Results: DOJ Investigation into SPD

Last year, DOJ conducted an investigation of Seattle PD in regards to "excessive and unnecessary use of force" and "biased policing". To summarize the results: "We find that SPD engages in a pattern or practice of using unnecessary or excessive force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Section 14141." The full report can be found here: http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/275050/doj-investigation-report-on-spd.pdf

Today, The agreement between DOJ and SPD was finally released. http://www.scribd.com/doc/101266925/SPD-DOJ-Proposed-Settlement-Agreement I admit, I have not read it in its entirety yet as it is a long document like the first but thought I'd at least share.

However, none of the agreement will be enforceable if State Rep. Mike Hope (a former SPD officer) gets his way with HB 2629: "Preventing the adoption by any state or local law enforcement agency of any federal recommendations regarding use of force other than those clearly and expressly required or authorized by an act of congress," which he proposed immediately after the results of the investigation were released. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2629&year=2011

Good news is the creation of a Civilian Commision to oversee the PD. This time, unlike the old civilian review board, they'll have the backing of an Independent overseer and Federal Judge. No more ignoring of recommendations by the department.

As for Mike Hope's attempt at sidetracking any enforcement, he's a fool if he think State Law is going to trump any rulings by a Federal Judge. Federal Civil Rights Law trumps anything coming from Olympia.

....SPD officers exhibit confusion between a casual, social contact and an investigative detention (a “Terry” stop). SPD must ensure its officers understand that, unless they have a sufficient factual basis to detain someone, a person is free to walk away from police and free to disregard a police request to come or stay. Officers should also understand that in such circumstances, the decision to “walk away” does not by itself create cause to detain...

Even they say "walk away" .... I would think that 80-90% of PDs all would violate this aspect of police work. The issue is that people just don't know and keep it as a consensual encounter. Our education system just wants us to stay in the dark .. when I was a kid, we actually talked about court cases dealing with this type of subject matter.