In Community

From left to right: OPA Director Gino Betts Jr., OPA Deputy Director Bonnie Glenn, OIG Inspector General Lisa Judge, OIG Deputy Inspector General Bessie Marie Scott, Public Safety Committee Chair Robert Kettle, CPC Executive Director Cali Ellis, CPC Co-Chair Joel Merkel, CPC Co-Chair Rev. Harriett Walden, and CPC Co-Chair Rev. Patricia Hunter.

OPA Presents to Public Safety Committee

We joined our police accountability partners, the Community Police Commission and the Office of Inspector General, at a Seattle City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting in early March. OPA Director Gino Betts Jr. and Deputy Director Bonnie Glenn gave an overview of OPA’s history, operations, and accomplishments.

Watch OPA's Presentation

From left to right: OPA Administrative Specialist II Janet Wong, Assistant Director of Operations Katie Maier, Complaint Navigator & Community Outreach Specialist Troy Chen, and Sr. Community Engagement Specialist & Restorative Justice Coordinator Geneva Taylor.

Ringing in the (Lunar) New Year in the Chinatown-International District

Our outreach team had so much fun at the Chinatown-International District’s Lunar New Year celebration earlier this month! We spent time with community members, sharing information about OPA’s services. Connecting with the community is critical to OPA’s work. To book our engagement team for a know-your-rights or OPA informational presentation, reach out to Sr. Community Engagement Specialist & Restorative Justice Coordinator Geneva Taylor at geneva.taylor@seattle.gov.

Follow us on Instagram to stay up to date on our outreach work and upcoming events!

OPA Community Resource Guide

People often contact OPA for assistance with crime reporting and finding local services. To help, we created a guide to connect people with our most frequently requested resources.

Get OPA’s Community Resource Guide

For SPD Officers

New Management Action Recommendation – Deadly Force Clarification

Summary: It was alleged that a Seattle Police Department (SPD) officer used deadly force to defend another police officer against a community member who fatally stabbed a police dog (K-9).

Recommendation(s):

• Provide a department-wide eDirective making it clear officers may only use deadly force to defend human beings.
• Develop a training module as recommended by SPD’s Force Investigations Team (FIT) and Force Review Board (FRB).
• Consider amending SPD Policy 8.200-POL-4 to clarify that “or others” refers to human beings, not animals or property.

Status: Fully implemented

View All MARs on OPA’s Website

Read About MARs in OPA’s Manual (See Page 36)

Unsubstantiated Misconduct Screening (UMS) Process Update:

OPA’s UMS process empowers SPD supervisors to investigate, document, and have OPA screen misconduct allegations dispelled by evidence. OPA’s director or designee reviews the UMS, relevant video, and other available information to determine whether a formal OPA referral is required.

Beginning March 1, 2024, please submit UMS requests to opa_ums@seattle.gov

If you do not receive a response within five business days, please follow up using the same email address.

Closed Case Summaries

About Closed Case Summaries

OPA creates Closed Case Summaries for every investigated complaint. These summaries outline OPA’s investigation, the director's analysis and findings, recommended discipline, and any discipline imposed by the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) chief of police.

OPA references SPD’s policies and training to determine whether misconduct occurred. Generally, a sustained finding means OPA concluded that an officer more likely than not committed the alleged misconduct.

OPA posts new Closed Case Summaries every other Friday to its website: seattle.gov/opa/news-and-reports/closed-case-summaries.

CONTENT WARNING: To promote transparency, these summaries sometimes include photos and other evidence that some may find disturbing.

Below are Closed Case Summaries selected from the previous month.

View All Closed Case Summaries

2023OPA-0256 – All Allegations Sustained: The Complainant – an SPD supervisor – alleged that an SPD officer used unreasonable discretion by stabbing and deflating a suspect’s tires.

Click Here for the CCS

2023OPA-0330 – All Allegations Sustained: The Complainant alleged that an SPD officer contacted him and his girlfriend, inside a vehicle parked in a bus lane. The girlfriend had a misdemeanor warrant. When the officer asked her to exit the car, she asked why. The Complainant alleged that the officer was unprofessional when he threatened to break the car window and pull his girlfriend out by her hair.

Click Here for the CCS

2023OPA-0045 – Partially Sustained The Complainant alleged that three SPD officers entered her apartment without a warrant or announcing themselves. OPA alleged that an SPD sergeant ordered a warrantless search of a community member’s apartment.

Click Here for the CCS

News and Information

Connecting local police accountability work to statewide and national efforts.

(SEATTLE, WA) Washington State Lawmakers Approve Police Pursuit and Income Tax Initiatives

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OPA's newsletter is a great way to stay up to date on the latest Seattle police accountability news. As a subscriber, you'll receive the following content each month:

1. In Community: Highlights from our community engagement team plus upcoming events. 

2. For SPD Officers: Updates on the Seattle Police Department’s policies and training and information about OPA’s process, definitions, etc. 

3. Closed Case Summaries: Summaries covering OPA’s investigative steps, the OPA director's analysis and findings, and any recommended and imposed discipline.

4. News and Information: Police accountability work happening in Seattle and across the nation.

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