The Seattle Police Department offers its sincere condolences to all affected by today’s tragic mass shooting in Orlando. I have been in communication with senior officials from the FBI and DHS, as well as our state and local law enforcement partners. While there is no information indicating any specific threat to… [ Keep reading ]
Mayor Ed Murray, Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole, and Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Larry Nyland announced today the expansion of SPD Safe Place to Seattle Public Schools. The district’s 98 schools are designated SPD “Safe Place” for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) victims of crime and discrimination. SPD announced the program in May… [ Keep reading ]
Chief Kathleen O’Toole sincerely thanks the City Auditor both for the audit of department overtime released today and the ongoing collaboration during the audit process that has allowed the department to move forward with overtime tracking and control over the last year. This overtime audit was requested by Chief O’Toole… [ Keep reading ]
Bike officers to be trained and equipped with Nasal Naloxone Today the Seattle Police Department, together with The Marah Project and the University of Washington announced an initiative equipping bike officers with Nasal Naloxone (also known as Narcan) in an effort to decrease deaths from opiate overdoses. This program updates… [ Keep reading ]
Today, Seattle Police Department released a training video produced in partnership with members of the transgender community, highlighting the steps officers will take to ensure transgender individuals are treated with dignity and respect during all contacts with police. The video, produced by the department’s Education and Training Section, was prepared… [ Keep reading ]
As part of the Seattle Police Department’s ongoing commitment to transparency, SPD today became the first City of Seattle agency to launch an online Records Request Center, to improve access to public data and documents. The Records Request Center, powered by GovQA, will enhance how members of the public are able to… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle Police Department welcomes Mary Perry as Director of Transparency and Privacy. This is a new position with SPD as part of its re-organization of public disclosure response and enhanced compliance processes. In this role, Perry will oversee public disclosure and direct the department’s efforts to proactively provide data and… [ Keep reading ]
The White House today announced that Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole will be in attendance for President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address at the invitation of First Lady Michelle Obama. Chief O’Toole will be seated in the First Lady’s Box. Since being selected by Mayor Murray to lead… [ Keep reading ]
As noted today in the Federal Monitor’s filing, the Seattle Police Department’s Force Review Board (FRB) was found to be in initial compliance with Consent Decree requirements. This signals a major step forward and underscores the SPD’s commitment to reform and accountability. In particular, I’d like to recognize the tireless… [ Keep reading ]
I would like to announce the soon-departure of Chief Operating Officer Mike Wagers and thank him for his tremendous contributions toward making the SPD a national model for urban policing. I’ve known and worked with Mike since he was a Ph.D. student at Rutgers University. When Mayor Ed Murray announced… [ Keep reading ]
