Before diving into the SPOG contract, let’s start with a brief overview of the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), the police officer’s labor union. Labor unions are organizations of workers that work with employers and advocate for the workers wages, hours and working conditions. Oftentimes, Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) or contracts are written out to finalize agreements made between the labor union and the employer.

However, police unions have taken this mission of “protecting their workers” to extremes by writing in practices and policies to the CBA’s that enable and protect racist, unprofessional, and violent officers. The SPOG is no different from the nation’s other police unions. In fact, agreements made in the current contract restricts full accountability, meddles with investigations, protects guilty officers and overrides the Police Accountability Ordinance passed in 2017.

Immediately after the Seattle City Council introduced the new SPOG CBA, concerned citizens and city officials voiced their concerns. The CPC and twenty-four (24) community organizations urged the SCC to reject the contract. Judge Robart highlights inconsistencies between the contract and the Consent Decree and recommends that Seattle’s government vetoes the contract. Nevertheless, the SCC ratified the contract in late 2018.

Negotiations

The current SPOG contract expired, on December 31st, 2020.  the Seattle City Council (SCC) did not release new information.

It’s important to note that just because the current contract will expire, negotiations can be postponed for as long as the SPOG representatives and the SCC deems necessary. In fact, during the last round of negotiations, the contract had expired in 2014 and the new contract was not approved until 2018. That is close to four years that the Seattle Public was in the dark regarding the status of the contract.

During the negotiations process, there is currently no community representative present to ensure that the City and SPOG follow through with recommendations made by the Accountability Bodies and other community organizations. The only members involved in the process are on either the Seattle City Council or the SPOG Board of Directors. Source: municipal code 4.04.120

Attaining community representation is the necessary first step towards eliminating the problems within the SPOG’s contract. Knowing this, we at SGPA have created a Community Voice Petition (found here) designed to ensure the concerns of the Seattle people can be heard during negotiations.

Problems with the SPOG contract:

As mentioned, the SPOG contract is riddled with problematic policies and practices that perpetuate a racist and violent system. In the following paragraphs, we will address several of the problematic practices and policies written into the SPOG contract. Please be advised that the full extent of issues is not limited to those listed in this section.

The contract blocks accountability. Article 3.10 of the contract determines that any Mediation will not result in disciplinary action, as long as the employee actively listens and communicates. We must remember that these are adult police officers, not kindergarteners. A simple mediation where all they need to do is listen and communicate sounds more like the solution to a playground fight than to inappropriate use of force and power. When an officer puts a citizen in harm's way they must be held accountable, yet this contract prevents that.

Furthermore, everything but the mediator’s assessment of the conduct during the mediation is kept confidential. This means that officers have no marks on their record, allowing them to continue a pattern of behavior without the public knowing.  

Additionally, Appendix D, which focused on “citizens on the Office of Police Accountability”, determines that “any case that reasonably could lead to termination will have a sworn investigator assigned to the case”.  This is a blatant example of the police policing themselves and provides absolutely no accountability as the people will never know what occurred in the investigation. An internal investigation is not the accountability the people of Seattle deserve.

The contract meddles with investigations. Article 3.6 states that any time an investigator would like to interview an employee, they must notify the officer 5-30 days prior to the interview and provide the topics being discussed. In the interview, only the predetermined topics can be discussed. If the interviewer would like to address any new topics, they must notify the officer in question again and set up an additional interview. This not only provides officers with time to come up with a story, but it is also a luxury not given to civilians under investigation, so why should it be given to officers?

Furthermore, Article 3.6 determines that if the investigation exceeds 180 days, the officer will face no consequences. Extensions can be requested but are ultimately permitted by the Chief of Police. This simply allows the SPD to escape accountability through the use of time-limits and gives too much power to the Chief of Police. If an extension is necessary to conduct a sound investigation, it must be provided without question.

Finally, Appendix D restricts the number of civilian OPA investigators to just two out of the nine. The other seven investigators are sworn officers in the SPD. Due to this, any investigation conducted by the OPA is actually an internal investigation, especially as there is no requirement that any investigators be civilians.

The Contract protects guilty officers. If an officer is fired, suspended, or demoted for misconduct they can file a Discipline Grievance to challenge their sentencing. The Director of Labor Relations investigates the grievance and submits a recommendation to the Chief of Police who has executive authority to rehire the officer. No police officer should be able to get their job back when they put the Seattle people in harm's way.

Additionally, Appendix A states that there will be no consequences if the officer’s testimony does not match what their body worn video shows. In a regular court, lying about your whereabouts or actions could be considered a crime in and of itself, so why doesn't this apply to officers? Well, the contract reasons that “selective focus, influence of adrenaline, fight or flight response, [and] tunnel vision” all affect the officers ability to remember.

Considering police officers are trained professionals who frequently work in high-stress situations, this is not a worthy excuse for lying in their testimonies. Meanwhile, many victims of police brutality who are not trained in handling high-stress situations, are often ridiculed for attempting to flee, resisting arrest, or following the officers orders. No guilty officer should be given any allowances for lying.

The Contract overrides the Ordinance.The Ordinance is the legislation governing the rights and responsibilities of the Accountability Bodies. Appendix E of the SPOG contract refers to select sections of the Ordinance and either contradicts, eliminates or changes the implications of the section. Additionally, it is agreed that if there are any contradictions between the two documents, all personnel must adhere to the wording of the contract.

This overhauls the power of the accountability bodies to provide accountability and places the control in the hands of the SPD. These bodies, while largely ineffective and flawed, were built to provide some level of accountability and community involvement; this contract undermines any accountability made possible by the Ordinance. Therefore, prioritizing this document perpetuates the system where the police vouch for and protect the police from discipline and scrutiny.

The full contract can be found here.

Starting off the second week of SGPA’s Black History Month series: What’s at the Roots?, we talked about excessive force with Trae from the Black Action Coalition. This blog is a summary of that conversation and provides some additional statistics and ways you can get involved and learn more about excessive force. More information about the Black Action Coalition can be found on their Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter. Trae can be found on Instagram at traee_bae.

The recording of this livestream can be found on our Instagram page.

Who is Black Action Coalition?

The Black Action Coalition (BAC) was founded with the vision of Black liberation, Indigenous sovereignty, and holding full police accountability.

Every day they highlight an issue, person, or achievement on their Twitter and share information on how to get involved and honor those who have been killed.

Their demands are:

1. Hold the police accountable.

2. Reallocate SPD's budget.

3. Stop criminalizing youth.

4. Actually protect and serve everyone.

5. Protect, not attack, our right to protest.

You can find more information about these demands at BAC’s website

The BLM Movement at Large

Trae shares her own life experiences and how they have shown her that the police do the opposite of protecting and serving her and the Black community. This relationship ultimately led Trae to become an activist and fight to make a change in police brutality and accountability.

Trae and Braxton talked about how Black men have been and continue to be demonized. Black men are seen as aggressive due to stereotypes that too many white people continue to uphold. Black women are also falsely viewed as aggressive or irrational. People in power are consistently perpetuating these inaccurate beliefs leading them to deny or ignore what Black communities say. The conversations about race and racism and how to change it have to include Black people, not just white people who can performatively listen. Trae reminded us to not let this movement center white fragility, and to focus on uplifting all voices.

Being anti-racist is not about a black square on Instagram or going to one protest over the summer. Being anti-racist requires continually educating yourself to eliminate your own racial biases. It means putting in the work to change the systems maintaining inequalities. It is a responsibility to sit with the uncomfortable, understand the mistakes you have made, and move forward on a better foot. Being anti-racist can not be done without listening to those around you who have different life experiences. Everyone has unlearning to do, and everyone has a chance to learn from and atone their mistakes. This is something we all must do together.

Trae asks us “What are you doing now? Where were you over the summer when these issues were all over the media versus where are you now when the media has moved on?” If you needed a sign to rejoin this movement, this is it. This is not a trend - there are lives at stake and whole communities being neglected. These are issues that have been a part of the United States since it’s foundation, and performative action will not change that - this is a long-term movement.

What can you do?

• If you are able, find protests in your area and show up including BAC’s marches.
• Volunteer for organizations working to make a change.
• Engage in thoughtful conversations with those around you. Stand up to racism you see in your families, call them out on their rhetoric and their microaggressions and teach them about the effects of their words, their thoughts, and their actions.
• Share content. Tell people about groups you know working to make a change, share resources, and talk to them about what you’re learning.
• Educate yourself, watching these live streams is a great way to start, but keep going, read books, watch movies, talk to people around you. If you’re white, listen, sit down and listen to the lived experiences of people around you, support people and don’t center yourself. Be a proper ally.
• Donate however you can, if you can donate money, do so, if you can donate time, that’s just as valuable.
• Remember that these issues are intersectional and remember who we are out here for. Remember those who we have lost and fight for them and for those who are still here.

By now you have likely become familiar with the goals and shortcomings of the Seattle police accountability systems. As we have seen, both the CPC and OPA were established with the intention of increasing police accountability and civilian oversight, yet are largely ineffective due to a lack of power and continued police interference. The Office of Inspector General for Public Safety (OIG) follows the same trend. Just as with our last two blog posts, we hope that the final part of this series regarding the Seattle police accountability system provides you with the information needed to understand this system and gain the knowledge needed to do your part in holding the SPD accountable.

A little bit of background information…

In 2010 - after years of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) violently targeting marginalized communities - the Department of Justice (DOJ) opened an investigation into the SPD’s practices and policies. In 2011, the DOJ determined that the SPD had been engaging in unconstitutional policing and recommended reforms in three key areas: use of force, biased policing, and supervision and accountability. The following year, the City of Seattle, under the supervision of the DOJ, formally began federal court-mandated reforms to reconstruct the Seattle policing and accountability system.

Fast forward five years to 2017, the City of Seattle finally passed the Police Accountability Ordinance 125315 (PAO), from which our current three-part accountability system was established. One of which is the Office of Inspector General for Public Safety (OIG), the third Accountability Partner, which works alongside the Community Police Commision (CPC) and the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) to “hold the SPD accountable for their actions”.

A year later, in 2018, the first Inspector General, Lisa Judge was elected into office by the Seattle City Council (SCC). Judge spent her first year in office hiring her team and building the framework to efficiently work in partnership with the CPC, OPA, and SPD.

So, what does the OIG actually do?

The OIG is responsible for the systemic oversight of the SPD and OPA. This entails:

• Performing audits and reviews of SPD processes and operations
• Recommending policy changes to to ensure SPD compliance to the Consent Decree
• Oversight of the OPA
• Review classification and investigation processes
• Review a sample of OPA investigations for quality control
• Investigate any complaints about the OPA
• As needed, the OIG may oversee investigations of Type 3 uses of force and provide administrative review of such cases

So, is the OIG effective?

In short, no - here’s why:

Community Input: Community input is essential for any police accountability body to properly perform their job, even the OIG frequently acknowledges this. However, very little community involvement has actually happened. In the two years since the OIG’s inception, only one public forum has been held. Additionally, only 3 of the 10 staff at the OIG were Seattle residents, the rest were outsourced - including the OIG herself.

Limited Resources: The OIG is new and has minimal staff, which means their efforts are spread thin. One audit takes two auditors 6-8 months to complete and the OIG also has additional smaller reports and non-audit projects on the side. This causes the OIG to limit the number of audits they perform.

SPOG Contract: The OIG's subpoena power was limited by the 2018 CBA with respect to SPD employees and their personal records.
Strictly Advisory: This is the most important factor that is restricting the effectiveness of the OIG.  They provide advice to the SPD, but there is no guaranteed follow-through because the Chief of Police has the power to decide how to proceed.  The OIG simply cannot ensure accountability if the Chief of Police is not requiered to abide by their advice. If there is nothing in place ensuring that the OIG's recommendations are implemented, then how are they adding any value?

This information is also readily available in a visual format on our Instagram. There are three separate posts available: What is the OIG? History of the OIG. Is the OIG effective? Please like and share. Let us know any questions or comments you may have.

Check us out on...

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

As part of SGPA’s Black History Month series: What’s at the Roots?, we talked with the George Jackson Freedom Coalition, where Latio Cosmos broke down the root cause of mass incarceration. This blog is a summary of that conversation, and provides some ways you can help end mass incarceration. More information about the George Jackson Freedom Coalition and their work can be found on their Instagram.

If you weren’t able to make it to the livestream, the recording can be found as an IGTV on our Instagram page.

The George Jackson Freedom Coalition is an organization dedicated to “building bridges with those incarcerated in Washington and lifting up their work”. It is made up of community members both incarcerated and not.

Mass Incarceration During a Pandemic

The issue of mass incarceration is complicated and ingrained into the structure of the United States. Cosmos referenced several layers that contribute to mass incarceration today including the history of mass incarceration, the use of prison labor as a form of modern slavery, the disproportionate number of BIPOC incarcerated, incarceration of BIPOC for petty crimes or none at all, and the lack of respect for health recommendations in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BIPOC are disproportionately incarcerated in Washington State and across the county, and with the current pandemic, they are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19. There has not been enough conversation about the issue of prisons becoming places where COVID-19 can run rampant. People are being crammed in cages without access to masks, hand sanitizer, or any safety precautions. The Department of Corrections has failed to comply with CDC’s COVID-19 heath protocols, endangering the lives of so many loved ones. People have been forced to congregate in shared spaces, a clear violation of safety recommendations. Even worse, the DOC has used pepper spray at close range on inmates, an action which is not only inhumane but has also been proved to accelerate the spread of COVID-19.

People are being kept in unsafe conditions in the middle of a pandemic. Cases are being neglected by the state, even in cases where there is evidence of racist systems and innocent BIPOC. Families everywhere are worried every day about their loved one’s well being, and nothing is being done to protect them or get them out.

The Prosecutor's Office
Cosmos told us the prosecutor’s office is sometimes referred to as the “black box of the criminal justice system” because they are notorious for their lack of transparency - the community is unable to see what goes on behind the scenes. This office is supposed to be holding officers accountable, instead they are keeping information secret from the community they are supposed to be protecting. We need full transparency in the prosecutor's office, otherwise, the SPD will continue endangering the people of Seattle without consequence.

One of GJFC’s top goals is to oversee staffing prosecutor’s to ensure that those in these positions are committed to justice and equality. Prosecutors hold a lot of power and they cannot continue to use it to perpetuate modern day slavery. Our community deserves better.

The current prosecuting attorney of Washington State is Dan Satterberg, who has shown time and time again to not be interested in ensuring justice.

GJFC’ is making 10 demands to the Prosecutor's Office, the first two were discussed in the livestream, and be sure to keep a lookout for them they publish the rest

1. The Brady List Protocol needs to be transparent

• The prosecutor's office in Seattle was getting awards and praise nationally for being progressive and transparent
• This list is supposed to be a body of evidence for what an officer who has been accused of misconduct has done and shows if there is a history of abuse
• Everyone is supposed to have access to this information, but there is very little actual transparency and so even though there is supposed to be a list that ensures officers cannot become repeat offenders,

2. Community oversight of a board that takes a second look at cases

• This was supposed to be established by the prosecutor's office
• The community should have a voice in ensuring no one is incarcerated unfairly
• Have lawyers from the community take a second look at cases and bring people home

Here are some groups working to change the prison system and protect incarcerated individuals:

• George Jackson Freedom Coalition https://www.instagram.com/gjfreedomcoalition/
• Free Them All https://www.facebook.com/FreeThemAllWa/
• The Black Law Students Association https://www.nblsa.org
• Dismantle https://www.dismantle.us

Here is a list of just a few books (and one movie) that can help you better understand this issue.

• Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California by  Ruth Wilson Gilmore
• Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
• Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson
• The 13th (documentary on Netflix)
• From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America by Elizabeth Hinton

In addition to educating yourself, here are some great ways you can get involved and help end the issue of mass incarceration.

• Write letters to incarcerated individuals (links via GFJfreedomcoalition on instagram)
• @survivepunish: https://survivedandpunished.org/letter-writing-action/
• @BLACKandPINKorg: https://blackandpinkpenpals.org
• @nycabc: https://nycabc.wordpress.com/2020/11/27/guide_13-8/
• @AbolitionChurch: https://www.abolitionapostles.com/become-a-penpal
• Beyond These Walls: http://www.beyondthesewallslgbt.org (has a pen pal program you can sign up for)
• Death Row Support Project: https://www.brethren.org/drsp/
• Lifelines to Solitary: https://solitarywatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Lifelines-Overview.pdf
• Sick of It! An Inside/Outside Project -- https://www.sickofit.space/pen-pals
• Write to your representatives
• You can find your local representatives here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/
• Donate
• Visit/write a person affected by mass-incarceration

If you have already read our blog covering the CPC, you hopefully have an understanding that what seems good on paper does not always translate into results - the OPA is worse. Once again, we know that with knowledge comes power and it's time this power is placed in the hands of the Seattle People. With that in mind, in this blog we hope to provide the information needed to understand the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) - the second accountability partner in the three-pronged system.

A little bit of background information…

Nearly two decades ago, in 1992, the City of Seattle began civilian police oversight by establishing a civilian auditor whose job was to independently review the Seattle Police Department (SPD). In 2012, the City extended this oversight to include the same OPA Auditor, the Office of Police Accountability (OPA), and a three-member OPA Review Board.

Five years later, in 2017, the Seattle City Council (SCC) passed legislation to overhaul the Seattle Police Accountability System. This legislation implemented the current three-pronged system consisting of the existing OPA, Office of Inspector General for Public Safety (OIG), and the Community Police Commission (CPC). Please link the blogs

What does the OPA actually do?

The OPA is responsible for handling and investigating complaints filed against SPD officers, overseeing SPD employee conduct, and recommending any policy or practice reforms as they see needed.

When the OPA receives a complaint, a preliminary investigation is opened to determine how to categorize it. This process reviews the complaint along with any initial evidence to see if any policies were violated in the case the allegations are true. Based off their findings, the OPA then classifies the complaint as one of the following:

• Contact log: nothing was violated, OPA simply  takes notes of it
• Supervisor Action: minor violation best handled by the employee’s supervisor
• Investigation: serious violation, OPA begins investigation
• Expedited Investigation: Very serious violation, no investigation is needed to determine wrong-doing

Alternatively, the complaint is “processed via an alternative dispute resolution method”:

• Mediation: Structured conversation to find common ground between employee and complainant.
• Rapid Adjudication: the employee admits fault and accepts repercussions without opening an investigation.

So, is the OPA effective?

While the OPA may seem like a solution to the SPD’s accountability failings, in actuality they have very little power to investigate complaints and their ability to perform their job is severely limited by SPD interference - this is the opposite of true accountability. The following paragraphs illuminate the ways in which the OPA is ineffective throughout the entire complaint and investigation process.

Before complaints reach OPA:

In 2018, the OPA, in collaboration with the SPD, initiated the Unsubstantiated Misconduct Screening Program which allows SPD supervisors to investigate allegations for “clearly refuted” claims before the OPA and email any findings to the OPA director for review. This program allows the SPD to decide if complaints are valid and dismiss complaints that they feel are not. If full accountability was truly a priority to the OPA, they would be the ones to determine the validity of complaints, not the SPD.

The year following the initiation of this program, only 23 of the 242 allegations (less than 10%) made it to the OPA for formal submission. This allowed the OPA to report a 52% reduction in allegations against SPD employees. That statistic is not an accurate representation of the number of complaints filed against Seattle officers. This switch by OPA is simply improving the SPD’s image without any actual change being made.

Classification process:

In the case that the SPD does not immediately refute a claim, the OPA would likely process the complaint using Mediation. Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution method in which the officer, complainant, and a third-party mediator discuss the event to reach a resolution. Both parties (officer and complainant) must agree to Mediation for this conversation to take place. However, as stated in the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) contract, when a SPD officer agrees to Mediation they avoid any disciplinary actions regardless of the complainants decision.

Where is the accountability in a conversation? Nowhere; the officer faces no consequences. Even worse, the officer in question can get off with no more than a slap on the writs even without having a conversation. This is an unsatisfactory and unjust conclusion for the complainant and completely restricts any accountability.

Investigation process:

If an investigation were to actually be opened, the OPA only has 180 days from the day the complaint was filed - not received - to complete the investigation. The SPOG contract makes it very difficult for the OPA to extend this deadline and limits the OPA’s subpoena authority. OPA staff have reported that these restraints have led them to “self-limit” investigations. An effective investigation would have ample time and access to evidence. However, because they have so little time, the OPA is not able to complete thorough investigations, again limiting their ability to actually ensure accountability.

Furthermore, any investigation that is likely to end in a termination must be conducted by one of the sworn investigators (9 out of 11 investigators are sworn officers). Obviously, this leads to a conflict of interest as the investigators are closely involved with the officers in question. This is essentially an internal investigation - how is that appropriate for holding officers accountable?

Final recommendation:

Finally, in the case that the OPA’s investigation proves a violation of policy or misconduct by the SPD employee, the OPA will recommend consequences and/or a policy change. However, it is left up to the Chief of Police to decide which recommendations to adopt, if any. There is no time limit for the Chief to reach a decision and the officer in question can continue working in the meantime. The OPA is purely an advisory body.

What good is an accountability system if there is no required follow through in holding officers accountable?

This information is also readily available in a visual format on our Instagram. There are three separate posts available: What is the OPA? History of the OPA. Is the OPA effective? Please like and share. Let us know any questions or comments you may have.

Check us out on...

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

If you are finding yourself with no idea what the Seattle police accountability system looks like or how it operates - we can relate. This information is so hidden from the public which enables the City of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to avoid accountability. We know that with knowledge comes power and it's time this power is placed in the hands of the Seattle People. For that reason, SGPA has set out to provide all the information needed for you to fully understand Seattle’s Police Accountability System.

In this blog, we will break down the Community Police Commission (CPC) - the first accountability partner in the three-pronged system.

A little bit of background information...

In 2010, after a long series of crimes against marginalized communities committed by the SPD, the ACLU of Washington called on the US Department of Justice (DOJ) for an investigation into SPD’s practices and policies. In 2011, the DOJ determined the SPD had been engaging in unconstitutional policing and recommended reforms in three areas: use of force, biased policing, and supervision and accountability. The following year, the City of Seattle signed a settlement agreement with the DOJ. One requirement of the agreement was the creation of the Seattle CPC, which originally included 15 community members. The Commission began working in 2013.

In 2017, new legislation made the CPC, OPA, and OIG permanent fixtures in a three pronged accountability system. Their scope of responsibilities and authority was marginally expanded and the number of commissioners increased from 15 to 21.

Who is on the CPC?
The CPC consists of up to 21 community representatives, who are responsible for gathering community input and providing oversight and policy/practice recommendations to the Seattle Police Department (SPD). The Mayor, the City Council, and the CPC itself each appoint 7 commissioners.

Commissioners must live or work in Seattle and represent the following communities:

• Communities of Color
• Ethnic and Faith Communities
• Immigrant Communities
• Urban Indian Communities
• LGBTQ(IA+) Community
• Business Community
• Youth Representatives
• Individuals Experiencing Homelessness
• Individuals with Mental Illnesses
• Civil Rights Advocates

There are currently 2 public defense and civil rights lawyers, one Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) member, and one Seattle Police Management Association (SPMA) member on the CPC. Aside from these members, the CPC is composed of civilian community leaders. There are currently 5 vacancies at this time.

What does the CPC actually do?
The CPC’s three main responsibilities are as follows:

• To identify and advocate for reforms to state and city laws that will enhance public trust in policing and the criminal justice system.
• To create in-depth reports that evaluate the SPD and any organizations that hold the SPD accountable (OIG, OPA, PCSC, City Council, Mayor, IG). You can find these reports by googling the Seattle CPC Annual Report. (2019 report, for example).
• To meet with the community, and with local organizations to hear and discuss policing concerns.
  

So, is the CPC effective?
The CPC is an accountability body which seems like a solution on paper - a group made up of community leaders, established after an investigation into crimes against marginalized communities, and able to provide advice and insight to the SPD. However, for the following reasons, the CPC is largely ineffective as it stands today.

The CPC is purely advisory. When the CPC releases a recommendation, the Chief of Police is responsible for deciding whether or not to adopt it. There is no accountability in accepting or rejecting recommendations, as we have repeatedly seen the City of Seattle ignore the CPC’s recommendations. Most recently, in 2019, the Seattle City Council was federally mandated to meet with the CPC to create a plan to make Seattle fully compliant with the Consent Decree. Mayor Durkan decided to use consultants from Chicago to audit SPD accountability and excluded the CPC and every other local organization. In 2020, the CPC was not informed that the Mayor authorized the use of tear gas and other crowd control equipment by SPD during the BLM protests. It is, after all, a collaboration between local community leaders and the SPD. As good as it sounds, the CPC is limited in power and information, if the SPD does not want to communicate with the CPC, they are not legally obligated to.

Additionally, the CPC is not fully civilianized or immune to political interference. Seattle’s CPC has been hand selected by the Mayor, the City Council, and the CPC itself, meaning that 66% of the CPC are direct political appointees. Ideally, all members would be civilians and nominated by the Seattle people themselves, thus eliminating police influence.

There is a lack of public community input. The CPC’s meetings are closed to any public comment and they have stopped working with other grassroot organizations. While you can submit questions and comments to the CPC - and they are very responsive - there should be several opportunities for public input.

The CPC has very little jurisdiction. They are consistently denied access to police data and do not have investigatory or subpoena powers. They only have the power to call attention to concerns - not actually investigate them. The CPC cannot be an effective accountability partner if they are not allowed to fully monitor the SPD.

This information is also readily available in a visual format on our Instagram. There are three separate posts available: What is the CPC? History of the CPC. Is the CPC effective? Please like and share. Let us know any questions or comments you may have.

Check us out on...

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

On Tuesday January 26th, 2020, the Community Police Commission (CPC) and Converge Media hosted a town hall to discuss the proposed changes to SPD’s policies. Activist Nikkita Oliver alongside activists from SGPA, Black Action Coalition (BAC), and Colorful Communities sat on the panel and provided feedback regarding the policies. Representing SPD was the Executive Director of Legal Affairs Becca Boatright, Assistant Chief Lesly Cordner, and Chief of Patrol Tom Mahaffy.

Each year, starting in the summer, the SPD conducts a review of their policies and CPC recommendations to better align SPD with the Consent Decree. On December 2nd, 2020, SPD informed the CPC of the new policies and made them open to the public on December 16th, 2020. Originally, the SPD was asking for public feedback by January 8th - this deadline has been extended to January 31st.

This Town Hall - five days before the policy review deadline - was the first chance for public comment on the policy from the community at large. Five days is certainly not enough time to seriously consider and implement the recommendations laid out in the Town Hall. As Black Action Coalition’s representative, Travonna, pointed out, the community, especially the BIPOC community, is “always put out of the conversation of any type of change because we are always given opportunities last minute”.

Furthermore, this Town Hall is to review the policies that dictate officers' use of force, yet there were no victims of police brutality on the panel. As Braxton Baker (founder of SGPA) said, “we need to still hear from the victims who are affected by these policies before we can approve them”. You cannot address police brutality without listening to the actual people who have been brutalized by the police.

As mentioned, these policies are under review to better align the SPD with the Consent Decree. Seattle entered this agreement in 2013 and it requires SPD to review and update their use of force policies every year. At this point, there have been seven opportunities for SPD to change their policies and stop brutalizing the community and they are still falling short. Here we are, another year, and the changes to the policies are extremely minor. Nikkita Oliver references the years of these reviews and says, “just shifting the policies of the SPD [is not] going to make the police force better”.

Despite the limited time, all activists came ready with specific concerns and strong arguments, while the SPD on the panel gave anything but substantial responses. The activists were provided an opportunity to voice their concerns and the SPD representatives responded with unsubstantial excuses and fluff. SPD representatives were only able to stay for two hours, which limited the topics that could be addressed - with the bulk of time devoted to new policies on crowd control and the weapons SPD would be allowed to use on protesters.

If you would like to learn more about what happened at this event, please watch the Town Hall recording by Converge Media for yourself.

Panelists:

Becca Boatright – SPD Executive Director of Legal Affairs

Lesly Cordner – SPD Assistant Chief

Tom Mahaffy – SPD Chief of Patrol

Nikkita Oliver – Seattle-based activist, Creative Justice

Braxton Baker – Seattle-based activist, SGPA

Lejayah Washington – Colorful Communities

Travonna Thompson-Wiley – Black Action Coalition

Joseph Seia – CPC, host

Alina Santillian – CPC, host

Check us out on...

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Last December (2020), the Seattle Police Department (SPD) quietly released their proposed changes to their SPD manual, affecting everything from the use of force and de-escalation to crowd control procedures. These changes affect all of us on an individual level and as a community. It concerns the next person who could be shot by police. It concerns everyone that is in the streets every day and every night, protesting, demanding justice and equality.  These changes should concern us all, because none of us know the next time we will be subject to these tactics and policies.

The policies in question will be discussed at a Town Hall hosted by Converge Media and the CPC on January 26th at 6:00 pm (PST). The Seattle Police Department, the Mayor's office, and (hopefully) the City Council are expected to be present. This is an opportunity that does not come as often as it should, so it is imperative that we all use it to let our voices be heard. It is essential that we ask every question, make every comment, and address every concern, holding those in power accountable for their actions and ensuring that we the people are not only heard, but listened to.

With over 120 pages of policy and confusing terms and definitions, we at SGPA have made our own summaries of each policy, breaking them down, and highlighting our concerns. These documents can be accessed here. We hope that these simplified documents will help you comb through all of the proposed changes and prepare for the Town Hall.

8.000 Use of Force Core Principles

8.050 Use of Force Definitions

8.100 De-escalation

8.200 Using Force

8.400 Use of Force - Reporting and Investigation

8.300 Use of Force - Tools

8.500 Reviewing Use of Force

14.090 Crowd Control

An SGPA representative (Braxton Baker) will serve as a panelist at the Town Hall and we want to ensure that we are not speaking for our group, but for the broader Seattle community. We have created a form where you can submit any questions or comments that you might have for anyone present and we will do our best to make sure they are addressed during the Town Hall.

Different streaming options for the event:
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter (@WWConverge)
Twitch

Check us out on Instagram for more information and updates.

In solidarity,

SGPA

Check us out on...

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

As we stand in the midst of a wave of potential change, we must act now as the people of Seattle to capitalize on holding our police accountable for their misconduct and take actionable steps to achieve justice for the marginalized.

Too many times we have seen police officers in our community, who are sworn in to protect all people within their jurisdiction, abuse that power and take advantage of their positions. For that reason, we and so many others who we stand in solidarity with the call to defund the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and to reallocate those resources back to our community. We will give props to the City of Seattle for the changes made so far, but there is much more work to be done - especially when it comes to the police union contracts.

The police officers unions have a contract with the City of Seattle. It expires at the end of this year and negotiations for a new contract are already underway (behind closed doors). The contract impedes real police accountability and protects abusive police officers and systems at the expense of the community the SPD claims to serve. Here is a quick list of the issues with the contract:

• it blocks accountability
• it meddles with investigations
• it protects guilty officers
• it restricts budget cuts

We cannot allow a similar contract to exist again. In order to avoid a repeat, we must band together and demand that the community is centered in contract discussions and actual community representatives are part of the process. Learn more about the contract and its issues here.

Our community deserves to have their voice heard and that is why we are demanding that the City officially and publicly delay the Seattle Police Officers Guild contract negotiations until we can agree upon an accountable and transparent process that centers the community.

Please become part of the solution and sign our petition!

1. Sign the petition as an INDIVIDUAL
2. Sign the petition as an ORGANIZATION (if applicable)

The previous actions by the City to address the issue of police accountability have not done nearly enough. The Office of Police Accountability (OPA), Community Police Commission (CPC), and Office of the Inspector General for Public Safety (OIG) all lack the power to discipline police officers and hold them accountable for their actions.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the City of Seattle and the police unions decides many important factors, all of which directly impact how the police operate in their positions and how they interact with the people.  

The two unions the SPD can register for are:

• Seattle Police Officer’s Guild (SPOG) - represents officers and sergeants
• Seattle Police Management Association (SPMA) - represents upper management (ex. lieutenants, captains)
  

Unsurprisingly to many of us, even legislation hasn’t been able to stand in the way of the police union influence on police accountability. For example, Seattle’s 2017 Accountability Ordinance included measures to improve this issue, but when the contracts expire, police unions in Seattle can reverse any progress made and impede any further work on accountability.

One of the most baffling aspects of the current approach of renegotiating the CBA between police unions and the City of Seattle is how much is unknown about the process. For one, there is no publicly-known schedule or process for negotiations.

The City places part of the responsibility on their Labor Relations Policy Committee (LRPC), which consists of the Mayor, the Director of the City Budget Office, the Director of Seattle’s Department of Human Relations, and members of the City Council’s Select Committee on Labor. This group deals with strategy of negotiation.

Then, the Negotiating Committee works separately from this group, based on the strategies created. If this sounds confusing, that’s because it is. It’s one too many layers that results in a lack of direct accountability. Nobody knows where to point the blame, and nobody is answering community questions.

These results of these negotiations directly affect the lives of people in our community, which means our representatives should make it a priority to include us as part of the process. However, this is where the current process has utterly failed. The City of Seattle still isn’t listening to the people, even when the community has been clamoring for a voice. Community members and organizations that represent the people of this city have made a number of attempts at a petition to force Seattle’s hand, to no avail.

In 2018, the SPOG elevated their own interests above the needs and demands of the people they serve in their next contract. They made it a point to decrease accountability measures that were implemented in 2012 as a result of the Federal Consent Decree. Despite strong backlash from a number of organizations who helped forge the 2012 decree (the CPC and Judge James Robart), the Seattle City Council approved the vote 8-1 to clear the new contract. Judge Robart later determined that the new contact meant that Seattle wasn’t even following the historic decree any longer.

If things continue with business as usual, the people of Seattle will see the same negotiation patterns, and it will result in the endurance of a vicious cycle. We as the people have a voice, and we have power to incite change - which we have seen in the response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Terry Carver, Ryan Smith, Charleena Lyles, and many others.

Currently, the Seattle City Council has not announced any changes to their negotiation plans. A new CBA can be a strong indicator of actual change that will take place, but as of now, nothing is preventing police unions to crush progress once more.

Let’s pull the plug.

We are demanding that Mayor Durkan, the Seattle City Council, SPMA, and SPOG officially and publicly delay negotiations until we can agree upon an accountable and publicly transparent process that centers on our community.

We ask them to appoint a committee of trusted community leaders, chosen by the community, in accordance with Executive Order 01-14.

We ask that they create a public schedule of reform negotiations, hold open-door meetings, and do whatever else the community decides is necessary for an honest and fair CBA negotiation.

We will not accept anything less than what is best for the entirety of the community. We must act now to protect the marginalized and defend our people from the potential harm that can continue at the hands of city law enforcement. If we settle for the standards the City and the SPOG are comfortable with, we won't get the bright future we are all working very hard towards. We deserve more and we deserve better.

If you agree, then join us in this fight!

Please sign the petition as an individual or sign the petition as an organization (if applicable).

Here are some SPOG Contract educational posts on our Instagram that dive deeper into what the police contract is, its history, and how terrible it is.

Check us out on...

Instagram
Twitter
Facebook

Since the unjust death of George Floyd at the hands of police earlier this year, Black Lives Matter protests have sparked across the United States, resulting in a moment of reckoning for our country.

Rage at racial injustices and demands for systematic change is at the heart of the BLM movement which has led to a call for accountability and change in policing. The reality of this country, which some are just now coming to grips with, is that Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) have long been met with mistreatment at the hands of those meant to protect and serve.

We at the Seattle Group for Police Accountability (SGPA) found that there is work already being done in Seattle to reduce and redistribute the police budget. However, as long as the police department exists in some capacity, it is important for community members to monitor SPD activities and hold them accountable. We also work alongside and fully support other organizations working to defund and/or reduce the need for police officers in our community.

We all should be fighting for our fellow community members who are persecuted and stand together to ensure justice for all - not just a few. Because if one person’s justice is stolen, it stains all of us. We all play a role in protecting Black lives.

Our hope is that the people of Seattle will be able to play a role in the review process of police misconduct, violence, discrimination, etc. The SPD stands on the shoulders of the community’s support and funding. The people as a whole, particularly BIPOC, need a department they can trust to uphold justice and basic human rights. These demands have been seen in protests occurring across the city in support of Black Lives Matter and we strive to carry these values into the fight for Seattle police accountability.

Check us out on...

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

You have seen the numerous protests, demands, and petitions - and you may be wondering, “how can we as regular people ensure there is real change this time?”

We hope as a Seattleite, you join us and contribute some of your time to incite actual change within our emergency response system. The following are our current subgroups, that are working together throughout the week, with individuals of all levels of availability. If you can spare even 30 minutes of your day or week to lend a hand, you are more than welcome to join!

Click here to visit our dedicated subgroup page to join a team of volunteers.

Writing | We write and review social media posts highlighting issues, calls to action, petition descriptions, email templates to send to leadership, blog posts, etc.

Policy | We read policy and call out concerns or changes we want to see in these documents. We especially welcome people with legislative and political backgrounds because we want to be educated in our approach and we need our material to be in a language that the legal system will understand.

Outreach | We run various social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and manage calls to action (volunteering, protests, meetings, petitions, etc.).

Research | We scour the internet for relevant material. We need a constant stream of pertinent information (articles, stats, announcements, etc.) to amplify our message and ensure our information is backed by credible data and resources. We read through police contracts, related manuals, documents, legislation, communication - current or future - and call out concerns and necessary changes.

Design | We design flyers that can be handed out at gatherings (protests, meetings, etc.) and social media graphics. We design and maintain our website. To participate in Design work, join the Writing and/or Outreach teams.

Photography | We take pictures of events or gatherings to amplify the movement through our social media and website. To participate in Photography work, join the Outreach team.

Click here to visit our dedicated subgroups page to join a team of volunteers.

This list is far from complete. If you have skills to offer that were not mentioned, don't hesitate to reach out. We can utilize everyone’s talent in this movement.

Check us out on...

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Welcome to the Seattle Group for Police Accountability, or SGPA as we like to call ourselves. We are a political activism group that was born from the community’s need for police accountability.

Our research reveals that the Seattle Police Department (SPD) continually avoids various avenues to hold it accountable and transparent. Nearly every reform idea one may have, has already been attempted and failed by our local police departments. We are no longer tolerating this consistent failure within a system that should be protecting and serving our people.

You have seen the numerous protests, demands, and petitions - and you may be wondering, “how can we as regular people ensure there is real change this time?”

That is where SGPA comes in. In a nutshell, we are volunteering our time and skills to continually work through tangible material related to the SPD. Anything and everything (current or future) is on the table: contracts, manuals, documents, legislation. We read and digest this material, call out any concerns or noteworthy information, and organize as needed to demand change. This can take the form of writing our own proposals and presenting it to city council, creating petitions, organizing issue-specific protests, creating email campaigns to reach local representatives, and so much more.

Our mission is to hold SPD accountable for misconduct and ensure they fulfill their expected role in our communities. Their expected role is currently changing, but we understand that police departments will exist to some capacity, and therefore will need community oversight and awareness indefinitely. We want to bridge the gap between regular people who care about changing policing and what’s actually happening within the city of Seattle and all police-related entities.

We hope that you get inspired by the movement and join us.

Check us out on...

Instagram
Twitter
Facebook