> Covid may have accelerated this trend, but attrition and hiring issues predate the pandemic. In the 2019 budget, Council approved over $700,000 for hiring incentives, citing the police department's difficulty filling positions.

Actually the very first sentence in the article immediately refutes your claim -- what a bizarre source to 'back up' the argument that Seattle defunded the police;

> "Why has Seattle lost so many police officers?" The answer is not that the Seattle Police Department was defunded.

>The answer is not that the Seattle Police Department was defunded.

What do you think you are refuting?

Edit: And how on earth do you cite a hiring bonus as an example that they have been defunded?