Schram: Questioning DOJ's methodology in SPD investigation
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I never fully accepted the U.S. Department of Justice findings from its investigation of the Seattle Police Department.
While I believe the SPD has significant issues that have long needed to be addressed, I questioned the feds methodology of study in-so-far as to whether there was a genuine attempt to understand the unique nature of law enforcement.
In other words, did the Department of Justice delve too deeply into the minutia of what it's like being a cop trying to enforce the law and chase down the bad guys?
I think one area where the SPD/DOJ agreement resonates is the acknowledgment that Seattle police specifically confront - and take steps to deal with - biased policing of minorities.
New guidelines on the use of force, along with additional training and increased front line supervision, will hopefully go a long way to bring an end to the discriminatory police practices that exist at different levels.
No one but a law enforcement officer really knows what it's like to put that uniform on and go to work day in and day out.
Police deserve our respect, but first must earn everyone's trust.
For whatever failures the DOJ's investigation had in it, the end result provides optimism in that regard.
Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com. You can also connect with Ken on Facebook.
While I believe the SPD has significant issues that have long needed to be addressed, I questioned the feds methodology of study in-so-far as to whether there was a genuine attempt to understand the unique nature of law enforcement.
In other words, did the Department of Justice delve too deeply into the minutia of what it's like being a cop trying to enforce the law and chase down the bad guys?
I think one area where the SPD/DOJ agreement resonates is the acknowledgment that Seattle police specifically confront - and take steps to deal with - biased policing of minorities.
New guidelines on the use of force, along with additional training and increased front line supervision, will hopefully go a long way to bring an end to the discriminatory police practices that exist at different levels.
No one but a law enforcement officer really knows what it's like to put that uniform on and go to work day in and day out.
Police deserve our respect, but first must earn everyone's trust.
For whatever failures the DOJ's investigation had in it, the end result provides optimism in that regard.
Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com. You can also connect with Ken on Facebook.
The elephant in the room is that sometimes Profiling works.
Being a police officer must be one of the toughest jobs out there. They have to deal with child molesters, rapists, gang members and the rest of the scum of the earth.Â
I hope Seattle police dept will be able to fix their problems.
I am very grateful to all the police departments. What would we do without them?
I'm kind of torn here, although I do think that there are issues that should be addressed with the SPD, I surely do NOT trust the DOJ at this point in time. Â Too much politicization of the department for it to be trustworthy.
"biased policing of minorities." Â The only way people will be happy is when there are no White officers because if a white officer arrests a minority it will always be viewed as racial profiling.
I am terrfied of ALL police officers. Even if you are just standing on the sidewalk minding your own business they will find a way to get you. Any time I come near an officer of the law I make sure I am as far away from them as possible. They act like they are so tough. All they do is put up crime sceen tape AFTER the fact and stand there looking like BIG fools. What if a cop is handling someone totaly wrong and that person trys to defend them self and in doing so shoots the cop to save his or hers wellbeing because the cop was too rough? Hopefully there are witnesses cus I would not put it past (seattle) people doing that in the near future. I know police are trained to handle criminals (forcefully) but they should also be trained on how to handle non vilent non offencive citizens. Every time I have had to file a report or call 911 even the disbatchers are d***H****.
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I have had to handle residents and evictions (more than a dozen I'd say) for the last three years and no matter what every time even if the residents are begining to threaten or yell at me (during the actual eviction) the cops would not do anything to protect me even though I am having to evict a drug dealer and or squater.
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Cops creep me out for sure....
 @as a matter of fact If you are minding your own business, not breaking the law, you shouldn't have to worry about the police. I have never been targeted by the Seattle PD or any PD in the United States and I have been misidentified as being non-white plenty of times by friends, associates, and people of my congregation.
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And if a cop is handling someone wrong, let it happen. You have a process of redress through the court system. Comply with their commands. I have seen to many videos of people getting hurt from fighting a police officer because a case of mistaken identity or they become combative when they are caught.  If you believe that for some odd reason that a police officer is going to murder you go ahead and defend yourself, but I hope you have great articulation and evidence to back your claim.
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This state sucks for evictions. nuf said on that one.
The DOJ is neither expert in law enforcement or policing. They are simply attorneys who listened to the criminal apologists rampant in Seattle. The NAACP, ACLU, public defenders and criminals themselves were heard loud and clear.
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@opout I'd recommend you go read the wiki on the DOJ.
Do you realize several federal agencies fall under control of the DOJ? FBI, US Marshalls, ATF, and a few others?
DOJ is headed by the Attorney General, and is much more than "simply attorneys". You couldnt be further from the truth
 @northwestsurfer  @opout As Robert Heinlein stated (and likely someone else before him) "what you don't know won't hurt you, but what you know that ain't so." Boy did opout demonstrate that for us!
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Sort of like saying the Navy doesn't know anything about boats!
Ken, you are a commentator, and good at it. But you arent an expert in law enforcement. Let the DOJ handle this affair, and SPD alone.
Its not too much to ask our Police force to act professionally and with respect for the public. They can not start with the idea that EVERYONE besides themselves is a perp. Its not them vs us. Once they get that straight, they can start enforcing the laws and arresting the real crooks (some of which are other cops). Protecting bad cops will no longer be tolerated.
 @scared_citizen A lot of people have an us vs. them attitude towards police officers. A few bad officers in a department doesn't make every officer a bad officer. It is part of an officer's training to treat everyone they approach suspected of a crime as a perp, it keeps them alive if they come across a perp that intends them harm.
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What exactly is a real crook? Anyone who breaks a law is a criminal, unless it is an infraction of course.
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What does Schram even offer to KOMO?
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The guy is a liberal tool who doesn't do anything but state the obvious while slightly playing victim's advocate.
 @TJM what is wrong with Liberal's??
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 @me technically they are the extreme left. and neither the extreme left or right has any real ideas that would work anywhere but on paper. Red and blue are just problems when the solution is more of a purple color.
I have no comment because I really have no idea what Ken is trying to say here. Seems phoned in.Â
Mr Schram
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What Part of the Doj finding did you not fully accept / understand / believe
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May be you should question what the Doj did find , and if you feel
that the doj delved to deep into minutia then maybe you could
point out what problem you think they did uncover that is if you
believe SPD has a problem. Maybe public police videos that have
now somehow private. or maybe an explanation for a100,000 missing
police video , maybe the king county sheriffs Dept could help us find
the videos or reports .
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Sorta seems like your defending the Dept and criticizing the doj on one hand
then saying the SPD has problems and the doj help to expose these problems on the
other hand . Or maybe the doj investigated to deeply into " minutia.??
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Ken
Some times you gota dig threw the Minutia  to get to the problem.
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That was a painful post to read...
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When the politicians let every fruit and nut get away with everything, including the murder of the Tuba man, then of course the SPD will deal out some justice up front. Why not? Seems to be working down in Arizona. But then again, the mayor down there encourages the law to be tough.
Actually, its NOT workign in AZ. Sheriff Arpaio is currently the subject of a DOJ lawsuit for similar reasons the DOJ investigated SPD. Excessive use of force, racial profiling and violation of civil rights. He wasnt smart enough to resign & get it over with. I'm pretty sure he'll spend some time in one of his pink jumpsuitsbefore heading off to a federal pen somewhere.
 @EMDF9A Actually they are trying to place a Federal Monitor in Sheriff Joe's department because he is effective and it is pissing off the Democrats in power. The charges of racial profiling are a joke. If you are doing a round up of illegal immigrants in Arizona who are they looking for other than Mexico nationals. Extra patrols in high crime areas that happen to have high concentrations of Mexicans, I would assume that if a 100% Mexican-American community has a 0 crime rate that no extra patrols are going on there.
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I hope he survives this political assassination of his character and they deport more criminals from our country. Because if you are here illegally you are a criminal, it is the first part of ILLEGAL Immigrant. We have a legal process to come to the United States that Democrats in office are trying to circumvent in order to get more votes. Pathetic.
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Ken, I suppose you think that the wood carver that was killed ranks with "minutia". SPD has some problems, I am certain that it comes from the top down. Seattle was reluctant to clear out the higher ups that are allowing the problems to continue. Bringing in the DOJ was a bit much but no one wanted to do anything locally. Now everyone will have to pay the price.
 @hi61izq Were charges filed on that one?
As one of maybe 22 people who actually read the DOJ report cover to cover the answer to your question is no. The DOJ bent over backwards to be fair and unbiased toward the SPD. DOJ did delve into some minutiae, but repeatedly pointed out that they did not have enough information to make sweeping judgements regarding minor points of conduct and deportment. The proposed reforms are, in general, tackling the large issues. If reform of training, reporting, and discipline are successful, the little things will take care of themselves.
"specifically confront - and take steps to deal with - biased policing of minorities"
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yeah. The SPD has been letting the Swedish gangs in Ballard to run amuck.
When you let those Scandohoovians loose there's no turning back.
@LockesChild I've never seen the running of the mucks, is it like the running of the Rainiers?
Just wait until the KC Sheriff's office audit comes to the feds, it might even be worse than the DOJ's. Rahr made a huge mistake putting Strachan in.
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