HAPPENING
HAPPENING TODAY, THE NEW MONITOR OVERSEEING THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S
FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE WILL
FILE A PLAN WITH THE COURT FOR
THE NEXT YEAR AND THE POLICE
CHIEF SAYS HE IS DEDICATED TO
IMPROVING ACCOUNTABILITY AND
TRANSPARENCY FOLLOWING A YEAR
OF PROTESTS AND CIVIL UNREST.
JOINING US NOW IS CHIEF ADRIAN
DIAZ CHIEF.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
GOOD MORNING YOU.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN UNDER
FEDERAL OVERSIGHT FOR NINE
YEARS NOW AND THE DEPARTMENT
HAS MADE SOME HEADWAY IN TERMS
OF POLICE REFORM SPECIFICALLY
IMPROVEMENTS IN USE OF FORCE.
BUT DOES THIS MONITORS PLAN FOR
SPEED TALK ABOUT USE OF FORCE.
I MEAN ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE
SCRUTINY THE DEPARTMENT HAS
BEEN UNDER FOR HOW IT RESPONDED
TO PROTESTERS THIS
.
. IT
. IT DOES
. IT DOES TALK ABOUT USE OF FORCE.
IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT CRISIS
INTERVENTION.
IT TALKS ABOUT CROWD
MANAGEMENT.
IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT OUR OWN
INTERNAL ACCOUNTABIILITY SUCH
AS MAKING SURE THAT OUR
PERSONNEL WHEN THEY RECOGNIZE
THE OFFICERS THAT ARE DOING TO
BE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AND
ADDRESS IT RIGHT AWAY AND THEN
ALSO IF IT IS A LEVEL
OF WRONGDOING THAT REQUIRES
OPACT INTERVENTION TO BE ABLE
TO SEND IT TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE
FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
YOU WROTE IN YOUR LETTER THAT
YOU POSTED YESTERDAY THE
EVOLVING NATURE
OF DEMONSTRATIONS AND PROTESTS
IN SEATTLE MUST BE ACCOMPANIED
BY MODULATE POLICE RESPONSES.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
YEAH, WE WE HAVE LEARNED SO
MUCH FROM OUR SUMMER PROTEST
SOME OF THOSE MABTON IN THE
RIOTS SCHITT WE ALWAYS HAVE TO
LOOK AT ALL OF THE LESSONS THAT
WE CAN LEARN.
WE'RE CONDUCTING THE SENTINEL
REVIEW.
WE HAVE DONE A THOROUGH
INVESTIGATION OF MANY CASES
OF DISCIPLINE AND WE ALWAYS
HAVE TO ADJUST OUR TACTICS.
WE HAVE TO SET OUT A MATRIX TO
UNDERSTAND WHEN WE NEED TO USE
FORCE, WHEN WE CAN ALLOW LEVELS
FOR PEACEFUL PROTEST TO OCCUR.
AND SO RIGHT NOW THIS IS A
CONTINUALLY EVOLVING LEARNING
EXPERIENCE AND I THINK OVER THE
LAST SEVERAL MONTHS WE HAVE AS
WE HAVE SHOWED AND DISPLAYED
THAT NEW KIND OF MODEL OF HOW
WE'RE RESPONDING
DEMONSTRATIONS.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES,
CHIEF, IS POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE SURE
THAT OFFICERS ARE BEING HELD
ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS
AND THEY'RE BEING DISCIPLINED
WHEN APPROPRIATE?
YEAH, IT'S UNFORTUNATE.
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS
THAT HAVE HAD TO MAKE
TERMINATION IS NOT AN EASY JOB
TO TO LOOK AT ALL THE CASES
BECAUSE THE OFFICERS AND SPENT
YEARS IN SERVICE IN THE JOB.
BUT I CANNOT HAVE OFFICERS, YOU
KNOW, CREATING THAT LEVEL
OF THAT REALLY DISHONORS THE
BADGE AND I CAN'T HAVE THEM IN
THE JOB.
IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR EVERY
OFFICER OUT THERE TRYING TO DO
THE RIGHT THING, TRYING TO MAKE
A DIFFERENCE.
AND SO I AM COMMITTED TO MAKING
SURE I SET THE EXPECTATIONS
THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIE,
YOU'RE NOT ANNECTODAL LEVELS
OF RACISM IN OUR DEPARTMENT
THAT YOU'RE NOT BREAKING BREAK
TRUST.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT I'VE DONE
IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME
THAT YOU KNOW, HAD THIS JOB.
WE GOT JUST A FEW FINAL SECONDS
HERE WITH YOU BUT I'M JUST
CURIOUS YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE
INHERITING WHEN YOU TOOK OVER
THE INTERIM JOB FIVE MONTHS GO.
WHAT DO YOU WANT THE PUBLIC TO
KNOW ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT
YOU'RE FACING RIGHT NOW?
THERE'S SO MUCH ON YOUR PLATE.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE
OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT
WE'RE FACING IS REALLY OUR
OFFICER ONE'S OUR OFFICERS HAVE
BEEN THROUGH A LOT OVER THE
LAST SIX MONTHS.
WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF OFFICERS
LEAVE OUR DEPARTMENT SO WE HAVE
A STAFFING CRISIS.
WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT HAVE BEEN
ON THE FRONT LINES AND REALLY
NOT HAD VERY MUCH TIME TO KIND
OF DECOMPRESS.
AND SO IT IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR
OFFICERS TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE DOING WELL AND GETTING
THE RESOURCES AND SERVICES FOR
SO THEY STAY HEALTHY IN MIND
AND STAY HEALTHY PHYSICALLY AS
WELL.
CHIEF DIAZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR JOINING US TO TALK A