By Steve Miletich, The Seattle Times –
SEATTLE — A special commission appointed by Mayor McGinn to evaluate the Seattle Police Department, including its use-of-force policies and internal investigation procedures, will be a centerpiece of a reform plan announced by city and federal officials Friday afternoon.
Called the Community Policing Commission and suggested by McGinn, the panel also will address the issue of biased policing of minorities, one of the key concerns of community groups who pressed the Department of Justice to investigate the Police Department.
The Justice Department in a December report found troubling evidence of biased policing, along with is central finding that Seattle officers too often resort to excessive force.
The new commission will report its findings to a court-appointed monitor who will guide the Police Department as it carries out the reform plan, one source said. The monitor has yet to be selected.
Creation of the commission is spelled out in a memorandum of understanding that will accompany a comprehensive consent decree covering broader aspects of the reforms. The consent decree, or settlement agreement, would be in place for five years, possibly shorter if both parties agree the city and SPD have been in compliance for at least two years.
McGinn’s appointments to the commission — whose size hasn’t been finalized — will be subject to confirmation by the City Council.
The agreement spells out that the city “does not admit or agree” with the DOJ’s findings but enters into the agreement “because it wishes to ensure that its police department is functioning at an exceptional level and that it has positive relationships with all its communities.”
Details of the reform plan were announced at a news conference at City Hall.
The consent decree also provides clear definitions for officers on what constitutes use of force, listing four levels covering minimal physical contact to deadly force. It also requires officers to report any use of force they witness.
The consent decree will not include the city’s proposal to define use of force as a “response to resistance,” one source said.
City council members have generally expressed their satisfaction with the reform plan, which some reviewed Thursday evening.
But Councilmember Bruce Harrell, chair of the council’s public safety committee, said Friday that he had some concerns.
“I remain concerned over whether the Police Department and the community will embrace the consent decree given how it was negotiated,” Harrell said, noting that the police, community and council members were not included in negotiations between the city and the Justice Department.
