Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz told a City Council committee on Tuesday that priority response call times are up. Financial incentives have done little to help address low staffing levels in the beleaguered department, which has been understaffed by hundreds of officers since the council began defunding the police in 2020.

According to the chief, just as many officers are joining the department as those that are leaving, causing levels to stagnate in the first quarter of 2023.