News/Commentary

‘You don’t control me anymore’: Police Lt. goes scorched earth against Seattle officials in 15-page resignation letter

August 10, 2023 | | Print Article

A now-retired Seattle police officer blasted Police Chief Adrian Diaz, Democratic Mayor Bruce Harrell, and the Seattle City Council in a 15-page resignation rant that accuses the department of being “a breeding ground of lies, deceit, favoritism, and rampant corruption.”

After more than 23 years on the job, former Seattle Police Department Lt. Jessica Taylor opted to pen a “brutally long letter” rather than fill out the standard exit interview form when she retired from her post on August 1.

(Video: Fox News)

“Once upon a time, my job meant everything to me— my passion, pride, and reason for being,” Taylor wrote. “Little did I know it harbored a dark secret. Behind the scenes was a breeding ground of lies, deceit, favoritism, and rampant corruption. The department I once trusted turned out to be nothing more than a circus, with boisterous clowns running amok.”

“On August 1st, 2023, I’ll be retiring from the Seattle Police Department after dedicating over 23 long and soul-draining years of my life to this city,” she continued. “I’m writing my unfiltered, raw, and unapologetic exit interview today. I refuse to fill out the FORM exit interview because it’s nothing more than a tool for you to control the narrative, and I won’t let that happen.”

“This is my story,” she stated, “and it will be on my terms, not yours. You don’t control me anymore, and I won’t allow anyone to silence my voice or manipulate the truth. I’m taking back the power and speaking my mind freely, exposing the reality of my experience without any filters or restrictions.”

In the letter, Taylor told her former boss that Seattle has devolved into “anarchy & chaos” since he “came on the scene.”

“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.”

The city council, she said, “has lost touch with reality and is making decisions that defy common sense and basic logic.”

“Their priority is playing politics and pandering to radical ideologies rather than genuinely serving the city’s and its residents best interests,” Taylor continued. “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.”

“If you haven’t noticed,” she added, “the criminals are running this city.”

Taylor then focused her fury on the “spineless Mayor.”

“Instead of taking decisive action to protect the city and its citizens,” she wrote, “the Mayor disregards the rampant lawlessness on our streets.”

“It’s a disgrace to see a city leader prioritize political correctness over the safety and well-being of its people. Listen, Seattle deserves better, and it’s time for a complete overhaul of the leadership that has driven this city and state into the ground,” she stated. “I have never in my life witnessed such weakness when it comes to enforcing the law.”

“Chief Diaz, as you continue to play your political games and manipulate 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,” she stated, “and the citizens of Seattle deserve competent leadership.”

In 2020, Seattle made headlines after then-Democratic Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan prepared to sign a bill that cut police training and overtime funds by 18% amid a citywide crime spike.

According to Fox News, “In the years since, nearly 600 officers have left the department.”

In her letter, Taylor wrote, “SPD is dangerously understaffed, and the officers and their families are suffering. 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,” she added. “Also unacceptable.”

The police department released a statement to Fox News Digital but declined to directly respond to Taylor’s letter.

“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,” a spokesperson for the police department said.  “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.”

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Melissa Fine
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