During a noon press conference Friday, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray unveiled several key aspects of his forthcoming 2015-16 budget proposal. Murray pledged $3.3 million for the hiring of new police officers in the city, and another $1.5 million to improve homeless services. In all, Murray is pushing for a $2.75 million increase in human services funding.

When it comes to putting more cops on the street, Murray told those gathered on the seventh floor of City Hall that he hopes to have 50 new police officers by the end of 2015, and 100 new cops by the end of his first term. Additionally, the mayor will earmark money for two civilian positions – the recently hired civilian Chief Operating Officer, and a civilian Chief Information Officer. A press release from the mayor’s office indicates both positions will work to improve “operations and systems management and innovation.” This includes the implementation of what’s known as CompStat – described by Murray’s office as a “crime and disorder data tracking and analysis” system, “made famous by Commissioner William Bratton in New York City in the 1990s, where it was credited with reducing crime by 60 percent.”

“I pledged during the campaign that we would add one hundred fully trained officers by the end of my four-year term, and my budget proposal puts us on a stable path to get there,” Murray explained. “By the end of 2015, based on current forecasts for attrition, we will be halfway toward my goal of one hundred additional officers, and my next two-year budget will plan to close the remaining gap. By the end of 2016, my budget will fund the highest number of fully trained officers in SPD’s history.”

In describing the proposed increases to human services and homeless funding, the mayor was fairly blunt, explaining that “The 3,000 people in Seattle who are now homeless on my watch are my responsibility.” He said the $1.5 million in homeless services funding will be used to increase capacity at homeless shelters and help move those who’ve been staying in shelter beds long term into permanent housing.

The mayor singled out helping veterans out of homelessness as a particular area of focus. According to the mayor’s office, the mayor will “propose $600,000 annually to fund a program for 150 homeless single adults, targeting veterans, to receive rapid placement into housing, rental assistance, and employment support, as well as funding “efforts to move 25 of the longest-term stayers at homeless shelters into permanent housing, which will free up 3,375 shelter bed nights.”

“Shelters are meant to serve a temporary need, but a number of individuals are staying in shelters long term, to where one quarter of shelter users consume three quarters of shelter bed nights,” Murray said. “Moving long-term stayers into permanent housing will help those individuals and increase shelter bed capacity for those currently without shelter.”

A press release described some of the other human services aspects of Murray’s budget proposal:

– A one-time matching contribution toward the capital redevelopment of the North Public Health Center located near North Seattle Community College ($500,000),

-Mitigating proposed budget cuts at Seattle/King County Public Health ($400,000), including:

o Supporting maternity services; women, infant and children services; and family planning services at Greenbridge Public Health Center ($150,000)

o Access and outreach services for new enrollments in Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act,

o Family planning health educators ($50,000),

o HIV/STD education and outreach ($50,000),

o Gun violence prevention ($50,000)

-Funding for an additional 40,000 to 100,000 lbs. of fresh fruit, vegetables, meats, or other proteins for more than 40 participating food banks, meal programs, and other providers ($100,000),

-Support for the Breakfast Group Mentoring Program, a program providing young men of color in Seattle Public Schools with wrap-around services, individualized instruction plans and mentoring to complete their secondary education and access higher education or employment opportunities ($100,000),

-Support for the Rainier Valley Corp to recruit emerging leaders from diverse immigrant communities and provide training, support and mentorship ($75,000), and

Funding to fill a gap in senior center services in Lake City ($70,000).