The Seattle Police Foundation was excited to pull on the horse-loving community’s heartstrings this Valentine’s Day, by launching our We Heart Horses initiative to raise $15,000 for a new police horse for the Seattle Police Department’s iconic Mounted Patrol Unit (MPU).

Thanks to the generous supporters who have stepped up so far, we are galloping towards our goal and are over two-thirds of the way there!

But... We need your help to get across the finish line. 

With its recent shift to SPD’s Relational Policing Unit, the MPU is deploying more frequently for emphasis patrols, neighborhood patrols, community events, and more. The current string is a versatile blend of experience and new talent, but growth is needed to accommodate the Unit’s increased demand for service. This, coupled with a potential retirement or two on the distant horizon, it’s more important than ever to work proactively to ensure that the MPU has the “horsepower” it needs now and into the future.

The Mounted Patrol Unit is an incredible asset to the Seattle community, creating connections and building bridges with every deployment. There is no more effective community engagement tool than the horses of the MPU and the officers who ride them, providing 10 times the visibility and six times the community contacts when compared to vehicle patrols. 

From the moment their hooves touch the pavement, they are celebrated and embraced by those who live, work, and play in Seattle. We never get tired of watching it happen.  

Ongoing budget shortfalls preclude SPD’s ability to invest in new horses, which is why we are asking for your help. Your donation helps ensure continuity of service, so that the Unit is able to continue its community-building work without interruption.

The Mounted Patrol Unit is woven into the tapestry of law enforcement in Seattle, and we want to keep it that way. Please help us raise $15,000 by midnight tonight (February 29, 2024), to protect the future of this irreplaceable community legacy and help it flourish!

No donation is too small. Visit We Heart Horses to contribute to public safety in Seattle.

On Wednesday, February 28, the Seattle Police Foundation was honored to partner with the Seattle Police Department Community Service Officer (CSO) Unit and the Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center to formally launch the Courageous Lions for Courageous Kids program!

Funded through the Seattle Police Foundation grant program, Courageous Lions for Courageous Kids was created by CSO Jeff Steuby, who wanted a way to better serve Seattle kids impacted by abuse, trauma, and violent crime.

The program provides a branded plush lion, a personalized Certificate of Courage, and free trauma counseling to children in Seattle who experience violence in the home or any sort of life-changing incident. 

Now that the program is launched, a quantity of plush lions, Certificates of Courage, and pamphlets from the Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center will be distributed to each Seattle Police Department precinct so that they are accessible to patrol officers, detectives, and law enforcement professionals who encounter children in crisis. We are thrilled about SPD's partnership with the Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center and are grateful for their mutual commitment to the wellness of Seattle’s youngest community members. 

We'd like to graciously thank the Seattle Police Foundation supporters who help bring programs like Courageous Lions to life. Without you, none of this is possible. Please visit our Courageous Lions webpage for more information about this awesome program, or check out the one-pager here.

And don't miss the great coverage by KING 5 Seattle journalist Erica Zucco! 

This year we are excited to roll out our $250 Seattle Police Awards Ceremony Sponsor-an-Officer opportunity, which gives our supporters a new way to demonstrate their commitment to the men and women of SPD.

As you know, the Seattle Police Awards Ceremony is an inspiring evening that honors the excellence and bravery of Seattle police officers and civilian staff who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to keep our community safe.

By sponsoring one of our awardees, you are helping to ensure that our award winners are able to attend the event at no cost to them.

This year’s ceremony will honor a total of 61 SPD employees for exemplary leadership, bravery, courage, and service to Seattle. With just 22 award winners sponsored so far, we have 39 more opportunities to support this year’s event!

All Sponsor-an-Officer supporters will be acknowledged in the 2024 Seattle Police Awards Ceremony printed program. Note: we must receive your sponsorship before Friday, March 8, to guarantee inclusion in the program. This is such a fun opportunity to show the men and women of SPD that their commitment and sacrifice is valued and appreciated.

Thank you for helping us demonstrate to the men and women of SPD that their work is seen, valued, and appreciated. Click here or hit the button below to sponsor an officer today!

Seattle Police Department Patrol K9s are excellent when it comes to locating dangerous suspects attempting to hide from the police, but did you know that they’re also great at finding evidence?

This recent evidence search by K9 Delta is an awesome example!

On an evening at the start of February, Officer Ryan Huteson and K9 Delta were dispatched to a location in Kent to assist officers with the Kent Police Department, who were attempting to find a firearm that had been involved in a shooting roughly two hours prior.

When Huteson and Delta arrived at the scene, Kent officers quickly brought them up to speed, explaining that officers had observed one of the suspects as they raced out of the suspect vehicle, ran to a fence in the corner of the parking lot, jumped over it, and fled into a dark, wooded area.

All while carrying an AR-style weapon.

Kent officers further explained that thanks to the King County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit (Guardian 1), the suspect had been quickly located.

Once found, however, the suspect no longer had the weapon.

Huteson deployed K9 Delta for an on-lead evidence search in the wooded area. In addition to dark conditions, the two were faced with dense blackberry brambles, sticker bushes, and other vegetation. As K9 Delta began searching, Huteson watched him carefully for enhanced scent indicators, which he began to notice as they moved southeast towards a chain link fence that parallels SR-167. As they got within 10 – 15 feet of the fence, Delta began giving proximity alert warnings, which told Huteson that they were very close to the source of the scent.

Before the night was over, K9 Delta successfully tracked down two hastily discarded firearms, in a dark, densely wooded area filled with blackberry brambles and sticker bushes. Incredible work!

Officer Huteson has been with SPD for 15 years and has been partnered with K9 Delta since February of 2018. K9 Delta was purchased by Seattle Police Foundation donors and is an incredible ambassador for SPD! He is not only a highly skilled tracking/patrol dog with numerous captures under his ‘collar,’ but he is also friendly and affectionate (when he’s not working) and loves meeting Seattle community members. 

Thank you Officer Huteson and K9 Delta!

If you would like more details about this successful evidence recovery mission, please check out the full story in our newsroom at: K9 Delta Firearms Recovery. 

We wanted take a moment to say thank you to our generous Harbor Patrol Unit donors! Your support of this life-saving Unit is continuing to make waves as it boosts the Unit's ability to keep Seattle's shorelines and waterways safe.

In June of last year, we held our inaugural Harbor Patrol Happy Hour, which (along with other online donations) raised $75,000 to help improve public safety in Seattle’s marine areas and on shorelines.

Thanks to our generous community, the Harbor Patrol Unit has acquired a new FLIR (forward looking infrared monitor) thermal imaging system, to replace one that was functionally obsolete. FLIRs give officers better visibility at night by converting heat into visible images. 

FLIRs help officers locate people in the water and/or on land that abuts water. FLIRs are cool! They are the technological equivalent of a K9, except they track with heat rather than scent. They are vital in saving lives and in locating suspects attempting to elude police by hiding under docks or in thick vegetation along shoreline areas. FLIRs are a critical part of emergency response on the water, helping to improve officer safety and better protect Seattle community members. 

Thanks to all the generous donors who stepped up in 2023 to support Harbor Patrol, and thanks again to Seattle’s S3 Maritime, for showcasing a new FLIR at our Harbor Happy Hour event so that our guests could experience this technology and see it firsthand.

Learn more about the Harbor Patrol Unit on our Harbor webpage.

Our 2024 Finest and Furriest calendars are on sale for $10 each!

This year's calendar is a tribute to the Seattle Police Department Mounted Patrol Unit, featuring the magnificent horses of the MPU.

Proceeds from the calendar support the Seattle Police Department Forensic Digital Imaging Section, otherwise known as the Photo and Video Unit. Not only do the digital imaging professionals of SPD preserve and showcase the history of the Seattle Police Department through photos and videos, but they also deploy to crime scenes to capture crucial evidence via forensic photography.

Like other SPD Units, budget limitations hinder this Section’s ability to invest in new technology. The funds raised through the sale of SPF’s 2024 calendars help pay for things like camera equipment, specialized lighting, and more. The calendar is on sale now for $10 and makes a great gift for the equestrian enthusiasts in your life.

Order your copies before we sell out! Calendars are available at: Finest and Furriest 2024.

Do you have a passion for law enforcement and a heart for community service? If so, you may be a great fit for our volunteer program.

The Seattle Police Foundation (SPF) is actively recruiting volunteers to help us ensure that our events are successful and fun for everyone involved. As a 501C3 nonprofit organization, SPF hosts multiple fundraising events throughout the year, several of which include an auction. As such, we are looking for enthusiastic, detail-oriented folks with excellent communication skills to assist with a variety of event-related tasks.

Tasks may include things like guest check-in and check-out, data entry, venue set-up and take-down, clerical support (filing, organizing paperwork), live auction support, bid tracking, bid spotting, staffing donation tables, decorating tabletops, and much more.

Event support is fast-paced and dynamic! You might start your day hauling boxes of stuffed SPD K9s, and end it making sure that our guests leave with the correct auction items.

If this sounds like you, please fill out our volunteer application today.

Did you know that SPF has a reoccurring giving program?

For as little as $10 per month, you can sign up for our recurring pledge program, which automatically deducts your monthly donation so that you don’t have to think about it. When you sign up as a monthly donor, you're essentially signing up for a monthly subscription to improved public safety in the Seattle community.

It's one of the safest and most efficient ways to support our work!

The Seattle Police Foundation is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization, so if your donations meet a certain threshold, they may be tax deductible (pursuant to IRS rules).