Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is spending taxpayer money to guard grocery stores. She is not hiring more police officers. The city budget for 2026 includes $1.7 million for this plan. This sum will help ten independent stores fix damage. It also pays for security upgrades and repairs. Wilson says this keeps stores safe and affordable. She posted this message on social media on Monday. Critics see a different picture entirely. They argue the city is treating symptoms. The disease remains untreated and growing worse.
Jason Rantz hosts a radio show in Seattle. He called the plan a wasteful distraction. He told Fox News Digital the approach fails. He said it is a bandage on a bullet wound. His point is simple and direct. You must enforce the law first. You need a fully staffed police department. Giving cash to fix broken stores does not stop crime. It only cleans up the mess afterward.
The numbers tell a stark story. Police staffing dropped sharply in recent years. In 2019, Seattle had 1,424 officers. By 2024, that number fell to 1,054. Leaders cut police spending during the 2020 protests. The city now faces a shortage of law enforcement. Theft is the most common crime in every precinct. Police recorded nearly 7,500 larceny offenses through May. These are not minor incidents. They are a widespread problem.
Residents are angry about the lack of action. One user on X asked a pointed question. They wondered if anyone would identify criminals. They wanted to see the crime end. Another user called Seattle the worst city in the country. They cited rampant crime and lawlessness. They noted conditions worsened over the last three years. People feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods.
Security guards cannot make arrests. They can only observe and report. Criminals often walk right past them. If guards detain suspects, they face lawsuits. The police are not arresting shoplifters. Prosecutors are not charging them. The system has broken down. Wilson previously floated ideas for public grocery stores. This new plan is separate from that. It focuses on private businesses facing theft.
Former Mayor Bruce Harrell proposed the original funding. He asked for $1 million for grocery security. His goal was to target retail theft and damage. Wilson expanded the budget to $1.7 million. The city will also study eight neighborhoods. They want to place new stores in those areas. The Independent Grocers Alliance will help with this study. Critics say this ignores the root cause. The root cause is a lack of enforcement.
The money goes to businesses, not jails. Taxpayers foot the bill for security systems. They also pay for repairs after break-ins. This shifts the cost of crime onto the public. It rewards failure instead of preventing it. Rantz said putting criminals in jail works. He said it saves money and headaches. He argued we do not need new ideas. We just need to follow the law.
The initiative helps ten specific stores. It provides one-time funding for upgrades. It offers a year of business support. Wilson claims this ensures reliable access to food. Critics say it subsidizes failure. They believe the city should focus on arrests. They want to see thieves behind bars. The current plan does not do that. It patches the holes in the boat. The water keeps pouring in.
The police department is slowly hiring again. The rebound has begun but is slow. The gap between 2019 and 2024 staffing remains. That gap creates opportunities for criminals. The theft numbers reflect this reality. Larceny leads all crime categories in Seattle. The city is paying for security because it lacks police. This trade-off has clear consequences for residents. The data shows the decline in safety. The budget shows the shift in priorities. The results are visible on every street corner.