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Public Safety Committee backs ordinance to clarify, speed investigations of complaints naming Seattle police chief
Summary
The committee recommended passage of Council Bill 120977 with an amendment requiring the Office of Inspector General to provide quarterly reports to the Community Police Commission and clarifying the investigative standard for complaints that name the chief of police; the committee vote was 4-0 and the bill will go to the full council June 3.
The Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to recommend passage of Council Bill 120977, an ordinance that revises the city's process for handling misconduct complaints that name the chief of police.
The committee, chaired by Robert Kettle, adopted an amendment that clarifies the investigatory standard and expands reporting requirements. The amendment requires the Office of Inspector General for Public Safety (OIG) to provide quarterly reports with basic information about complaints naming the chief to the executive director of the Community Police Commission, the mayor, the president of the City Council and the chair of the Council's Public Safety Committee.
The change is part of a broader accountability framework created after the 2017 accountability ordinance and the subsequent 2022 ordinance that established a process for misconduct complaints. Karina Bull, Council central staff, described the bill and the committee moved to recommend its passage.
Miss Bohm, a central-staff presenter, summarized the amendment during committee discussion: "This amendment would make 3 changes to the proposed legislation. The first 2 are technical and would not change existing or proposed requirements. And then the third would expand the reporting requirement." She told the committee the amendment explicitly describes the Community Police Commission as "an independent office" and that investigations "must be timely, thorough and objective," adding that if one element is missing "the standard has not been fulfilled."
Committee members spoke in support of the clarification and the increased notice to the Community Police Commission. Vice Chair Saka said the amendment "makes a lot of sense" and thanked the sponsor; Council member Moore said she would support the bill. The clerk recorded ayes from Council member Moore, Council President Nelson, Council member Saka and Chair Robert Kettle. The chair said the bill, as amended, will be sent to the June 3 City Council meeting.
Why this matters: Under city law the Office of Police Accountability (OPA), the OIG and the Community Police Commission form Seattle's accountability system. Committee members said the 2022 process left unresolved procedural issues for complaints naming the chief; the ordinance aims to streamline the handling of those complaints and increase transparency through additional reporting.
The committee's action was limited to recommending passage and adopting the described amendment; no other formal changes or new policy directives were recorded in the meeting.
The committee discussion and amendment text make clear what the new reporting and investigative standards will require if the full council approves the ordinance on June 3. The committee chair said the committee will use the OIG's after-action and quarterly reports to exercise ongoing oversight of crowd management and other operational issues tied to complaints.
