Police ombuds office reports rise in community contacts, urges funding independence

The Office of the Police Ombudsman told the Spokane City Council on an evening meeting that its 2024 annual report shows a marked increase in public contacts and complaints and urged the council to secure stable funding and staffing.

The report was delivered by Bart Logue, representing the Office of the Police Ombudsman, who opened the briefing by saying, "I appreciate the opportunity brief our 2024 annual report, which is a requirement in our governing ordinance." Logue told the council the office increased community contacts by about 70 percent — "adding more than 1,200 contacts more than we had in 2023" — and that the office generated 44 of 101 total complaints made to the Spokane Police Department in 2024.

Why it matters: civilian oversight is the formal mechanism the city uses to review internal investigations, uses of force and complaints about Spokane police. The office reported increases in several high-impact categories and described recent changes to review boards intended to strengthen scrutiny of critical incidents.

Key findings and figures from the briefing: the ombuds office recorded 81 community complaints and 20 internal complaints in 2024; it certified 78 internal affairs cases and declined to certify one. Uses of force rose from 85 to 98 incidents, critical incidents rose to six, pursuits numbered 16 and preventable collisions were reported at 40. Logue said, "If we're happy with how an incident went down and we can, accept it a hundred more times out of a hundred, then we don't have anything to review." He added that the office wrote five closing reports that produced 21 recommendations, of which nine have been accepted and fully implemented and others are in progress.

The ombuds office and its civilian commission also described process changes. Luke Jasmine, who represented the Office of Police Ombudsman Commission (OPOC), said the commission "was unanimous in stating that the OPO provide outstanding service to the community of Spokane." Jasmine and Logue both emphasized the need for stronger review-board procedures, more consistent supervisory scrutiny and better officer feedback after reviews.

Staffing and budget requests: Logue said the office was granted a crime analyst in this year’s budget but concluded the classification was a poor fit and the office is working with civil service to reclassify the role. He also said the deputy ombuds would depart in June and the office is hiring a replacement. He asked the council to renew efforts to amend the ordinance that ties the OPO budget to a percentage of the Spokane Police Department budget, describing that linkage as a constraint on independence.

Board and council questions focused on pursuit training, the definition of "preventable" collisions and how the state's Office of Independent Investigations affects local oversight. Logue explained that the office now has 10 days to certify a case, allowing time to add investigative attachments and avoid returning matters for further work. He told council members that the Office of Independent Investigations can reduce investigation timelines but also removes some local entry points into critical-incident reviews.

What happened next: the presentation concluded with council members thanking the presenters and noting the office’s requests. The council did not take a formal vote on ordinance changes or staffing during the meeting; Logue said he would continue to work with council members and city leaders on budget and ordinance revisions and on hiring.

Ending: the ombuds office outlined next steps — hiring a deputy, clarifying the analyst role, and pursuing budget independence — and asked for continued collaboration with city leadership to implement the remaining recommendations.