Allows for Officer Mourning Badges
SEATTLE – Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold (District 1, West Seattle and South Park), and Chair of the Council’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee, released the following statement after the Council adopted legislation sponsored by Councilmember Herbold to require police officers to display the numbers on their badges.
The legislation was drafted in response to constituent outcry from constituents who indicated that officer badge numbers were not visible during recent demonstrations.
Councilmember Herbold said, “People in Seattle have the right to expect that badge numbers are clearly visible. This law requires it.”
The legislation allows mourning bands to observe the death of officers to be displayed on a different part of the badge.
The legislation amends section 3.28.130 of the Seattle Municipal Code, which was adopted in 2000 to require officer uniforms to display nametags, after complaints that people could not view nametags during the WTO protests in 1999.
After Councilmember Herbold announced she was drafting legislation, Chief Best issued a directive to all officers to display their badge numbers, while wearing mourning bands.
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