The Seattle City Council has passed a new bill allowing the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to utilize less lethal weapons (LLWs) such as tasers, tear gas, and blast balls during specific crowd control situations. This legislation, known as Council Bill 120916, was approved on February 11 with a 6-3 vote. The deployment of these weapons will require the approval of an incident commander, and the use of tear gas and blast balls is contingent upon a mayoral declaration of a civil emergency.
The recent approval of Council Bill 120916 has sparked discussions about the Seattle Police Department’s approach to crowd control and the implications of using less lethal weapons. The consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice was established following findings of excessive force by SPD officers. The decree outlines necessary reforms to restore public trust in law enforcement.
This move marks a significant step towards Seattle’s objective of exiting its consent decree with the United States Department of Justice, which mandates reforms to enhance public trust in the police following reports of excessive force. The city has been under this consent decree since 2012 and has previously relied on interim policies for crowd control in the absence of a municipal code governing LLWs.
Unlike SPD, the University of Washington Police Department operates independently and does not currently use LLWs for crowd management. This distinction raises questions about the varying standards of policing and crowd control in different jurisdictions within Seattle. LLWs are designed to minimize the risk of serious injury or death compared to traditional firearms.
It’s important to note that the University of Washington Police Department (UWPD) is not subject to Seattle City Council regulations and does not currently employ less lethal weapons for crowd control. While UWPD falls under the Division of Campus Community Safety, SPD operates under federal oversight and is not restricted by UWPD’s regulations when responding to incidents on campus. With the bill now signed by Mayor Bruce Harrell, it will be sent to the federal court overseeing the consent decree, and if approved, Seattle can seek to terminate the decree.
