Seattle – Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell released the following statement after the City Council approved legislation on the Seattle Police Department’s crowd management policies:
“I want to thank the City Council for enacting this crowd management legislation and moving us one step closer to resolving the federal consent decree.
“The adopted ordinance regulates the use of less lethal tools and reflects national best practices for crowd management as recommended by the Office of the Inspector General for Public Safety, the Office of Police Accountability, the Center for Policing Equity, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. It affirms our One Seattle values to protect free speech and peaceful assembly while also giving officers the tools they need to respond to serious incidents and keep everyone safe.
“Submitting updated SPD crowd management policies to the Department of Justice is one of the final requirements of the federal consent decree, which was enacted in 2012. My administration will continue to work with Chief Shon Barnes and officers, partners on the City Council, accountability advocates, and the community to ensure an ever-improving police department that lives up to our highest values and keeps every person in Seattle safe.”