Seattle Seeks $13 Million From 900 Overpaid Police Employees

Seattle overpaid more than 900 police employees about $13.1 million in retroactive raises after staff used 2020 rather than 2024 salary rates to calculate a 6% increase for work performed in 2024. The payments were issued in June, and the city identified the error in July; some employees reportedly received thousands of dollars more than they were owed. Seattle says the mistake was a manual oversight, not a payroll-system glitch, and is working to recover the money. Because the Seattle Police Officers Guild contract does not specify how its members repay overpayments, the city must bargain with the union over repayment methods; the guild has filed a grievance. Officials say they are strengthening review procedures to prevent similar errors, while the recovery process and its timeline remain uncertain.