Seattle to expand police force amid surge in hate crimes against Jews

The Seattle Police Department plans to hire over 140 officers, according to Mayor Katie Wilson's interim press secretary, Alex Hudson. This expansion is in response to a more than doubling of anti-Jewish hate crimes in Seattle in 2026, where Jews, comprising about 1% of the metro area, were targets in nearly 20% of hate crimes. Mayor Wilson, who previously pledged increased security for Jews during the High Holidays, announced this police expansion as part of a new gun violence plan. The plan aims to unify community violence intervention, emergency response, social services, law enforcement, and regional partnerships. The police department also stated it