CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to bias-free policing; adding a new Chapter 14.11, consisting of Sections 14.11.010, 14.11.020, 14.11.030, 14.11.040, 14.11.050, and 14.11.060, to the Seattle Municipal Code to codify Seattle's commitment to bias-free policing, require the Seattle Police Department to have bias-free policing policies and training, create an enforcement mechanism against biased policing, and collect data to help ensure that biased policing does not occur.
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WHEREAS, on March 31, 2011, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) notified the City of Seattle that it was initiating an investigation of an alleged pattern or practice of excessive force and discriminatory policing in the Seattle Police Department (SPD), pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, 42 U.S.C. ?14141; the anti-discrimination provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C. ? 3789d ("Safe Streets Act"); and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. ? 2000d ("Title VI"); and
WHEREAS, on December 16, 2011, the DOJ Civil Rights Division issued a findings letter that concluded there were serious concerns on the issue of discriminatory policing issues related to biased policing within the SPD and that, while the great majority of the City's police officers were honorable law enforcement professionals who risked their physical safety and well-being for the public good, a pattern of excessive force existed as a result of a subset of officers who used force improperly; and
WHEREAS, though the DOJ did not specifically reach a finding of discriminatory policing, the DOJ did conclude that their investigation raised serious concerns about the practices that could have a disparate impact on minority communities and such practices undermine SPD's ability to build trust among segments of Seattle's diverse communities; and
WHER...
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