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The Port of Seattle Police Department provides the primary law enforcement service to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the Seaport. The Department was created in 1972 and currently consists of 108 commissioned police officers and 33 non-commissioned personnel. The Port police are the primary first responders for all reported crimes and incidents within its jurisdiction.
Officers routinely interact with a diverse population and a large number of different local and federal agencies. As more 30 million passengers travel through Sea-Tac Airport every year, every officer is expected to be a public relations person as well as a law enforcement officer. The Port of Seattle Police patrols more than 30 miles of waterfront property, piers, marinas and cargo and cruise ship terminals.
In addition to patrol positions, the department has numerous special teams, units or assignments for commissioned personnel.
The agency's detectives section, the Criminal Investigations Unit, offers assignments on several task forces including the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Joint Task Force.
The Department also has civilian staff members who are essential to the safe and efficient operation of the organization. Non-commissioned personnel include 9-1-1 Communications Specialists who receive and coordinate all calls for service for both the Port of Seattle Fire and Police Departments and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Police. Police Specialists can be found in the Records section, in budgeting and payroll or in other administrative support roles.
This tracking tool (54 KB, PDF) identifies the Port of Seattle Police Department’s recommended modifications and/or additions to the policies and procedures suggested by several outside reviews over the past few years. All the recommendations are listed along with the status to date.
