CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION supporting The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 (H.R. 7120).
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WHEREAS, The City of Seattle has been working on reforms to its police department and policing practices, including its use of force policies, since the federal consent decree (a.k.a. Settlement Agreement) was instituted in 2012; and
WHEREAS, the consent decree was followed by several police reform and accountability policies and organizations including the Community Police Commission, the Office of Police Accountability, the Office of Inspector General, the 2017 police reform ordinance (Ordinance 125315), and the 2018 Sustainment Plan; and
WHEREAS, the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis following the long history of disproportionate police misconduct and violence against countless other Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in Seattle and throughout our nation and the subsequent community-led protests are causing several local governments to boldly address the histories of institutional racism within their law enforcement systems; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle and other cities have recognized that attempts to reform their police departments are insufficient by themselves to end disproportionately negative impacts on BIPOC communities; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle is in the process of re-examining its budget through an anti-racist lens to determine how to better allocate resources to reimagine public safety and achieve healthy communities; and
WHEREAS, after public officials reallocate substantial funding away from traditional policing to other City government departments or to effective community-based organizations, there will still be a need to sustain and expand reforms of the remaining law enforcement systems; and
WHEREAS, reforms needed across the nation include not only reforms implemented in Seattle, such as the use of body cameras, but also reforms that require changes in federal law, such as ending qualified immunity for police officers; and
WHEREAS, Congresswoman Karen Bass, Democrat of California, introduced H.R. 7120, known as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, to institute a wide range of police reforms and accountability measures to protect BIPOC communities no matter where they reside; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 7120 by a vote of 236 in favor and 181 against on June 25, 2020 with the Seattle's congressional delegation, Pramila Jayapal and Adam Smith, voting in favor; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE THAT:
Section 1. The City of Seattle urges immediate passage by the United States Senate of H.R. 7120, known as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which will increase accountability across the nation for law enforcement misconduct, enhance transparency and data collection, eliminate discriminatory policing practices, and facilitate federal enforcement of constitutional violations (e.g., excessive use of force). Among other things, H.R. 7120 would accomplish the following:
A. Limit qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer or state correctional officer;
B. Lower the federal prosecution standard for convicting a law enforcement officer for misconduct from willful actions to reckless actions;
C. Authorize the Department of Justice to issue subpoenas in investigations of police departments for a pattern or practice of discrimination;
D. Create a national registry-the National Police Misconduct Registry-to compile data on complaints and records of police misconduct;
E. Establish a framework to prohibit racial profiling at the federal, state, and local levels; and
F. Institute new requirements for law enforcement officers and agencies, including to report data on use-of-force incidents.
Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2020, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.
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President ____________ of the City Council
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)