness and rising crime, which reached a 14-year-high in 2022. The police department is understaffed, causing longer response times to 911 calls from people who may be in danger and need help, KOMO News reported.
In an interview with KTTH host Jason Rantz, Taylor said her job took a toll on her. She suffers from a chronic medical condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia, which causes severe facial pain. When the city implemented a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, she sought an exemption for fear that unknown side effects from the vaccine would have an adverse effect on her condition. Her letter explained that she was sidelined without pay instead of being granted an exemption.
While she was not allowed to work in 2020, the department was assailed by the “Defund the Police” movement, which Taylor claims had a devastating effect on morale. In the years since, nearly 600 officers have left the department.
“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.”
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Taylor told Rantz that leaving was bittersweet despite her problems with the department. She loves Seattle and is involved in the community, donating her time to help the homeless and volunteer with the Special Olympics. In 2019, she was recognized by the National Guard and awarded a Patriot Award, which honors supervisors who demonstrate outstanding support of soldiers in the National Guard.
However, she felt she could not remain silent while her colleagues continued working in the status quo.
“I wanted to go out with the truth,” Taylor told KTTH.
The mayor’s office and city council did not respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the police department did not directly address Taylor’s criticisms.
“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.”
Fox News’ Brie stimson contributed to this report.