The Seattle Times, Local News

Citizens Address Police Accountability as City Enters Labor Negotiations

In response to concerns over police accountability, the community shared their views and offered
recommendations for the departments future.
By Nicole Einbinder
Seattle Times staff reporter
Before the city enters into negotiations with the Seattle Police Officers Guild on a new labor
contract, a community group voiced their opinions last Tuesday night and proposed extensive
recommendations to strengthen police accountability.
The Community Police Commission, an independent office within the city that provides
community input on proposed police reform, generated recommendations to strengthen the
accountability system. The recommendations are based on input from the community, the review
board, and the Human Rights Commission, according to retired Judge Anne Levinson, the
civilian auditor of the Office of Professional Accountability.
Community members expressed concern over unnecessary use of force and biased police
practices.
On paper, we have a very robust system, said City Council member Nick Licata. But in
execution, we have some major flaws that have even resulted in lawsuits being brought against
the city because of oppressive police force.
For example, the city paid $1.75 million this past August to settle an excessive force lawsuit
against the Police Department, after a 2010 incident when officers acted with force against an
unarmed schizophrenic man.
Excessive use of force is one of the big community problems we are concerned with, said
Mary Paterson, a member of the No New Jim Crow Seattle Campaign, who voiced discontent
over police violence stemmed by racial profiling.
The public hearing, jointly sponsored by the Seattle City Council and the review board, allowed
the community to express their concerns with the police so that adequate reform, such as
reorganizing the accountability systems structure, will be included in the negotiations. Since
labor contracts for employees only last a certain number of years, they must be renegotiated each
time they are set to expire.
The Community Police Commission has been working very hard to look at all aspects of the
system and make comprehensive recommendations, Levinson said. There is a real opportunity
now to fundamentally improve the effectiveness of the accountability system.

While the Commission made past recommendations to strengthen police accountability,

members cited lack of action in actually addressing these issues.
Ive always been concerned about accountable government, and police departments have
unfortunately been at the forefront of being unresponsive to social justice needs, Licata said.
There have been a number of incidents [in Seattle] over whether police officers have crossed the
line and physically hurt someone who may or may not have broken the law.
Levinson said that in order to create an accountability system fair for both the community and
Police Department employees, policymakers must create a uniform approach to imposing
discipline so the public will better trust the police.
If management doesnt have the tools to require discipline, there is a higher incidence of police
officers not feeling compelled to follow the policies set down by the department, Licata said.
The Commission aims to finish the new set of accountability recommendations by April 30
according to Fe Lopez, their Executive Director.
As the city enters into the negotiations over the next few weeks, Licata said that he hopes to see
the communitys recommendations seriously considered for the labor contract.
Its incumbent upon policymakers to ensure that the recommendations to improve the parts of
the system that arent working actually get followed up on, Levinson said. Policing is a very
difficult business. In every community, there will be legitimate concerns about whether the
public is being treated respectfully and fairly and whether officers of all ranks are held
accountable.
OPA Auditor retired Judge Anne Levinson- 206-938-0951, Auditor@levco.com
City Council member Nick Licata- 206-684-8803, nick.licata@seattle.gov
Mary Paterson- 206-271-0251, MaryCPaterson@gmail.com
CPC Executive Director Fe Lopez- 206-684-5175, Fe.Lopez@seattle.gov