Seattle Officers Sue Over Use-of-Force Reforms
The civil-rights suit, filed in U.S. District Court, contends the changes have effectively created “hesitation and paralysis” among officers, stripping them of their constitutional and legal right to make reasonable, split-second judgments in the line of duty.
More than 100 Seattle police officers filed a lawsuit Wednesday asking a federal judge to block what they called “mechanical” and unrealistic use-of-force policies imposed on them under a court-ordered consent decree.
The 43-page suit alleges policies stemming from an agreement between the city and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) stoked a “bold, new disregard for police authority in the streets of Seattle,” putting officers and the public in unreasonable danger.
The civil-rights suit, filed in U.S. District Court, contends the changes have effectively created “hesitation and paralysis” among officers, stripping them of their constitutional and legal right to make reasonable, split-second judgments in the line of duty, the Seattle Times reports.
The suit, filed by 123 officers, detectives and sergeants, largely from the department’s North Precinct, was brought without an attorney, although a civil-rights attorney in Washington, D.C., assisted.
It also was filed without the approval or support of their union, the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild (SPOG).
More Procedures & Policies
How Data-Driven Fleet Management Is Changing Public Safety Operations
Police agencies are leveraging fleet data to reduce collisions, improve officer safety, control maintenance costs, and strengthen public accountability. This ebook explores how modern telematics and fleet management technology are helping departments operate more efficiently while maximizing taxpayer resources.
Read More →
No Waiting: Detective Busts Missing Persons Myth
Detective David Lee Stephens wants the public and every law enforcement agency to know there is no truth nor logic to the widely held belief that one must wait 24 or 48 hours to report a missing person.
Read More →
Trump Issues Executive Order He Says Will Help Police Fight Crime
“My Administration is steadfastly committed to empowering State and local law enforcement to firmly police dangerous criminal behavior and protect innocent citizens,” Trump said.
Read More →NYPD Restricts Vehicle Pursuits to Suspects Wanted for Serious Crimes
The revamped policy, which takes effect Feb. 1, bars police from pursuing suspects for traffic infractions, violations or non-violent misdemeanors, police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
Read More →NYPD Going “Old School” with Uniform, Facial Hair Policy
“It’s absolutely ludicrous that you have an officer with pink hair and nails longer than their fingers,” one Manhattan officer said. “We’re a police department not a hip hop department. Let’s go back to being police officers.”
Read More →AZ POST Considers Revision to Marijuana Rules for Recruits
“My recommendation for your consideration is we go for a six-month window,” said Matt Giordano, executive director. “We would go to six months of the last use.
Read More →
Time to Change Our Pursuit Policies
Complicated guidelines that require officers to make decisions during the heat of the moment are not working.
Read More →Baltimore Police Complying with Key Consent Decree Requirements, DOJ Says
If the court grants the motion, BPD must maintain compliance with the provisions for one year before the court can terminate these sections of the consent decree.
Read More →
Study Finds Consent Decrees Onerous, Ineffective, and Often Harmful
The report concludes: “When a consent decree is truly warranted, it must focus on the most urgent concerns. The violations should be clearly identified and fully supported by rigorous evidence."
Read More →DOJ and Consent Decree Monitor Praise Albuquerque PD for Reforms
Monitors tracking civilian oversight, one of the largest remaining roadblocks in reaching full compliance, called it “a mess” that was being cleaned up, and advocates applauded the work done by the department to come so far, so fast.
Read More →