After 13 years, the Seattle Police Department has emerged from a Federal Consent Decree. Judge James L. Robart ruled on Wednesday ruled that the hard work done at all levels has made the Seattle Police Department a model for reform.
“While we embrace change and continue working towards becoming the best police department in the nation, we also understand that today’s ruling is just the beginning.” Chief Shon Barnes said, “Without the community’s support we wouldn’t have made it to this point and will continue to work with stakeholders as we all work to cement change as a bedrock principal of policing in Seattle.”
What has this work given you and your officers
- Expanded training: Thousands of officers received new instruction in de-escalation, crisis intervention, and cultural competency.
- Transparency tools: Body-worn cameras, a staple of policing — supported by public dashboards that share data on stops, use of force, and outcomes.
- Enhanced community engagement: SPD participated this summer in Mayor Harrell’s public safety forum, and this fall is launching neighborhood listening sessions that promise to give residents a stronger voice in what public safety looks like in their communities.
- Crisis alternatives: Instead of having police answer every 911 call for an overdose or other crisis, today civilian specialists and co-response teams under the CARE umbrella now work alongside officers to better serve people in need of help.
Where do we go now
Training will continue to change so it meets, or exceeds, Constitutional minimums. Backed by our civilian-led Office of Police Accountability, Office of Inspector General, and the Community Police Commission we will continue achieving layers of accountability, helping us identify real concerns when they occur. Most importantly, we will continue to work with you as we design a new program to give the communities we patrol greater control over the services we provide.
“We are a much-improved department for going through this process,” said Chief Operations Officer Brian Maxey. “The Consent Decree created internal systems of ‘critical review’ for our employees – they know what they are doing and are accountable.”
