"Seattle to overhaul police; Changes come after US scrutiny over civil rights" by Chris Grygiel | Associated Press, July 29, 2012
SEATTLE — Seattle officials have agreed to an independent monitor and court oversight of the city’s police department as part of a deal with the Justice Department following a report that found officers routinely used excessive force.
City and federal negotiators were involved in tense talks over the scope of a deal for months, and Justice Department lawyers had threatened to sue the city if a deal was not reached by this Tuesday....
The Justice Department launched its investigation early last year after the fatal shooting of a homeless, Native American woodcarver and other incidents involving force used against minority suspects. In December, a Justice Department report found officers were too quick to reach for weapons, such as flashlights and batons, even when arresting people for minor offenses....
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Related: Sunday Globe Special: Seattle Shootout
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"A police force that has been plagued by decades of corruption and mismanagement.... the agreement requires officers to respect that bystanders have a constitutional right to observe and record their conduct in public places. Its ‘‘bias-free policing’’ provisions, which call for creating a policy to guide officers’ interactions with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender residents, also are believed to be unprecedented for a police department’s consent decree.
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Related: Katrina Clean-Up
That time of year, isn't it?
