A retired Seattle police officer unleashed frustration with police and city leaders in an "unfiltered, raw, and unapologetic" resignation letter.
Lieutenant Jessica Taylor served in the Seattle Police Department for 23 years, and over that time, she has seen corruption, failed liberal policies, and alleged manipulation in the "toxic" environment.
The letter, addressed to Police Chief Adrian Diaz, Mayor Bruce Harrell, and the Seattle City Council, accused them of allowing the city to succumb to "anarchy and chaos."
In her 15-page letter, Taylor said the city was a "breeding ground of lies, deceit, favoritism, and rampant corruption" as the Democrat-run city struggles with rising crime that does not appear not to be slowing down any time soon.
"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," she wrote.
She accused the Democrat mayor of being a bully who controls and gaslights the city, adding that he had driven away talented potential police officers due to his liberal policies that wreak havoc on the department.
"You willingly became a puppet, a spineless 'yes man,' perfectly willing to throw the entire department under the bus to achieve your coveted spot as chief, complete with a fancy corner office," Taylor wrote.
The retired officer compared the state of the police department to a "circus" with "boisterous clowns running amok."
"Their priority is playing politics and pandering to radical ideologies rather than genuinely serving the city's and its resident's 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," her letter continued.
In the first five months of 2023, downtown Seattle saw over 166 violent crimes, including two homicides. The district is the second-highest number of damaging crime reports through May 2023.
The department has also dealt with a shortage of officers amid increased crime since the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, Seattle saw an average of 13 to 16 officers leave per month.
"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."