ChuckO,
You haven't read the source materials. You will, no doubt, stick to your argument in spite of all evidence but here is more:
From the Seattle City Council's Accountability Review Committee final report:
"Police documents belatedly released to the committee during July 2000 show a backstage atmosphere of concern if not panic as the event grew close. A police officer told colleagues in a chat-room conversation, 'The department was warned by everyone and their Mom. The beat cops knew what was going to happen.'"
Once again I tell you that the cops not only took the event seriously, they panicked. There is a great deal wrong with the report's conclusions, but there is no arguing with the primary source data that shows the Seattle police meeting the WTO protest with ineptitude and panic.
Also, to get back to the original argument, there is this observation in the report:
"Driven by cost concerns, planners decided not to make firm requests for mutual aid from other police agencies, choosing to wait until an actual public safety emergency existed. Starting in May, there was an exchange of letters between the Seattle Police Department, the Seattle Mayor, and local law enforcement agencies. In those letters, the Seattle Executive communicated the City’s intent to use mutual aid only in emergency, and thus was able to hold down cost projections."
Again, I have lots of problems with the report. It ultimately fails to analyze the tactics used by the police and makes no comparisons between Seattle PD tactics and best practices, but there is no question that Seattle police knew or had every reason to know what to expect and that line officers were both overstressed and near panic. To the extent they under-planned for contingencies it was not due to complacency about protesters but cost.
But let me emphasize once more that the number of police (assuming they were properly trained and commanded) was more than adequate to do the job. Of course ANY deployment plan assumes that the police themselves do not actually CAUSE a riot, which is what happened.
peace,
boddi