The past month has brought calls for dramatic reductions to police departments budgets, including here in Seattle. In order to make sense of those demands, it’s important for us to understand how police departments request and spend their budgets. Here is a deep dive of the SPD budget, with a historical perspective, breakdowns from a number of different angles, a look at Mayor Durkan’s proposed 2020 cuts (as well as her early thoughts on next year’s budget), and some of the principles behinds calls to “defund the police.”
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How much of SPD’s budget did the Mayor propose to cut?
It sounds like a straightforward question: in Mayor Durkan’s proposed “rebalancing” budget released yesterday, how much of SPD’s 2020 budget would be cut? But the devil is in the details.
Continue readingTemporary restraining order on crowd-control weapons extended to September 30 by mutual agreement
Today, by mutual agreement of the attorneys representing Black Lives Matter and the City of Seattle, the temporary restraining order issued by Judge Richard Jones last Friday was converted into a preliminary injunction that will be in place until September 30th.
Continue readingIs the city responding to 911 calls in the CHOP?
Last night and this morning, there were various (often conflicting) reports on social media about a possible burglary in the CHOP (formerly known as the CHAZ) area on Capitol Hill that is the site of an ongoing occupation and protest. There has also been conflicting information about whether first-responders have been told not to enter the CHOP if the city receives a 911 call from there. I asked the Mayor’s Office what SPD and SFD have been instructed to do if the city receives a 911 call from the CHOP. Below is their full response.
Continue readingTrio of police-related bills up for vote on Monday
On Monday three bills introduced last week that put restrictions on the Seattle police Department come up for adoption by the City Council.
Continue readingWith no deal on temporary restraining order, Black Lives Matter and city face off in court tomorrow morning
Yesterday I reported that lawyers for Black Lives Matter and for the City of Seattle were trying to negotiate a mutually agreeable temporary restraining order related to the city’s use of “less lethal” weapons such as tear gas, rubber bullets and blast balls for crowd control during the ongoing protests. But having failed to reach an agreement today, the issue now heads to a hearing tomorrow morning with U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jones. In advance of that hearing, late this afternoon the city filed a brief with the city opposing the request for a temporary restraining order.
Continue readingDurkan issues executive order requiring SPD body-cams to be turned on during protests
As promised, today Mayor Durkan issued an executive order reversing SPD’s existing body-cam policy and requiring that officers turn on their body-cam during free-speech demonstrations.
Continue readingIn lawsuit brought by Black Lives Matter, city tries to negotiate temporary restraining order it can live with
There was a flurry of activity yesterday and today between the lawyers for Black Lives Matter and the Seattle City Attorney’s office over the lawsuit filed earlier this week, which alleged that SPD’s response to the last several days of protests violated the protesters’ constitutional rights. Yesterday the plaintiffs filed a motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting the city from using “less lethal” crowd control weapons, including tear gas, on protestors. Today the city notified the court that it intends to oppose that motion, at the same time revealing that the two sides have been negotiating the terms …
Continue readingBlack Lives Matter, ACLU sue city over police tactics at protests
Today Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County filed a lawsuit on behalf of itself, several individual protesters, and one journalist, over the Seattle Police Department’s use of force during the protests over the past week and a half. (UPDATE at end of article)
Continue readingCity Attorney withdraws lawsuit challenging inquest reforms
In response to calls from the community over the past week, this afternoon Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes announced that he is withdrawing a legal challenge to recent changes made to the inquest process in King County.
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