After a 36-year career in law enforcement, Seattle police Chief John Diaz is retiring.

“It was time,” Chief Diaz said at a press conference Monday morning, flanked by his successor, Assistant Chief Jim Pugel, and Mayor Mike McGinn.

Since taking the helm at SPD in 2009, Chief Diaz has overseen, among other things, an 11-percent drop in major crimes across the city, expansion in Crisis Intervention Training for officers, accessibility of police information and data online, the investigation into the murder of Seattle police officer Timothy Brenton, a crack down on the commercial sexual exploitation of children online, and the department’s reform efforts as part of a Department of Justice settlement agreement and the 20/20 policing plan.

Diaz said he “wanted to be sure” a number of reform efforts within the Seattle Police Department—including the 20/20 plan and DoJ agreement—were “up and running” before he departed.

Diaz will continue on as the SPD Chief through May, when Assistant Chief Jim Pugel—who currently oversees SPD’s Investigations Bureau—will take the helm as Interim Chief.

As Assistant Chief, Pugel—a Seattle native and University of Washington graduate—has overseen the Homicide, CSI, Robbery, Gang, Vice/High-Risk Victims Unit,  Sexual Assault, Major Crimes, Domestic Violence, Auto Theft, Fraud and Forensic Support units, and is also the department’s lead for the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) pilot program, which officers low-level drug offenders to opportunity to get treatment instead of jail time.

At Monday’s press conference, Mayor McGinn praised Assistant Chief Pugel for his ”progressive thinking,” a sentiment also echoed by the leaders of two drug policy reform groups:

Allan Clear, Executive Director, Harm Reduction Coalition: 

For those interested in re-imagining drug policy, Jim Pugel is a champion. Courage of conviction is necessary to commit to new and innovative policing models.  Chief Pugel’s long commitment to harm reduction and his role in developing the LEAD program reflect an intelligence and humanitarian orientation toward drug issues that is rare in American policing.  He is a visionary choice to lead SPD.

Laura Thomas, MPH, MPP, Deputy State Director, San Francisco 

Drug Policy Alliance

Jim Pugel has emerged as a national leader in the effort to move law enforcement toward drug policies based in science, compassion, health, and human rights. Chief Pugel has been an effective spokesman to national and international audiences on the effectiveness of harm reduction approaches in drug law enforcement.  It is a welcome development for such an innovator in drug policy reform to take the helm in a major police department.  

What – UAV Question & Answer

When – October 25^th, 2012

Time – 6:00 p.m.

Location- The Garfield Community Center, 2323 East Cherry Street, Seattle, WA 98122

Seattle Police Arson/Bomb Squad Lieutenant Greg Sackman will be on hand with the UAV to answer your questions and receive your feedback about our proposed policy. 

A draft copy of the Department’s operational protocol is attached below:

UAS Operations Manual 

The Community Police Academy is designed to provide Seattle residents with an opportunity to learn firsthand about the job of a police officer and how the Seattle Police Department works.  Classes focus on patrol procedures and operations, internal investigations, the criminal justice process, crime scene investigation, bias crimes, narcotics, SWAT, use of force, defensive tactics, firearms/mock scenes, domestic violence, elder abuse, and arrest procedures.

Graduates receive a program certificate upon completion of the course.  Additionally, they benefit by gaining knowledge and an understanding of the realities and best practices of policing.

Space is limited, so all are encouraged to apply early.  The deadline to submit your application is Friday, July 20, 2012.  To apply, go to:

http://www.seattle.gov/police/programs/policeacademy/default.htm or call 206-684-8672 for more information.

Thirty-eight agencies from King, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties will have officers out looking for unbuckled drivers and passengers.

 “We are getting the word out to remind everyone to buckle up so we don’t have to write tickets,” shared Snohomish County Sheriff John Lovick, the former Mill Creek State Representative who sponsored the 2002 legislation. “The purpose of the law is to save lives and I’m really pleased to see how far we’ve come.”

Washington state is a leader in seat belt use in the United States with 97.5 percent of motorists buckling up, an increase from 82 percent in 2002 when the primary law went into effect. With the rise of seat belt use, traffic deaths statewide have declined by nearly one-third, from 658 in 2002 to 455 in 2011 (preliminary data).

Despite these promising numbers, four out of every ten people who died in car crashes in Washington in the last five years were not wearing seat belts.

Traffic safety task forces in the five counties are coordinating the Click It or Ticket patrols with support from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

Participating law enforcement agencies include:

King County: Auburn, Bellevue, Black Diamond, Burien, Covington, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Maple Valley, Mercer Island, Newcastle, Pacific, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle, Snoqualmie, and Tukwila Police Departments and the Washington State Patrol.

Pierce County: Fircrest, Lakewood, Orting, Puyallup, Sumner, and Tacoma Police Departments, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and the Washington State Patrol.

Skagit County: Anacortes Police Department and the Washington State Patrol.

Snohomish County: Everett, Lynnwood, Marysville, and Mukilteo Police Departments, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington State Patrol.

Whatcom County: Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, and Western Washington University Police Departments, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington State Patrol.

The victim and her boyfriend had just left an area comedy club and were walking back to the victim’s apartment when the shooting occurred. Detectives believe a smaller, light-colored vehicle, which was seen fleeing the scene at a high rate of speed, may be connected.     

Anyone with information about this shooting or the above described vehicle is asked to call the Seattle Police Homicide hot line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are welcome.

http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2012/04/22/woman-shot-suspects-being-sought/

The department members who participated in this event did so on their own time as a way to give back and to do their part in bringing the community and the police together in a  positive setting.

Pictured SPD officers: JD Parnell, JoJo Cambronero, Nick Carter, Gary Davenport, Elliott Easton, & Sergeant Jay Shin. Also pictured - Ballard High School Coach Joey Thomas and Coach Norris.

Following a harsh review by the Department of Justice—which called SPD out for a pattern of excessive force and intimated there were signs of biased policing in the department—city leaders and SPD’s top brass are looking at a very real, and very costly  takeover by the DOJ.

The department agrees that change needs to happen, but believes the most meaningful and lasting changes will come from within Seattle. That’s why today Mayor Mike McGinn, SPD Chief John Diaz and Assistant Chief Mike Sanford set a self-imposed deadline to finally make the reforms Seattle has been flirting with for decades.

“Don’t let a good crisis go to waste, that’s how we’re viewing this,” Mayor McGinn said, noting that the threat of a federal lawsuit and consent decree has “lent a sense of urgency” to the department’s reform efforts. “There’s opportunity in here, and we’re looking to seize that,” he said.

Rather than waiting for the DOJ to deliver a list of demands in the form of a legally enforceable consent decree, the police department has drawn up a far-reaching list of 20 reforms to police practices, policies, and procedures to be put in place over the next 20 months.

A number of high-profile incidents over the last few years have done a great deal of damage to the public’s trust of SPD. That has to be earned back through transparency, by improving public perception and bringing the police department into the 21st century.

That’s why the 20/20 plan’s extensive overhaul is all about smarter, more efficient, more accessible, and equitable policing.

“I’m committed to a police force that protects public safety, fights crime and treats every individual with dignity and respect,” Mayor McGinn said Thursday.

Under the 20/20 plan, officers will receive training emphasizing things like communication skills, as well as deescalation training so they’re better prepared for tough interactions out on the street, whether they’re dealing with a hostile crowd of protesters or individuals with mental illness and substance abuse issues.

The department will also take a data-driven and technology-based approach to public safety, allowing the department to better monitor, respond to, and proactively address crime before neighbors feel unsafe in their own homes.

Technical innovation will also allow the department to better track officers’ use of force, to make sure officers are properly using the authority the public has entrusted them with, and it will make public records and data even more accessible to the public.

The department is also making efforts to become more accessible to Seattle residents, both by giving officers more opportunities to meet and interact with neighbors in the precincts they patrol, and by engaging with the public on social media like Facebook and Twitter. Seattle deserves to be able to see and understand how and why the police department operates the way it does.

To make sure the community supports these reform efforts, the department has engaged with the Minority Executive Director’s Coalition (MEDC), which made 90 recommendations to SPD, many of which were incorporated into the 20/20 plan.

After standing at the side of Mayor McGinn and Chief Diaz as they unveiled the 20/20 plan Thursday, MEDC Board Member Estela Ortega called the interaction between the MEDC and SPD “historic.”

“Never have we had a mayor’s office and police department this committed to working with the community,” Ortega said, calling the SPD’s plan “a positive first step.” However, she cautioned, “we all know the devil is in the details.”

Mayor McGinn says he wants a department that “looks like Seattle,” and Chief Diaz says he wants “lasting and sustainable” changes. This is their chance to prove it, and these implementations are coming with or without the DOJ.

“At times we’ve fallen short,” Chief Diaz said Thursday. “The DOJ did bring up some issues we need to be better at, but many of these things are initiatives that we’ve been moving forward on because it’s the right thing to do. I want us to be at the forefront of all these issues. I’m hoping people see there’s a lot of weight behind this.”

Click here to view the full 20/20 plan, and watch the video below to see Mayor Mike McGinn, Chief Diaz and Assistant Chief Sanford discussing the reforms:

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=1061216

Law Enforcement fundraisers for Special Olympics include “Tip-a-Cop” at participating restaurants, Cops on Doughnut Shops at Krispy Kreme restaurants, Law Enforcement Torch Run, Northwest Ride of Dreams and the recent Polar Plunge.  Special Olympics and SPD would like to thank the public for their part in supporting these fundraisers – the success of which has been made possible because of generous community support.

Last year, law enforcement in Washington State raised $650,000 in support of SOWA.  The Seattle Police Department alone raised $50,000. 

For more information about Special Olympics Washington, please visit their website at www.specialolympicswashington.org

Special Olympics Washington athlete/board member Angela Martin and Chief John Diaz

Online Application Filing Period: April 2–27, 2012 at www.seattlepolicejobs.com

WORKSHOPS:

We have free pre-test workshops available to help you prepare for the June 23-24 Entry Level Police Officer Exam.  You must pre-register with the Recruiting Unit in order to attend.   

Please e-mail Officer Andre Sinn at andre.sinn@seattle.gov to register, or if you have questions or need additional information.   You will receive a confirmation e-mail with the location, directions, and more information about the workshop.  If you are serious about becoming a Seattle Police Officer, we strongly recommend you attend one of these workshops, which will provide an in depth overview of the testing and hiring process from start to finish.

Free Pre-test Workshops in downtown Seattle:

Saturday, February 18th – 10:00 am to 12:30 pm

Thursday, February 23rd – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Wednesday, March 14^th – 6:00pm – 8:30

Saturday, March 24^th – 10:00am – 12:30

Wednesday, April 25^th – 6:00pm – 8:30

Saturday, April 8^th – 10:00am – 12:30

Saturday, May 19^th – 10:00am – 12:30

Wednesday, May 23^rd – 6:00pm – 8:30

Seattle, Washington — February 6, 2012 — This past Saturday, the Seattle Hotel Association hosted the 15th annual Evening of Hope Gala at the Olympic Fairmont Hotel. This year all net proceeds benefit the Seattle Police Foundation. Saturday’s honorees, Gil Kerlikowske and his wife Anna Laszlo, were recognized for all their hard work towards improving public safety. Gil is currently the Drug Czar for the Obama Administration and the former Seattle Police Chief (2001-2009). His wife Anna is a national leader in criminal justice research and programming. Both have had an amazing impact on the Seattle community, and it was under Gil’s leadership that the Seattle Police Foundation began.

The Seattle Police Foundation (SPF) was founded to assist the police department reach its mission of fighting crime, reducing fear and building strong communities. SPF specifically helps SPD enhance relationships with the community they serve, improve officer and employee development, and provide the latest in equipment and technology that would not be normally funded in the city’s budget to ensure their safety and enhance the service they provide our community every day. Proceeds from the Evening of Hope will go to fund projects in these areas. “This money will help us continue to make Seattle safer. The work we do changes and saves lives,” said Renée Hopkins, President of the Seattle Police Foundation. The event raised more than $400,000 with proceeds going to the SPF.

The partnership between the Seattle Hotel Association, the Seattle Police Foundation and the events sponsors, demonstrates the commitment we all have towards building a safe and vibrant Seattle to allow businesses and families to thrive. Again, the Seattle Police Foundation would like to thank the Seattle Hotel Association and the event sponsors for their support and ensuring the events success.

#########

 For more information, press only:

Abel Pacheco, (206) 733- 9372, abel.pacheco@seattle.gov

For more information on the Seattle Police Foundation and the Seattle Hotel Association:

http://www.seattlepolicefoundation.org

http://www.seattlehotelassociation.org/eoh.html