Office of Police Accountability | September Newsletter

City of Seattle, Washington sent this bulletin at 09/30/2025 04:00 PM PDT
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Seattle Skyline at sunset with the words OPA in the Community written in bold at the top in white font

City of Seattle Tribal Nations Summit 

On Tuesday, September 16th, the City of Seattle hosted the 2nd Tribal Nations Summit where Mayor Harrell, 10 Tribal Nations, 4 urban Indian organizations, the Indigenous Advisory Council, 24 City departments, and the legislative branch convened to discuss shared priorities. It was a powerful day and a significant step toward strengthening government-to-government relations, upholding tribal sovereignty and treaty rights, and engaging in genuine conversation to build towards our commitments.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in the summit. The room engaged in powerful, honest dialogue around culturally-attuned services for the approximately 40,000 Native people that call Seattle home. OPA has made a continued commitment to working with the Native community with respect, a willingness to learn, and listen to their needs and priorities regarding police accountability.

Francesca Murnan (Shawnee and Cherokee) standing in front of a screen that says Tribal Nations Summit

Francesca Murnan (Shawnee and Cherokee) – City of Seattle Office of Intergovernmental Relations Tribal Relations Director welcoming participants to the summit. 

Muckleshoot Tribal Members doing an opening prayer with handheld drums

Opening prayer song performed by Muckleshoot Tribal Members. The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe is a Federally Recognized Indian Tribe composed of descendants of the Duwamish and Upper Puyallup Peoples who inhabited Central Puget Sound for thousands of years before non-Indian settlement. 

OPA team members posing for a photo against a light color tile block wall and dark patterned carpeting.

From left to right: Serenna Duncan – OPA Complaint Navigation and
Outreach Specialist, Nelson Leese – OPA General Counsel and Interim Deputy Director, and Amanda DeFisher – OPA Project Manager. 

Complaint Tracking

Screenshot of OPA's website complaint tracker, which says Enter OPA Case Number in the format YYYYOPA-XXXX

You can track the status of a complaint using the OPA case number. The status will be updated at each stage of OPA's process. It can take up to two weeks from the date OPA receives a complaint for its status to appear in the tracker. 

If you have received a case number from OPA and notice of investigation, please check your status through this link. Keep in mind that not all complaints receive case numbers, so they may not be searchable. If you have any questions, email us at opa@seattle.gov.  

 

OPA Gives Community Presentations!

OPA is committed to transparency and community engagement. OPA’s community engagement team is out and about providing presentations across Seattle on topics such as: 

  • Introduction to OPA – Learn how OPA is structured and operates.
  • The Complaint Process – Understand how to file a complaint and what to expect.
  • Know Your Rights – Gain insights and knowledge.    

We meet with a wide variety of groups, including schools, libraries, advocacy organizations, community boards, and more! 

 
Click to request a presentation 
Navy Blue banner that says "For SPD Officers" in white, bold font and the SPD logo on the right side of the banner.

Consent Decree 

“The Seattle Office of Police Accountability (OPA) recognizes this monumental achievement for the City of Seattle at the end of the Consent Decree.  As we enter this next chapter of policing and oversight, OPA remains committed to its vision of safeguarding a culture of accountability within the Seattle Police Department. OPA will continue to uphold high standards in police accountability in conducting timely, thorough, and objective investigations into allegations of police misconduct.  OPA looks forward to our further engagement with accountability partners, the Community, and the Seattle Police Department in sustaining this important work.”  

-Interim Director Bonnie Glenn 

OPA Visits

OPA has enjoyed presenting to SPD at FTO training, Seargent School, and participating in ride-along's and patrol tactics. OPA looks forward to coming out and speaking at precinct roll calls and other units of SPD. If your team is interested in a presentation, we'd love to connect! Please contact Executive Assistant, Puao Savusa: puao.savusa@seattle.gov. 

Management Action Recommendations  

During investigations, OPA may find opportunities for policy or training improvements and issue a Management Action Recommendation (MAR), sent as a letter to the Chief of Police outlining specific issues and suggesting policy or training improvements. While SPD is not required to adopt these recommendations, they actively collaborate with OPA to explore potential solutions.  

On August 26th OPA issued two Management Action Recommendations:  

A recent OPA case involved an officer responding to the scene of a death. OPA’s corresponding recommendation on death investigations addresses how related calls are dispatched, emphasizes training in interviewing techniques and the appropriate categorization of the death.  

A recent case involved an allegation of falsified test scores related to canine certification. OPA issued a recommendation on the process by which canines are certified for duty. It recommends restricting the number of pretests allowed and clarifying other aspects of the testing process. OPA also met with SPD for its quarterly check-in on the status of the MARs. It was productive and allowed us to work through any questions related to the open MARs. 
Bright blue filing cabinets, some are pulled out. White, bold font over top says Closed Case Summaries.

About Closed Case Summaries

After an investigation, OPA writes a report called the Director’s Certification Memorandum, which explains the director’s review of the case and recommended findings. When a case is closed, OPA posts a summary online that describes the investigation, the findings, and any discipline the Chief of Police decided. 

OPA looks at SPD’s policies and training to decide if misconduct happened.  This includes evidence gathered such as photos, body-worn video (if available), interviews of those involved and any witnesses, etc. A “sustained” finding usually means OPA determined it was more likely than not that an officer committed the alleged misconduct. 

CONTENT WARNING To promote transparency, these summaries sometimes include photos and other evidence that some may find disturbing.  Below are some recently posted Closed Case Summaries: 

  • 2025OPA-0064 – No Allegations Sustained, Training Referral 
    Two SPD officers detained a juvenile who closely resembled a suspect who reportedly pistol-whipped an individual. The officers released the juvenile after a witness told the officers that they stopped the wrong person. The juvenile’s mother alleged that the officers unlawfully detained her son. 
  • 2025OPA-0243 – Partially Sustained
    An SPD officer was in a patrol car when he shouted and swore at a pedestrian to move out of the way. OPA determined that the officer’s conduct was unprofessional. 

 

New Closed Case Summaries are posted to OPA’s website every other Friday: seattle.gov/opa/news-and-reports/closed-case-summaries. 

Bookshelf full of colorful books with a header above it in bold white font that says links to resources

Resources

Photo of a newspaper on a white table, with folded up glasses sitting on top, and a coffee off to the side

In the News...  

Connecting local police accountability work to statewide and national efforts. 


Judge Robart terminated the federal oversight of the consent decree earlier this month.
We negotiated the SPD consent decree. Here’s what comes next | The Seattle Times

Other Places to get OPA News 

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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: 

  • OPA In the Community: Highlights from our community engagement team plus upcoming events.  
  • For SPD Officers: Updates on the Seattle Police Department’s policies and training and information about OPA’s process, definitions, etc.  
  • Closed Case Summaries: Summaries covering OPA’s investigative steps, the OPA director's analysis and findings, and any recommended and imposed discipline. 
  • News and Information: Police accountability work happening in Seattle and across the nation.