The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington has ended federal oversight of the Seattle Police Department (SPD), marking the completion of a 13-year consent decree process. The court’s decision returns full control of police practices to the City of Seattle.
The consent decree was established in 2012 after a joint investigation by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington found that SPD had engaged in a pattern or practice of unnecessary or excessive force, violating constitutional rights. The agreement required reforms in use of force, crisis intervention, stops and detentions, supervision, and accountability within SPD.
“We congratulate the Seattle Police Department on its achievement of sustained substantial compliance with this consent decree,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are proud to stand by the men and women of the Seattle Police Department as federal oversight ends and the court returns full control of local law enforcement to the city.”
“The Seattle Police Department has worked over many years to develop and implement policies and procedures that have transformed the department into an example for other police forces,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington. “Multiple Police Chiefs, city leaders, community stakeholders, and U.S. Attorneys have supported that effort. I commend the hard work that has led to the end of the consent decree.”
In 2023, most requirements under the consent decree were terminated following a joint motion from both parties. The City and SPD continued working together to fulfill remaining obligations before today’s final dismissal.
The original investigation began in 2011 under federal laws designed to address patterns or practices by law enforcement agencies that violate civil rights.
