@jumper – how does your brother serving on ACT excuse systematic abuses of power? Should we not hold agencies accountable? Any cop who abuses their power isn’t fit to hold their badge. When the abuse becomes systematic then there needs to be accountability and oversight. Or does the Constitution only apply to whomever you see fit? Because there was sufficient evidence to show that there was a department-wide infringement of the Constitutional rights of citizens. You seem to suggest that they were just scumbags or deserved what was coming to them – but doesn’t the Constitution apply to us all? Isn’t that what makes its power indelible and sacrosanct? Perhaps it is you who doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

Police are ASKED to do paperwork out in the community so that they are visible – in their car parked someplace INSTEAD of at the precinct. We have heard that from the past few precinct commanders. If you have a specific question to ask precinct leadership face to face about how they operate, why they do X or why they don’t do Y, a reminder, one week from tomorrow is your next excellent chance to do so, at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, 7 pm, Tuesday, May 20th, at the precinct.

While I understand that cops need breaks. I don’t think that many should be taking breaks at the same time. That is 2 patrols if not 3 taken off the street at the same time. Considering that the claim that the police are already stretched thin, this just adds to it.

Briefings if needed to be done could be done in the briefing room before the patrol starts. Paperwork can also be done at the station.

I have a friend that works with the police, but is not a police officer and he was telling me just last week about this. I really hadn’t been paying attention about the DOJ, but my friend said that in private the police officers that he is around are talking about what you described as “de-policing” due to the feeling of being under a microscope and a feeling of any move being the wrong move, so now police officers are playing it safe rather than sorry, especially the more veteran ones.

I suggest you brush up on the 14th amendment due process and equal protection clauses. No government of ours has the right to infringe upon those protections. Why would you advocate that the SPD need not follow the Constitution? I’m guessing from your comments that it stems from a misunderstanding of the rule of law and applicable jurisprudence and a general tendency to favor bias and emotion over logic and fact.

that might be something the neighborhood groups would handle? Highland Park Action Committee or Westwood’s Roxbury’s big neighborhood group? Or the SW Precinct Crime Council? Go to a meeting and suggest it. Better yet, just organize it yourself, that way you know it will get done.