If you’ve been named a victim of Seattle police misconduct, our law firm can help. We can meet with you to discuss what happened and your goals for the case. Our goal is to resolve the matter quickly and fairly for you and your family.
Our clients have a wide range of issues related to police misconduct, including false arrest, false imprisonment, excessive force, and more. We are committed to fighting for your rights and the rights of others who have been harmed by the Seattle Police Department and its officers.
We will also fight to hold the Police Department accountable for any wrongdoing or misconduct. We have helped victims throughout Washington state, including Seattle, Bellevue, Issaquah and Sammamish. We are familiar with the local laws, regulations and court system regarding police misconduct. We are also experienced in federal court cases involving police departments across the country.
No police department is free of corruption and abuse, but there are some steps that can be taken to limit the problem. One crucial step is to have civilian oversight of the police department. The office should have a number of important features:
Disciplinary Authority
Civilian oversight can provide a forum for policy Seattle police misconduct advocate for victims’ rights recommendations that deter misconduct. They can also produce public statistical reports to highlight patterns of complaints, such as identifying officers who are the subject of numerous allegations. They should also be separate from police headquarters to maintain independence and credibility with the community.
Unfortunately, even when an independent police review board is established, there can still be problems with disciplinary action. This is because the board may find that an officer was acting within department policies and not in violation of the law, but the police chief will decline to pursue disciplinary action.
A good way to make sure you are not being violated is to read your local police department’s Standard Operating Procedure Manual (SOP). This should be a public document, and it is not uncommon for police departments to place current copies in local libraries. If your police department is not willing to release the SOP, you can use your state’s open records laws to obtain a copy.
It is not easy to reform the institution of policing in our cities, as the past year has shown. Even if a few police officers are disciplined for misconduct, there will always be bad apples who can cause trouble. The institution has a deep history of racism and unaccountability, and it is not likely to change any time soon.
The best thing we can do for our communities is to ensure that police are held accountable for their actions and that their power and privilege are not used against us. Please consider donating to Crosscut to support our work. We rely on your support to keep our community informed. Thank you. We are proud to be part of the news ecosystem that is working to make Seattle a better place to live.