Police Reform
This is a complicated area of law that deserves greater treatment in training curricula
It turns out, American policing shares many of the same challenges as other countries
To better inform policies regarding the training and use of VNRs by law enforcement, emergency medicine doctors published their latest research
The ACT Now bill would allow police to pursue more suspects and review their own BWC footage when filing reports
New reforms include reviews of every incident where officers brandish a firearm, a policy that limits the use of “pretextual stops” and revised training intended to “limit the role of bias and prejudice”
Money will go toward hiring 34 new police oversight workers, including lawyers, trainers and counselors
The Madison Police Department has added six community outreach officers through a federal COPS grant as part of the department’s initiative to combat crime
The judge freed the department from federal oversight in a move he called “the end of the beginning” of Seattle police reform
The new database will allow the public to look into the backgrounds of their local police officers via a PDF document or spreadsheet
“Whoever takes the torch here from me, they’re on a firm foundation,” Cedric Alexander said; he said now people feel safe when they come into the city
The settlement calls for de-escalation whenever possible, limits the use of tear gas and ends traffic stops for broken taillights/searches based on the smell of marijuana
The Task Force on 21st Century Policing’s new report looks at hiring, training and doing away with the military style of command-and-control management
The selection of a civilian head of training is one of the steps the Police Bureau agreed to take to comply with the city’s settlement with the DOJ
Karl Racine is the third consent decree monitor since the city and DOJ started the process in 2015
The department has overhauled training and strengthened accountability, but trust from the community remains a challenge
The 144-page settlement agreement between the city and the Minn. Department of Human Rights will soon be available to the public
The criticism comes as the agencies are set to take on more responsibilities, including the final decision-maker on discipline
The Community Police Commission can dole out discipline to officers, a role once held by the police chief and safety director
This is the first stage of an administrative shakeup Chief Brian O’Hara believes is necessary to prepare for monitorship under a federal consent decree
Moore said he wants to continue building on work around “use of force, enhanced training and expanded transparency and accountability”
“In eliminating monetary bail, the discretion constitutionally vested to the courts to protect victims and their families by this method is gone,” said Judge Cunnington
Officials said the firing of a key official in charge of implementing reforms “sent a demoralizing message” to police
The bill will help PDs adopt de-escalation training when encountering individuals with mental health issues in an effort to reduce officer-involved fatalities
The changes outline specific criteria for judges to determine whether defendants should be incarcerated while awaiting trial
As a result of the staffing issues, “all 10 sections of the Consent Decree” are affected, the report said
Sophia King also wants the police department’s work schedule compressed to address concerns officers do not have adequate time off
Bob Scales, who previously served as the compliance coordinator for Seattle PD, discusses what happens when a police agency is placed under a consent decree
While the judge said the city has made substantial progress, it “has not yet achieved substantial and effective compliance at this time”
The federal government has lagged behind many local PDs whose officers have been using body cameras for years
If confirmed, Brian O’Hara will take over a department some city leaders and community members had sought to abolish in recent years
A protest medic filed a $450K lawsuit against the city for a broken arm obtained during a protest
Federal judge overseeing reforms to department praised changes, citing progress in hiring
It is the first increase in the Seattle Police Department’s budget since the City Council began reducing funding in 2020
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