Seattle – Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that the City has filed for federal court approval of the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) revised crowd management policies and is seeking termination of the consent decree. The City has taken significant steps to improve police policies, training, and accountability since the federal consent decree started in 2012, and this filing asks the Court to conclude the process.
“Over a decade ago, I supported the federal consent decree because we knew our police department could – and needed – to do better at living up to our highest values and aspiring to keep every person in Seattle safe. Today, the City Attorney submitted our request to fully close out this agreement based on SPD’s strong record of improving training, policies, practices, and accountability,” said Mayor Harrell. “An end to the consent decree does not mean the work is done – we are committed to being a learning, growing organization. What it does mean is that it is time to fully restore local control of our police department to our community. As we await a decision from Judge Robart, I want to thank the Court, as well as the monitoring team, and most of all every person at SPD who has spent years working to better protect and serve our community.”
The City’s filing for termination of the consent decree highlights the comprehensive reforms which have led to safer interactions between police and community. Significant milestones reached include:
- Use of force – now a rare occurrence, and serious uses of force are exceedingly rare.
- People in crisis – through new training, new policies, and a new Crisis Response Unit, SPD is now recognized as a national leader in de-escalation.
- Comprehensive accountability – created a three-part, civilian-led, police accountability system to investigate allegations of misconduct and review policies and practices
- Crowd management – re-centered policies and training on protection of First Amendment rights, new legislation on less lethal tools, and a new police outreach and engagement team for events.
“Successfully completing all the requirements of the federal consent decree highlights the dedication and resilience of the entire Seattle Police Department, especially our frontline officers and our professional staff. This achievement marks a major milestone, while also serving as a reminder that ensuring public safety is an ongoing responsibility that demands transparency, commitment, and collaboration,” said Chief Shon Barnes. “Change doesn’t happen overnight, but I can say with confidence that SPD is not the same department that it was years ago. The substantial changes are both real and measurable, and the data tells the story. Of the 8,305 crisis incidents that Seattle’s police officers responded to in 2024 only 1.33% involved any use of force and just 0.17% of all dispatches involved force. We remain dedicated to continuous improvement.”
Seattle entered a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice in the summer of 2012 following an investigation that estimated that 20% of serious use-of-force incidents were unconstitutional. The consent decree required the City to make extensive policy, training, management, and operational changes to its policing practice. The City’s goal in entering the consent decree was to deliver police services with an approach that “effectively ensures public trust and officer safety and promotes public confidence.”
The agreement is overseen by Judge James L. Robart of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, and in 2018 the Court found that the City had achieved initial compliance with the consent decree requirements. The City remained in compliance until the mass protests of 2020. During that summer’s unprecedented waves of mass protests, the Monitor concluded, at times, SPD did not follow the use of force and de-escalation policies mandated by the consent decree.
In 2023, SPD reached a critical milestone when Judge Robart ruled the department had maintained substantial compliance with core requirements of the decree and identified final next steps. Analyses in 2024 found total use of force in less than one fifth of one percent (0.17%) of all dispatches, that the overwhelming majority (74%) of those uses of force were at the lowest possible level. In recent years, serious use of force occurred in less than a fraction of one percent (0.003% in 2021) of all dispatches. According to multiple years of reviews by federal monitors and Seattle’s Office of Inspector General, use of force is now rare, and the pattern of unconstitutional force that led to the consent decree has ended.
“Many individuals inside and outside the Seattle Police Department have devoted years to implementing constitutional policing in our City, resulting in our motion today,” said City Attorney Ann Davison. “The Seattle Police Department’s work to pursue public safety and safe neighborhoods for everyone should be recognized and we are asking the Court to confirm that the Seattle Police Department has completed all requirements set forth by the Court since 2012.”
SPD has significantly improved interactions with and outcomes for people in crisis, including establishing a specialized Crisis Response Unit and comprehensive trainings for all officers. SPD also made fundamental changes to its crowd management policies and practices following the large protests in 2020, including centering the protection of First Amendment rights, new decision-making tools and tactical roles, the creation of the Police Outreach Engagement Team (POET) to meet with event organizers, stronger protections for media and legal observers, and a first-in-the-nation policy around using ruses in policing.
All SPD officers are now required to complete eight hours of crisis intervention training annually. There is also an option to take a special 40-hour advanced crisis intervention course, which 60% of patrol officers have done.
“After more than 12 years and countless reforms within the Seattle Police Department, this step of requesting the consent decree be lifted marks a major milestone for both the department and our community,” said Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), who serves as chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee. “My hope is that Seattle can soon move forward, turning our full attention to the future of policing and better serving our residents. The City has accomplished so much by working together collaboratively with stakeholders. We have full faith and confidence in our accountability partners to take on the responsibilities of oversight and the police department’s continuous improvement.”
Mayor Harrell submitted legislation with updated crowd management policies in early 2025, which were then passed by the City Council and signed into law. The new rules prohibit the use of less lethal tools in crowd management settings except when specific circumstances suggest an imminent risk of physical injury or significant property damage.
Seattle has a three-part, civilian-led police accountability system that was created under the consent decree and made permanent in legislation in 2017. The Community Police Commission is an independent community voice that reviews and provides input on the police accountability system, police services, and SPD’s policies and practices. The Office of Police Accountability investigates allegations of misconduct within SPD and includes a mix of civilian and police investigators; it also makes policy recommendations to SPD. The Office of Inspector General provides independent oversight of SPD and OPA with a focus on systemic review and improvement of policies and practices.