Seattle’s $3M contract to research public safety under state scrutiny The state auditor is examining the contract awarded to King County Equity Now, a group born out of last summer’s protests, to research alternatives to police. by Protesters face off with police in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, July 25, 2020. (Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut) A $3 million contract between the city of Seattle and a group advocating for police alternatives is under examination by the Washington State Auditor’s Office, a spokesperson for the auditor confirmed to Crosscut. The audit follows scores of complaints filed through the office’s hotline about the process by which the funding was awarded.