Reiterates support for first responders, acknowledges failure of defund movement and embraces focus on underserved communities

Today’s 9:30 a.m. meeting of the Public Safety Committee will feature a discussion of Councilmember Rob Saka’s (District 1) recently introduced Resolution 32167, which recognizes the City’s targeted public safety work over the last year. The resolution is another important step towards resolving the remaining issues of the federal Consent Decree with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and better positioning the City to focus on the future of public safety.

“This Council, in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office has made improving public safety an absolute priority,” said Councilmember Saka. “This is finally the time to acknowledge the lessons of the past and pivot decisively toward a better, future-focused public safety model. We are committed to making everyone in our community feel safe and to enhancing our accountability system.”

“Seattle has made significant progress on reimagining policing since we agreed to the federal consent decree over a decade ago. We have created one of the most robust police accountability systems in the country. We hired more police officers last year than we lost for the first time in years, and applications are soaring. To help our police officers focus on what they do best, we have diversified our response options by expanding the Fire Department’s capabilities and we successfully launched our third public safety department and the CARE Crisis Response Teams,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “Seattle’s first responders do amazing and heroic work every day to save lives, stop and solve crimes, and ensure people in crisis get the help and support they need. I join the City Council in celebrating the dedication and hard work of our public safety professionals and in recognizing the importance of a diversified emergency response system. I look forward to working with our police department, accountability partners, and Council members as we move to finalize requirements under the consent decree.”

Key provisions in the resolution include:

• Appreciation for first responders: The resolution expresses gratitude for the work of SPD officers, Seattle Fire Department firefighters, and CARE Department personnel, acknowledging their dedication to protecting the community.
• Consent Decree progress: It recognizes the significant reforms implemented by SPD under the Consent Decree, noting the department’s progress in areas such as use of force, crisis intervention, and data analytics.
• Police accountability: It renews our commitment to enhancing the police accountability system, including supporting and maintaining a robust, effective, and civilian-led accountability system.
• Diversified public safety response: The resolution reaffirms the city’s commitment to a diversified public safety response system, including supporting social workers, community-focused, trauma-informed response options, and the expansion of the CARE Department’s dual dispatch pilot program
• Reverses ‘Defund’ commitments: It reverses any prior commitment or pledge by past Councils to defund or abolish SPD. These statements were routinely cited by departing police personnel as a reason for leaving.

Background

Since taking office in 2024, the new City Council has adopted 14 pieces of public safety-related legislation, a record number since 2015. In February, the Council approved final legislation on crowd management guidelines for SPD. The updated guidelines include several amendments intended to provide additional oversight and accountability, including checks on the use of blast balls. If consistent with best practices, Seattle will have the ability to file a motion to end the consent decree.

Next Steps

A vote by the Public Safety Committee could occur as early as today’s meeting. If approved, a full Council vote is expected to happen on April 1.

Councilmember Saka will be available following Tuesday’s meeting for additional comments and background. To RSVP for an interview, please contact Brad Harwood at 206-798-7577 or brad.harwood@seattle.gov.   

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