CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION relating to police accountability; instructing the Office of Inspector General for Public Safety and Community Police Commission to review and recommend changes to Seattle laws, policies, and practices within the scope of their expertise.
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WHEREAS, The City of Seattle has been on a long road to cultural reform within the Seattle Police Department (SPD); and
WHEREAS, comprehensive and constitutional police reform is an ongoing and iterative process; and
WHEREAS, a strategic and achievable plan must be laid out for ongoing input and improvement to the accountability system; and
WHEREAS, an essential element of a strong oversight system is a disciplinary system that builds on lessons learned from other jurisdictions and best practices; and
WHEREAS, there is a need for the community to effectively influence and provide perspective to a range of policing matters of significance to the public beyond what is traditionally thought of as a police accountability system; and
WHEREAS, although The City of Seattle’s proposed accountability system with a civilian-led misconduct investigations unit, an independent police inspector general, and a strong community-based oversight commission, has many strengths other models of oversight do not, and addresses systemic weaknesses with which other systems have struggled; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle has an opportunity to take the lessons it has learned from other jurisdictions and from its own history to establish a community-focused oversight system that can serve as a model for other jurisdictions, but can also benefit from a review of best practices and examining aspects of police reform that have shown promise or success in other jurisdictions;
WHEREAS, the City Council on February 1, 2017 began consideration of police accountability legislation; and
WHEREAS, the Council also wishes to implement other specific timebound provisions to continue to support and increase positive change in SPD; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:
Section 1. As used in this resolution:
“CPC” means the Community Police Commission;
“OIG” means the Office of Inspector General for Public Safety;
“OPA” means the Office of Police Accountability; and
“SPD” means the Seattle Police Department.
Section 2. OIG shall conduct a review of SPD’s disciplinary processes that includes an assessment of the merits of models used in other jurisdictions to help ensure consistency and fairness in disciplinary decision-making. OIG shall provide a report on the results of its review and any recommendations to the Council.
Section 3. OIG and CPC shall, by the end of the first Inspector General’s first full year, conduct a review and provide recommendations to the Council for any needed revisions to Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 14.12.
Section 4. OIG shall, by the end of the first Inspector General’s first full year, conduct a study to ascertain the effectiveness of OPA’s mixed sworn and civilian staffing arrangements and provide recommendations to the Council as to whether further changes are warranted.
Section 5. CPC shall convene meetings with and lead stakeholders in assessing the feasibility of establishing mechanisms to use investigation and review processes wholly external to SPD for cases involving serious and deadly uses of force, and provide any recommendations adopted by the stakeholder group to the Council for consideration.
Section 6. CPC shall convene meetings with and lead stakeholders in assessing the need for and developing a complainant appeal process that is consistent with employee due process rights, and provide any recommendations adopted by the stakeholder group to the Council for consideration. If established under City ordinance or policy, CPC shall periodically review the fairness and effectiveness of such civilian appeal process.
Adopted by the City Council the ____ day of ________________________, 2017,
and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of ___________________, 2017.
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President __________ of the City Council
The Mayor concurred the _____ day of _______________________, 2017.
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Edward B. Murray, Mayor
Filed by me this ____ day of __________________________, 2017.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)