By Mike Carter and Steve Miletich, The Seattle Times
Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said yesterday that the department will tighten its policy regarding off-duty work by its officers, a week after one officer was suspended amid a criminal investigation into his off-duty work at city nightclubs.
Kerlikowske said the department needs to better manage off-duty police work because it poses potential conflicts of interest, with officers beholden to private businesses. And yet he recognized that his department “could not police this city without off-duty work,” saying it puts more uniformed officers on the streets, especially in neighborhoods where nightclubs have been rapidly growing.
Beginning next week, Kerlikowske said, police officers working off-duty will have to provide more information about their employers on department forms. The department will also increase oversight of their work.