Urgent: Update on SPD’s Drafted Use of Force/Crowd Management Policies

Tomorrow, Jan 26, @SeaCPC and @WWConverge will host a town hall to discuss SPD’s proposed changes to use force and protest policies.
https://twitter.com/SeaCPC/status/1353790961319460864?s=20

#SeattleProtests #SeattleProtestComms

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Action: Submit comments to CPC by Jan 26.

Despite CPC objections, SPD has set a short deadline to gather further public comment. (Go figure.) To help community members make their voices heard, CPC has provided summaries of the drafted policies, outlined in this thread.

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In short, SPD's proposed policy changes would allow the department to:

1. Largely continue to use force as they have been
2. Reverse Seattle's crowd control weapons ban
3. Enable SPD to use new chemical crowd control weapons
...

(3/15)

...

4. Make changes to SPD policies concerning the use of police dogs
5. Implement some new standards for how SPD polices protests
6. Continue to avoid publicly justifying police reasoning for breaking up 1A demonstrations

(4/15)

The CPC has made a statement[1] expressing that proposed policy changes[2] continue to not substantively adopt CPC recommendations made in 2016, 2017, and 2020. Here is how some of those CPC recommendations compare to SPD's proposed policies:

(5/15)

" The City initiate a community-centered review of SPD's use of force policies.


Despite repeated requests by the CPC to do otherwise, SPD has created an arbitrary deadline of January 31 to get community feedback on these more than 100-pages of policy changes. ..."

(6/15)

"... A true community-centered review of these policies would set deadlines based on how long it would take to fully engage the community and ensure everyone's voice is heard.

SPD should be banned from using crowd control weapons against protesters.
"

(7/15)

"Under this policy, SPD would continue to be able to use its full arsenal of crowd control weapons against protesters, including tear gas and blast balls. In fact, SPD would be able to use a new chemical crowd control weapons - paint balls filled with pepper spray."

(8/15)

" The City set clear, high, and transparent standards for when SPD or the Mayor can legally order protests to end.

There would continue to be low standards for when SPD can order protests to disperse. For example, if there are four or more people protesting ... "

(9/
15)

"... and an officer believes they pose "an imminent threat" to property, they can order a First Amendment protected event to disperse.

Furthermore, SPD's proposed policies do not incorporate the CPC's recommendation that SPD's reasons for ordering dispersal be ..."

(10/15)

"... made publicly available and reviewed by an outside agency."

To make the process of understanding SPD's proposed policy changes easier, @SeaCPC has also provided summaries of each policy change:

8.000 - Use of Force Core Principles:
https://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission/current-issues/spds-proposed-policy-changes/8000---use-of-force-core-principles

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8.050 - Use of Force Definitions:
https://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission/current-issues/spds-proposed-policy-changes/8050---use-of-force-definitions

8.100 - De-Escalation:
https://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission/current-issues/spds-proposed-policy-changes/8100---de-escalation

8.200 - Using Force:
https://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission/current-issues/spds-proposed-policy-changes/8200---using-force

8.300 - Use of Force, Tools:
https://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission/current-issues/spds-proposed-policy-changes/8300---use-of-force-tools

(12/15)

8.400 - Use of Force, Reporting/Investigation:
https://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission/current-issues/spds-proposed-policy-changes/8400---use-of-force-reporting-and-investigation-

8.500 - Reviewing Use of Force:
https://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission/current-issues/spds-proposed-policy-changes/8500---reviewing-use-of-force

14.090 - Crowd Management, Intervention, and Dispersal:
https://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission/current-issues/spds-proposed-policy-changes/14090---crowd-management-intervention-and-crowd-dispersal

(13/15)

Please DM @SeaCPC or email [email protected] your comments before tomorrow evening, Jan 26!

You can also RSVP to attend the town hall here: http://bit.ly/3bTxEnR 

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Relevant Sources:
1. CPC's full statement on SPD's drafted policies:
https://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission/current-issues/spds-proposed-policy-changes

2. Full text about SPD's drafted policies: https://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2020/12/16/spd-seeks-community-feedback-on-draft-use-of-force-crowd-management-policies/

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