Seattle, Dept. of Justice reach agreement on police reform
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SEATTLE (AP) - Seattle officials agreed to an independent monitor and court oversight of the city's police department as part of an agreement announced Friday with the Justice Department following a damning report that found officers routinely used excessive force.
City and federal negotiators were involved in tense talks over the scope of a deal for months, and Justice Department lawyers had threatened to sue the city if a deal was not reached by July 31.
"It's no secret there were a few bumps in the road to get here," Mayor Mike McGinn said. "We do have a lot of work in front of us."
The Justice Department launched its civil rights investigation early last year after the fatal shooting of a homeless, Native American woodcarver and other incidents involving force used against minority suspects. In December, a DOJ report found officers were too quick to reach for weapons, such as flashlights and batons, even when arresting people for minor offenses.
The agreement was announced at City Hall by McGinn, Jennifer Durkan, U.S. attorney for Seattle, and Thomas Perez, the Justice Department's chief civil rights enforcer.
The deal also calls for a special commission, appointed by the mayor, to concentrate on use of force issues.
Talks between Seattle officials and the Justice Department had been hung up after city officials initially balked at some federal proposals for reform.
The settlement, which must be approved by a federal judge, requires the Seattle Police Department to revise use of force policies and enhance training, reporting, investigation and supervision for situations involving use force. Police also would have to change policies and training concerning "bias-free" policing and stops, and create a Community Police Commission, which would be a civilian oversight body.
Court oversight would continue for five years, but the city could ask to end the scrutiny earlier if it has complied with the agreements for two years.
"This city is committed to eliminating bias," McGinn said.
Perez said the agreement could serve as a way to help reduce crime and increase public confidence in the city's police officers.
"We must continue to be well aware of the very raw feelings that many Seattle residents continue to have toward the Seattle Police Department," Perez said.
Surveillance cameras and police-cruiser videos had captured officers beating civilians, including stomping on a prone Latino man who was mistakenly thought to be a robbery suspect, and an officer kicking a non-resisting black youth in a convenience store.
The earlier Justice Department report found that force was used unconstitutionally one out of every five times an officer resorted to it. The department failed to adequately review the use of force and lacked policies and training related to the use of force, it said.
The American Civil Liberties Union and other community groups called for scrutiny of the department after a Seattle officer shot and killed the woodcarver, John T. Williams, in 2010.
Video from Officer Ian Birk's patrol car showed Williams crossing the street holding a piece of wood and a small knife, and Birk exiting the vehicle to pursue him. Off-camera, Birk quickly shouted three times for Williams to drop the knife then fired five shots. The knife was found folded at the scene, but Birk later maintained Williams had threatened him. Birk resigned from the force and was not charged. A review board found the shooting unjustified.
Seattle Councilman Tim Burgess, a former city police officer, said the agreement was a good one.
The fact that a federal judge and federal monitor will be involved was key, Burgess said. "That will provide the muscle behind the reforms that will be necessary," he said.
Doug Honig, spokesman for the ACLU of Washington, was also pleased.
"The city and the DOJ appear to have taken our concerns about excessive force, racially biased policing and flaws in the oversight system seriously," Honig said. "The implementation is what's going to matter."
Since the beginning of 2010, the Justice Department's civil rights division has previously reached settlements to reform police practices in New Orleans and in Warren, Ohio.
It has sued the Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff's office and the East Haven, Conn., police department for a pattern and practice of discrimination against Latinos and Hispanics. It is also investigating the Newark, N.J., police department for a pattern and practice of excessive force and unconstitutional stops, searches, arrests and seizures, and discriminatory policing; the Miami, Fla., police department and the Portland, Ore., Police Bureau over patterns of excessive deadly force; and Missoula, Mont., police over handling of sexual assault cases.
City and federal negotiators were involved in tense talks over the scope of a deal for months, and Justice Department lawyers had threatened to sue the city if a deal was not reached by July 31.
"It's no secret there were a few bumps in the road to get here," Mayor Mike McGinn said. "We do have a lot of work in front of us."
The Justice Department launched its civil rights investigation early last year after the fatal shooting of a homeless, Native American woodcarver and other incidents involving force used against minority suspects. In December, a DOJ report found officers were too quick to reach for weapons, such as flashlights and batons, even when arresting people for minor offenses.
The agreement was announced at City Hall by McGinn, Jennifer Durkan, U.S. attorney for Seattle, and Thomas Perez, the Justice Department's chief civil rights enforcer.
The deal also calls for a special commission, appointed by the mayor, to concentrate on use of force issues.
Talks between Seattle officials and the Justice Department had been hung up after city officials initially balked at some federal proposals for reform.
The settlement, which must be approved by a federal judge, requires the Seattle Police Department to revise use of force policies and enhance training, reporting, investigation and supervision for situations involving use force. Police also would have to change policies and training concerning "bias-free" policing and stops, and create a Community Police Commission, which would be a civilian oversight body.
Court oversight would continue for five years, but the city could ask to end the scrutiny earlier if it has complied with the agreements for two years.
"This city is committed to eliminating bias," McGinn said.
Perez said the agreement could serve as a way to help reduce crime and increase public confidence in the city's police officers.
"We must continue to be well aware of the very raw feelings that many Seattle residents continue to have toward the Seattle Police Department," Perez said.
Surveillance cameras and police-cruiser videos had captured officers beating civilians, including stomping on a prone Latino man who was mistakenly thought to be a robbery suspect, and an officer kicking a non-resisting black youth in a convenience store.
The earlier Justice Department report found that force was used unconstitutionally one out of every five times an officer resorted to it. The department failed to adequately review the use of force and lacked policies and training related to the use of force, it said.
The American Civil Liberties Union and other community groups called for scrutiny of the department after a Seattle officer shot and killed the woodcarver, John T. Williams, in 2010.
Video from Officer Ian Birk's patrol car showed Williams crossing the street holding a piece of wood and a small knife, and Birk exiting the vehicle to pursue him. Off-camera, Birk quickly shouted three times for Williams to drop the knife then fired five shots. The knife was found folded at the scene, but Birk later maintained Williams had threatened him. Birk resigned from the force and was not charged. A review board found the shooting unjustified.
Seattle Councilman Tim Burgess, a former city police officer, said the agreement was a good one.
The fact that a federal judge and federal monitor will be involved was key, Burgess said. "That will provide the muscle behind the reforms that will be necessary," he said.
Doug Honig, spokesman for the ACLU of Washington, was also pleased.
"The city and the DOJ appear to have taken our concerns about excessive force, racially biased policing and flaws in the oversight system seriously," Honig said. "The implementation is what's going to matter."
Since the beginning of 2010, the Justice Department's civil rights division has previously reached settlements to reform police practices in New Orleans and in Warren, Ohio.
It has sued the Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff's office and the East Haven, Conn., police department for a pattern and practice of discrimination against Latinos and Hispanics. It is also investigating the Newark, N.J., police department for a pattern and practice of excessive force and unconstitutional stops, searches, arrests and seizures, and discriminatory policing; the Miami, Fla., police department and the Portland, Ore., Police Bureau over patterns of excessive deadly force; and Missoula, Mont., police over handling of sexual assault cases.
'"It's no secret there were a few bumps in the road to get here," Mayor Mike McGinn said.'
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Such an interesting euphemism for the Great [Stone-]Wall of China!
And the activists and media choose to completely ignore the citizens of all races in Seattle who have been engaged in constructive dialog and seeking ways to live side by side better in the communities of Seattle with SPD. It is a work in progress that is roundly ignored but that is where things are happening. But I guess when your career depends on the perception of perpetual racism in all things (be you activist, college professor, or  media worker) you can't afford to tell the whole story. The cops still respond to 400,000 calls a year and people are still meeting with them in constructive dialog outside the media or shouting activist spotlights. But you, fellow KOMO readers, won't be told a thing about any of this.Â
Ahh, to return to those halcyon days when chiefs, frightened to be accused of racism, allowed black gangbangers to beat to death Kris Kimes in full view of SPD.
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Now that was the pinnacle of racial sensitivity.
(Laughing) Not one word about the much-ballyhooed "20-20" reform that was proposed.
All I see from the people against these reforms is a lack of human compassion. Your fear and mistrust of the communities most often victimized by these cops in the past allows you to look the other way when the cops abuse their power. If an innocent man is stomped by a cop he is "doing his job"? No, we must strive for a world where the poor and minorites are treated with as much respect as middle-class and wealthy....
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The old adage of "if it looks like a duck, and squawks like a duck..." needs to stop.
Baah. Only time I called the cops is because I needed a report for an insurance claim. Really, what else are they their for? They're usually too little too late. They're not, nor should they be, your first "go-to".
 @RomeyRome You've clearly never been in a serious car accident, a victim of Domestic Violence, or had your child killed by a drunk. Nice over generalization and lack of understanding on the many complexities officers face every day.
@PacificNWRunner Yep. All things they would come to do paperwork on 90% of the time after the fact. There is little they can realisticly prevent, and that's not their fault. Just the way it is. Crimes are prevented when bad guys are killed, or locked up. Having them killed by their victims is more satisfying.
@RomeyRome Like it or not they are necessary... no cops equals anarchy, no sensible person actually wants anarchy.
How about cops construct journalism reforms for the biased and closet racist media?Â
"Surveillance cameras and police-cruiser videos had captured officers beating civilians, including stomping on a prone Latino man who was mistakenly thought to be a robbery suspect, and an officer kicking a non-resisting black youth in a convenience store."
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KOMO, you are nothing more than tabloid sensationalists. While I am certain that there are issues where force was used that was clearly excessive and out of the norm, your broad brushed statements are inflammatory and frankly untrue. Beating civilians? All day and everyday...just beating people going to work, paying their bills, and doing the right thing....because that's what gets them off. Beating a prone Latino man who was mistakenly thought to be a robbery suspect?....oh wait, he was identified by the victim as being involved......kicking a non resisting black youth....who happens to be a turd with a long standing criminal record and was directly related to the robbery that the plainclothes detective was investigating....
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But that doesn't make for a good news story. Who cares about the truth anyway?
 @Dale Doback Do you have any idea how afraid the white liberals at KOMO are of blacks and hispanics?? They are terrified of them and that is why they all live in white neighborhoods and write these false stories.. They couldn't last one day as a police officer. They do all their shopping in Bellevue.Â
Nice of them to reform our police. Now can the Department of Justice assist with our gang problem in South Seattle?
Lesson here is:
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If cops do their job, we should apparently punish them and assign a nanny.
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Totally lame. To the Feds, go back to your cave.
@pbs7mm Right because Tim Birk shooting a harmless man is "doing his job". Or stomping an innocent man in a case of mistaken identity. How would you feel if you were mistakenly thought to be a criminal and got the $h!t kicked out of you because of it....
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I guess if it hasn't affected you yet then it doesn't matter...where's your human compassion for those who have literally been victimized by our "protectors".
"...found officers were too quick to reach for weapons, such as flashlights and batons, even when arresting people for minor offenses."
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Does this mean to say that there are different levels of arrest? If you are being arrested for a "minor crime" are you allowed to resist and get away because the officers are limited in the amount of force they can use? Doesn't make any sense and once again, no data from the DOJ to back up their original claims.
@Indwangu What it means is that it is excessive force to shoot a man carving wood or beating a compliant suspect in custody. You know what it meant, you are just pissed off that now you and your other SPD croonies must start to obey the law.
I wonder if the rapists and murderers will be signing reform agreements too.
We all know when the SPD went down into the abyss,when affter killing six police officers 08/09 received tremendous support from the media in Seattle.
After that the problems arising in the SPD
 @Dozen 123 What....?
Civilian oversight committees have always had bad results. Why don't they have one for surgeons? Because only another surgeon could possibly know what went right and what went wrong. For some reason every citizen thinks they are an expert at law enforcement practices. Way wrong mov e on this one. My advice to all SPD officers is find a new job.
I am glad to see that there will be a federal monitor as well as a civilian oversight commission. Too bad they didnt also require Diaz's resignation and the voiding of the SPOG contract.
@EMDF9A What SPOG contract? There is none.
@Indwangu hat do you mean there is none. There is a labor agreement between the SPOG & the city. Although it does not give the right to strike it does set work rules. Havent you ever seen Rich O'Neill blabber on about things like body cams ets and say that we cant have those things because they violate the SPOG contract?
 @scared_citizen  @EMDF9A Addicted? What percentage of arrests included a use of force (non compliant arrest)? And how many of those uses of force were unjustified? Unless you know the answer to this, you have no business overgeneralizing SPD.
@EMDF9A LOL.....Indwangu has been so brainwashed at his SPOG meetings that he actually thinks that SPD can do no wrong. Denial is the first sign of addiction. SPD is addicted to excessive force.
Brought to you by the Dept. headed by Eric Holder.
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"The agreement will require the Seattle Police Department to revise its use of force policies and enhance its training, reporting, investigations and supervision of uses of force. The agreement will also require policy and training changes relating to bias-free policing and stops and detentions, Department of Justice officials said."
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Replace 'intuition' with 'bias'. Now the officers will be required to put aside what they've learned from years of experience, and kneel to  PC speech.
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Sit back and watch as the crime rate goes up.
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I find this iconic considering all the cases where it was found that the Police acted within the law on Police brutality cases that were dismissed.
SPD always the hard way.