Seattle officers will continue patrolling in pairs after Baton Rouge shootings

SEATTLE — Seattle police will continue patrolling in pairs after the shooting death of three officers in Baton Rouge.

Officers began patrolling in pairs after five officers were fatally shot in Dallas.

Flags remain at half-staff outside the Seattle Police Department precinct in West Seattle.

Seattle police Chief Kathleen O'Toole told the Seattle Times she had looked into whether to move away from officers working in pairs, but after three officers were shot in Baton Rouge Sunday, she told the Times that pairing up in patrol vehicles will continue for the "foreseeable future."

As a result, fewer units will be on the street, meaning victims of car prowls, burglaries and property crimes will have to wait longer for officers, since police will focus on priority calls.

"This is certainly the most challenging time in policing since I've been in this business. But with every challenge comes an opportunity and it's so essential that we work together to get it right,” O’Toole said after the Dallas shootings.

O'Toole released a statement Sunday that read, in part:

"Once again our nation has been rocked by a senseless tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with our brother and sister officers in Baton Rouge, their families, and the communities they serve."

After the Dallas shootings, KIRO 7 spoke with the King County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies are unable to double up on patrol because they don’t have enough officers, and response times would be too high.

Cox Media Group