Seattle officials, DOJ petition to end SPD consent decree after over a decade of reforms

SEATTLE — In a milestone for reform at the Seattle Police Department, the city and the Department of Justice Tuesday jointly petitioned to end a consent decree in place since 2012.

“Policing in Seattle looks dramatically different today than it did ten years ago,” said Kristen Clarke, U.S. Assistant Attorney General for civil rights.

“The consent decree in Seattle has provided the strong medicine necessary to cure the problems and improve the way policing is carried out,” Clarke said.

After a pattern of biased policing and excessive force, including the 2010 fatal shooting of Native American woodcarver John T. Williams, the Department of Justice intervened to ensure constitutional policing.

The Justice Department now says the department has consistently complied with the core requirements for the last five years.

“As mayor, I couldn’t be more proud of our police department and our community,” Mayor Bruce Harrell said Tuesday.

Federal officials say SPD reduced the use of serious force by 60 percent, improved the response to behavioral health crises and investigative stops, and has new bias-free training.

The Justice Department says SPD still needs to develop new policies for managing crowds and improve accountability for officers.

Federal and city officials are asking Judge James Robart to replace the consent decree with a much narrower agreement focused on the areas that need work.

It’s unclear if the judge will hold a hearing or when he might rule.

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