[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6273282,"mediaKeyId","3003973-a2cfe10bcf74ff1ccdbc4634a4b9b407","parentId",3003973,"title","Police Ombuds office reports uptick in contacts, flags staffing and hiring delays; commission approves annual reports","audioSeconds",2188,"startMs",3458000,"endMs",5646000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3003973-a2cfe10bcf74ff1ccdbc4634a4b9b407&start=3458&end=5646","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3003973-a2cfe10bcf74ff1ccdbc4634a4b9b407/thumbnail_3458000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6273282/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Police-Ombuds-office-reports-uptick-in-contacts-flags-staffing-and-hiring-delays-commission-approves-annual-reports","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6273282-d595a49e8922ec196822861bbcb41d85/orig.mp4?Expires=1773582125&Signature=DSoxLII~AwM~RSSza00PlQBbmTxR6iniIGQrrzSZUXio~EIkOKrcN0Kcr9Bay86s6T2qY8hrFgez1avNv15AZPMqWjCBlE9O1OgXNq48aTyz5f6ZP2SKyFDy9ZPkvt-6JSsUUysyPf4qGMbxCx0hKCjuEOppuZ3-3gVz8LlJFuEBBSPe4vLBvdzfkDB7RVZ6m~auKwZ-yjJmM~uyzTBMDQ2ChjH4dMCRU6o9Xp~mbkrlXyWg0oVxM8yc-50ogX3NSO3rf3VS8UumYuPOd2zMiNzWY~cxKGHRf3T3uM7iZi9tRVG~qDkQ0HFMqYl36pYebcb-1nq--0vHl2Y6TOkVZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Spokane City, WA","date","2025-04-16T06:46:27.43Z","article","The City of Spokane Office of the Police Ombuds Commission reviewed its March monthly report and a 2024 annual report at the commission’s April 15 meeting and approved both documents by consent.

Ombuds Bart Logue reported that March was busy: “We had 267 contacts,” he told commissioners, and said the office certified 11 cases and processed four community complaints in March. Logue said the office reviewed five uses of force, eight collisions and one pursuit among 14 special cases reviewed in the month.

Why it matters: The office’s monthly and annual statistics show increased oversight activity and higher workloads tied to lengthy case reviews. Logue told commissioners body-camera-heavy cases can require “10 to 12 hours of body camera footage per case sometimes,” increasing staff time to review incidents.

Staffing and hiring delays: Logue described delays filling two key positions. The deputy-ombuds hiring process requires a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the guild and city legal review; Logue said the MOU “is in city legal” and that he was not hopeful a new hire would be in place by June 30. The office is also seeking a non-exempt analyst position but must route the classification through civil service; Logue said civil-service placement was still pending and could delay hiring.

Logue said the office and commissioners were exploring contingency plans — including limited remote-work arrangements — because a vacancy could leave the ombuds office short-handed. He warned the commission that without a deputy “it’ll slow some things down” and that he could be performing both roles if a deputy was not in place.

Legal advisor and budget notes: Commissioners reviewed the office’s legal-advisor contract language and line-item funding. Logue explained that professional-services budgeting and timing in prior years led to fluctuating available funds; current documents show the professional-services line with an available amount that reflects recent two-year adjustments.

Annual-report details and recommendations: The annual report summarized 2024 activity: the office issued 12 monthly reports, one annual report, five closing reports and 21 recommendations; common themes included force analysis, supervisory review and training. Logue said the office had received formal responses for the first nine recommendations and informal updates for others but that several items remained “not implemented” as of the meeting.

Commission action: Commissioners approved the March monthly report and the 2024 annual report by consent. The meeting transcript records a motion and a second; the chair called for the ayes and the item carried.

Other business and next steps: Commissioners discussed a training day at the Spokane Police Department academy on April 18 and set a tentative two-day retreat for June 26–27 (day one full, day two a half day) with location to be confirmed; they scheduled the May meeting for May 20 at West Central Community Center. Logue said the office will continue pressing civil service and city legal to expedite classification and the deputy hiring process, and commissioners discussed potential roles they could play in outreach and evaluation once new staff are in place.

Provenance: Logue’s monthly report, the annual report presentation and the commission votes were presented during the April 15 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","April 15th, 2025 Police Ombuds Commission","oneSentenceSummary","At its April 15 meeting, the City of Spokane Office of the Police Ombuds Commission received March monthly and 2024 annual reports showing increased contacts and special-case reviews, discussed delays filling deputy and analyst posts, reviewed legal-advisor funding, and approved the office’s annual report by consent vote.","taxTitle","Spokane, Spokane County, Washington","taxId",2644,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6273287,"Spokane assistant police chief Matt Coles stresses de-escalation, training and community partnerships at Ombuds meeting",52,348000,400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3003973-a2cfe10bcf74ff1ccdbc4634a4b9b407&start=348&end=400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3003973-a2cfe10bcf74ff1ccdbc4634a4b9b407/thumbnail_348000.jpg","/articles/6273287/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-assistant-police-chief-Matt-Coles-stresses-de-escalation-training-and-community-partnerships-at-Ombuds-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6273287-2f80b6ff8c9d9366152b1d629c779b6e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773582125&Signature=OGLD-MQdY5QHcs8~h9Fx5wEWY-b1wGa~7kNlBxuRj8OxY1DV06Th1Thu3-q4qxtdco-mqywmVBy5ZqLzNBR7pp3epdoM2q0iz12t2f6C5h9Hqkab-TiJss-ma3W0zKNcg3KHlK5sxdp7RcgQueapv19qJ9vFCevSDodQ-Am2OXhw40SNTBJJ0SCyCoMeNCySGiRrwrCRWTVhAJcRdpvvDNEyr~PFLG1CGrhn1q2dlblijpQ2dQTYoI0EiOcei99sGCCF79m1Pt7RApfmHoQkXDYsAjMiDtoGpRM-ZHbwmx5wb6~FuOsbuTcExT4NIfKFGb343QuPWP-e9KmB-LDIOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Assistant Chief Matt Coles, newly promoted from his previous role overseeing Internal Affairs, introduced himself to the City of Spokane Office of the Police Ombuds Commission at the commission’s April 15 meeting and described several near-term priorities for the department.

Coles, a 27-year Spokane police officer, said he wants officers to be able to “say, I’ve helped people and can retire with that, goal, checkbox checked” and described his focus on department cohesion, training and community relationships. “My direction to my training staff is that that will be our number 1 priority,” he told commissioners.

Why it matters: Coles framed his priorities around reducing instances where force becomes necessary by emphasizing tactics that “slow things down,” give officers time and distance, and improve communications with people in crisis. He identified training, tactics and technology — including aerial observation tools — as tools the department intends to use to reduce risky contact and give officers more information before they arrive on scene.

Key points Coles described:
- De-escalation and training: Coles said the department will prioritize de-escalation in training and extend field training for new academy graduates.
- Lateral hires and culture: He acknowledged trade-offs in hiring experienced officers from other jurisdictions, saying “they’re bringing their cultures with them” and that the department must use training and onboarding to align laterals with Spokane’s policies and values.
- Technology: Coles described an interest in using “an eye in the sky” to give officers better situational awareness before placing people and officers into dynamic interactions.
- Downtown policing and partnerships: He credited recent downtown improvements to long-term collaboration with community resource providers and said policing cannot, by itself, solve homelessness, mental health or addiction problems.
- Precincts and community policing: Coles said the precinct model — assigning officers to smaller areas so they “get to know the businesses” and residents — is a goal, and he discussed tradeoffs involved in moving precinct locations, noting the value of relationships built by proximity.
- Specialty units and structure: Coles said the department is adding neighborhood resource officers (NROs) and expects a seven-person target for that function; he also said seven dedicated traffic officers and two dedicated DUI officers are being assigned, plus a grant-funded drug/alcohol recognition specialist.
- Behavioral-health response and CIT: Coles said all patrol officers have Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and described the city and county dividing responsibility for co-responder behavioral-health teams so each serves its primary jurisdiction.

Review and accountability: On critical incidents and deadly-force review, Coles said the department is discussing ways to provide community information sooner and to make administrative review panels more effective; he said executive staff are being embedded in panels to “ensure that they’re staying on track with the mission and values of the department.” He noted that changes may require work with state-level partners and referenced challenges created by well-intentioned processes that slow information sharing.

What commissioners raised: Commissioners asked about the downtown precinct’s accessibility, whether the South Precinct might be relocated, the scope and length of lateral-hire orientation, and how the department is responding to narratives about downtown crime. Coles invited commissioners to tour facilities and said the department is intent on telling more positive stories about downtown partnerships and outcomes.

Bottom line: Coles presented a training- and partnership-first approach intended to reduce the need for force, improve officer morale and preserve community relationships. He said the department is actively refining training and deployment to meet those goals and invited oversight and community engagement as part of that effort.

Provenance: The commission introduced Coles and discussed his remarks and Q&A during the April 15 meeting.","At the April 15 meeting of the City of Spokane Office of the Police Ombuds Commission, Assistant Chief Matt Coles introduced himself and outlined priorities including de-escalation-focused training, managing lateral hires, use of technology and stronger behavioral-health partnerships to address downtown problems.","actionData","errors"]

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Police Ombuds office reports uptick in contacts, flags staffing and hiring delays; commission approves annual reports

Spokane assistant police chief Matt Coles stresses de-escalation, training and community partnerships at Ombuds meeting