SEATTLE (May 21, 2015) – Today Mayor Murray and Chief of Police Kathleen O’Toole announced SPD Safe Place, a public education and visibility campaign aimed at preventing and responding to anti-LGBT bias crimes. “Seattle welcomes all people,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “There is no place for bigotry or harassment in… [ Keep reading ]
Today, I provided this letter to our partners at the Community Police Commission, after receiving their feedback (PDF) on SPD’s demonstration management practices: Thank you for continuing your work to gather and provide feedback from our community. Enhancing community trust is of paramount importance to the Seattle Police Department, and I genuinely value… [ Keep reading ]
I was shocked and disappointed to hear Councilmember Harrell’s comments today related to the SPD’s performance during the May Day demonstration on Friday evening. His statements directly contradict the overwhelming, positive feedback the SPD has received from the community in recent days. The Seattle Police Department has worked hard with… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle Police Department Micro Community Policing Plans have been finalized and are being published on Nextdoor neighborhoods today. No two neighborhoods are alike, nor are their safety priorities and concerns about crime. Recognizing this, the Micro Community Policing Plans are designed to put the department’s energy and resources into addressing… [ Keep reading ]
Yesterday I signed a termination order for an officer who initiated unprofessional and highly inappropriate communication with women he came into contact with while at work. The damage to the public trust in this department from this type of behavior cannot be overstated. The decision to end someone’s employment is… [ Keep reading ]
I am pleased to announce the next generation of leaders in the Seattle Police Department.
The Seattle Police Department is absolutely committed to reform and accountability. We are well underway as noted in the Federal Monitor’s most recent report. We will continue to follow the Mayor’s lead and work collaboratively with the CPC, the OPA Director and the OPA Auditor to enhance accountability further.
The Seattle Police Department is working tirelessly to rebuild community trust and restore pride in our organization. It’s unfortunate that behavior on social media by a few has contributed to the erosion of our collective efforts. Moving forward, I want to be certain that employees are clear regarding my expectations… [ Keep reading ]
On the heels of Mayor Ed Murray’s state of the city address where he promised continued reforms related to bias-free policing, the Seattle Police Department released a Request for Proposal (RFP) yesterday for a new business intelligence computer system, accomplishing a key milestone on the road to compliance with the… [ Keep reading ]
Until yesterday I was unaware of Officer Whitlatch’s Facebook posts. I was shocked and disappointed to read her comments. We are working to reform the Seattle Police Department, and behavior of this nature seriously undermines our efforts. Today, I have taken these immediate steps: I have ordered a comprehensive review… [ Keep reading ]
