In keeping with its commitment to highlighting transparency around Department policies, process and training, today the Seattle Police Department released the Stops and Detentions Annual Report. This report focuses on data around police-civilian contacts that involved a stop and limited detention of an individual.
“We rely on data-driven strategies to ensure our continuous improvement. Data enables us to deliver the best public safety services possible to the communities we serve,” said Chief Carmen Best. “The men and women of the Seattle Police Department work every day to enhance public trust, and sharing this data demonstrates our transparency and accountability.”
This report provides insights into changes from 2017 to 2018, which are highlighted below.
Key Findings:
- SPD conducted 18.5% more Terry stops in 2018 than in 2017. What that portends, or whether it is an anomaly, will require further analysis.
- In 2018, 27.5% of all stops resulted in an arrest, an increase of 41.1% from 2017.
- Over 70% of all Terry stops city-wide were responsive to a request for service from the public (i.e., a call to 911) to which an officer was dispatched.
- Among the five precincts, the North Precinct accounted for 27.76% percent of Terry stops city-wide, the East Precinct for 19.15%, the West Precinct for 26.87%, the South Precinct for 16.48%, and the Southwest Precinct for 9.75% of all Terry stops.
- The East, West, and South precincts each saw increases in their percentages of Terry stops. The East Precinct’s Terry stops increased by 59.1%, or approximately 1.7 additional Terry stops across the precinct per day. The East Precinct also saw a 126.4% increase in arrests following a Terry stop. This report looks in-depth at the East Precinct data because it saw the highest percentage of increases across the city.
- As in 2017, most of the subjects stopped were perceived as male – 77.4% in 2018 as compared with 77.2% in 2017.
The Department will work collaboratively with the City and community partners as it continues with its core efforts of transparency, systems of critical analysis, and ongoing commitment to iterative improvements.
Resources:
Stops and Detentions Annual Report 2019
SPD Manual 6.220 Voluntary Contacts, Terry Stops & Detentions