More than a quarter-million residents in Seattle, Washington, are feeling the pressure to flee the city due to rising crime  — the highest percentage of any large metro area in the country, according to a new national survey.

Data from the Household Pulse Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and several other federal agencies, shows that “7% of adults in the greater Seattle area” have “felt pressure to move in the past six months” due to the alarming rise of crime in their neighborhood, The Seattle Times reported.

The survey comes after homicides in Seattle skyrocketed by 24% last year, while motor vehicle thefts jumped 30%. The surge in crime has caused Mayor Bruce Harrell to push for increased law enforcement funding for the first time since the city slashed the police budget in 2020.

“Seattle saw a 4% rise in reported crime in 2022. We need more officers to address our staffing crisis.”

“We need immediate action and innovation to respond to our public safety issues,” Harrell said in a press conference earlier this year. “Seattle saw a 4% rise in reported crime in 2022. We need more officers to address our staffing crisis.”

Following the killing of George Floyd, several Seattle City Council members vocally backed proposals to defund Seattle’s police department by 50%, “despite concerns from the mayor’s office and Seattle’s police chief that council members are moving too quickly and without enough widespread community engagement,” KIRO 7 News reported. Although the department’s budget was “only” reduced by 18%, the damage has clearly already been done. 

“Seattle was at the forefront of the defund-the-police movement, and local leaders committed to cutting the city’s police budget by half — though they had to back away from that audacious goal when confronted with the reality of rising crime rates,”  Zach Smith, manager of the Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program for the Heritage Foundation’s Meese Center, told Fox News. “The obvious consequences of those policies is an increase in crime and a less safe community where it’s more difficult for people to live and do business.” 

Last year, police staffing in Seattle fell to a 30-year low as officers retired and flocked to other departments. Marco Monteblanco, president of the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police, told Fox News that officers are feeling increasingly discouraged by the judicial system that victimizes criminals and doesn’t hold those who break the law accountable for their actions. 

“All officers want to do is to protect the public,” Monteblanco said. “Officers get frustrated because all they want to do is support the victims they’re trying to help. Right now, it’s time to act. We need citizens to contact their local officials and demand that they provide tools and resources to the brave men and women who risk their lives on a daily basis on behalf of the citizens of their communities.”

Many believe that the city’s lenient drug policies are another reason why criminals feel emboldened to commit such egregious crimes. In June, the City Council rejected a bill that would have allowed the city attorney to prosecute public drug use and possession, drawing the ire of many in and around the community. 

“At a critical time for the recovery of downtown, the use of dangerous drugs in our public spaces is a significant contributing factor to residents, employees, families and visitors feeling unsafe exploring our city or returning to the office,” the Downtown Seattle Association said in a written statement. 

Rounding out the top five cities that residents have felt pressure to leave were Riverside-San Bernardino, California (5.6%); Chicago (4.9%); Los Angeles (4.8%); and Houston (4.2%).