The Opportunity

The City of Seattle has adopted groundbreaking legislation to create an independent Office of Police Accountability in lieu of a function contained within the Seattle Police Department. The candidate selected to serve as the new Office of Police Accountability Director will have the opportunity to make a dramatic impact on the trust, accountability, and reform of the Seattle Police Department in one of our nation's greatest cities.

Seattle, Washington

The City of Seattle (population 700,000) is an exciting urban city surrounded by unmatched natural beauty. Seattle is a seaport city and is the largest city in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest. Named as the fastest-growing city in the United States in July 2016, Seattle maintains an annual 3.1% growth rate.

Named as the sixth best place to live in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Seattle offers a thriving economy. Logging was Seattle's first major industry, evolving into a commercial and shipbuilding center by the late 19th century. Today, Seattle is a major port city and is the fifth largest container port in the United States and 25th largest in the world. After World War II, Seattle became the center for aircraft manufacturing, partially due to the local Boeing company. The area has also developed as a technology center with companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Nintendo. Other notable companies headquartered or started in Seattle include Starbucks, Nordstrom, Costco, and Tully's. Seattle remains a hotbed for start-up businesses, especially in green building and clean technologies. The City holds a high ranking as a "smarter city" based on its government policies and green economy.

Seattle's climate is classified as oceanic or temperate marine, with cool, wet winters and mild, relatively dry summers. Temperature extremes are moderated by the adjacent Puget Sound, greater Pacific Ocean, and Lake Washington. Therefore, extreme heat waves are rare, as are very cold temperatures.

As a diverse metropolitan area, Seattle has much to offer including higher education opportunities, professional and collegiate sporting events, a nationally recognized health care network, a lively cultural arts scene, and unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities.

The people of Seattle are very engaged and active in improving their neighborhoods, combating climate changes, and creating a diverse and inclusive city to call home.

City Government and the Seattle Police Department

Founded in 1869, Seattle is a charter city with a mayor-council form of government. The mayor is elected at-large, as are two of the nine City Council members; the remaining seven are elected by council district. Seattle's City Attorney and Municipal Court judges are also elected positions.

The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City and directs and controls all subordinate officers of the City, unless otherwise provided for by the City Charter. The Mayor appoints heads of departments, subject to the approval of the City Council. The Mayor has the authority to veto ordinances passed by the Council and the Council may override such vetoes by a two-thirds majority vote. The Mayor proposes the budget which is subject to Council approval.

The Seattle Police Department is responsible for public safety services covering 143 square miles. These services include: foot, car, and bike patrols in the City's five precincts; harbor patrol of 59 square miles of waterways; a 9-1-1 communication center; traffic and parking enforcement; SWAT; and a K9 unit. The Department employs 1,376 sworn officers and 513 civilian employees.

History of Police Reform in Seattle

The 2010 shooting death of First Nations woodcarver John T. Williams by a Seattle police officer, and a series of other serious incidents involving police and people of color, crystallized public concern about bias and the use of excessive force in the Seattle Police Department.

In response to a broad-based community request and after a federal investigation, the City of Seattle signed a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to reform the Seattle Police Department's practices. The consent decree outlines the work to be done by the City of Seattle to meet the terms of the settlement agreement and memorandum of understanding with the Department of Justice. The consent decree is overseen by a federal judge and his specially appointed police monitor.

In Seattle, under Seattle's system, the Chief of Police and SPD management are expected to play an important role in the accountability system. After initial resistance to the consent decree, the Seattle Police Department embraced reform and has been driving internal change for the past five years, demonstrating a strong commitment to constitutional policing and community engagement. These reform efforts accelerated greatly under the leadership of Chief Kathleen O'Toole and this year SPD passed the tenth and last systemic assessment by the federal monitoring team. As SPD moves beyond the consent decree to the next steps in reform and improvement, SPD looks forward to productive relationships within the new accountability structures.

Initially established as a requirement of the consent decree, the City of Seattle established the Community Police Commission to make policy recommendations during reform and to serve as a conduit between the Police Department, the City, and the community. However, in the first step of sweeping reform, in 2017 the Seattle City Council made the Community Police Commission permanent and broadened its scope and responsibilities.

On May 22, 2017, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed comprehensive police reform legislation reconfiguring one aspect of police accountability and establishing another. The Seattle Police Department's former Office of Professional Accountability was moved outside of the agency to be operationally independent of the Police Department, its composition balanced between sworn officers and civilians, and its name changed to the Office of Police Accountability. In addition, the Office of Inspector General for Public Safety was created to provide civilian auditing of the management, practices, and policies of the Seattle Police Department and the Office of Police Accountability.

These three entities - the Community Police Commission, the Office of Police Accountability, and the Office of the Inspector General for Public Safety, are statutorily co-equal and are designed to provide a robust environment of checks and balances to enhance the trust and confidence of the community and build an effective police department that respects the civil and constitutional rights of the people of Seattle.

The Position

The Office of Police Accountability Director (OPA Director) manages, and is accountable for, all functions and responsibilities of the Office of Police Accountability (OPA). OPA helps ensure the actions of Seattle Police Department (SPD) employees are constitutional and in compliance with federal, state, and local laws, as well as with City and Seattle Police Department policies. In addition, the OPA promotes respectful and effective policing by initiating, receiving, classifying, investigating, and appropriately resolving all complaints of misconduct in a timely manner. The OPA Director partners collaboratively with the Inspector General for Public Safety and the Community Police Commission (CPC).

The OPA Director is appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the full City Council. OPA is operationally independent from the Seattle Police Department but is organized within the Seattle Police Department in order to ensure complete and immediate access to all Seattle Police Department-controlled data, evidence, and personnel necessary for thorough and timely investigations and complaint handling. The OPA Director may be appointed and reappointed for up to three, four-year terms, for a total of 12 years.

The authority and responsibility of the OPA Director include:
• Manage all functions and responsibilities of OPA as set forth in Chapter 3.29 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
• Hire, supervise, and discharge OPA civilian staff; supervise and transfer out of OPA any sworn staff assigned to OPA to ensure professional and appropriate performance of duties consistent with City of Seattle human resources polices and Chapter 3.29 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
• Manage complaint processes to ensure all complaints of police misconduct or policy violations are initiated, received, referred, classified, and investigated appropriately and resolved in a timely manner.
• Oversee and strengthen the effectiveness of OPA investigations, Supervisor Action referrals, mediation, Rapid Adjudication, and other alternative resolution processes as well as Management Actions and Training Referrals.
• Ensure OPA policies and practices are detailed in, and in compliance with, the OPA Manual; ensure investigators and investigative supervisors receive orientation and training when they begin working at OPA; ensure investigations are in compliance with policies in the OPA Manual. • Classify complaints; direct OPA investigative processes; address any additional investigative work requested or directed by the Office of Inspector General for Public Safety (OIG); certify in writing the completion and recommended findings of all OPA investigations and convey these recommendations to the Chief; participate in meetings related to recommended findings and discipline as well as in due process hearings; testify as needed in disciplinary appeals; as requested, advise the Chief of Police as to discipline; advise the Chief of Police and City Attorney with regard to disciplinary appeals.
• Collaborate with the Chief of Police, other SPD leadership, and OIG to strengthen the involvement of supervisory personnel in the accountability system to enhance a culture of accountability throughout SPD.
• In all SPD officer-involved shootings and other serious use of force incidents, assess at the scene and in associated SPD administrative unit interviews and meetings whether policy violations may have occurred.
• In the course of OPA's investigation of possible misconduct or policy violations, or in the course of OPA's other obligations, identify systemic problems and recommend changes in SPD policies, training, supervision and management, and in laws and collective bargaining agreements.
• Ensure OPA employs effective tools to support access to and understanding of the complaint-handling system; regularly update complainants and named employees on the status of their cases; consult with CPC about community needs and concerns; engage collaboratively with OIG, CPC, and SPD to effectuate coordinated oversight.

In addition, the OPA Director will need to embrace, promote, and commit to the City's Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI). Additional information is available at: https://www.seattle.gov/rsji.

The OPA Director must have significant legal, investigative, human resources, and law enforcement oversight or prosecutorial experience. The Director shall not have been formerly employed by SPD as a sworn officer.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:
• A reputation for integrity and professionalism with the ability to maintain a high standard of integrity and professionalism.
• A commitment to the need for and responsibilities of law enforcement including enforcement, community care-taking, and the need to protect the constitutional rights of all affected parties.
• A commitment to the statements of purpose and policies as set forth in Chapter 3.29 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
• A history of leadership experience.
• The ability to relate, communicate, and engage effectively with all who have a stake in policing including but not limited to, the general public, complainants, disenfranchised communities, SPD employees, and relevant City and other officials including the Mayor, Council, City Attorney, Chief of Police, OIG, and CPC.
• An understanding of the City's ethnic and socio-economic diversity and proven experience working with and valuing the perspectives of diverse groups and individuals.
• The ability to carry out the duties of the OPA Director in a manner that reflects sound judgment, independence, fairness, and objectivity in an environment where controversy is common.

All interested candidates should apply by September 22, 2017 (first review; this position is considered open until filled) to Ralph Andersen & Associates by submitting a compelling cover letter and comprehensive resume to apply@ralphandersen.com. Top candidates will be invited for a comprehensive interview process tentatively set for mid-October. Additionally, a supplemental questionnaire may be required with responses to specific questions and submittal of sample work products.

Nomination for appointment will require a background check that will include records of arrest, charges, or allegations of criminal conduct or other non-conviction data for the purpose of determining the individual's fitness to perform the duties of OPA Director.

This position is open to all candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The City encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.

For further information or questions on the recruitment process, please contact Mr. Greg Nelson at (916) 630-4900. Confidential inquiries are welcomed and interested candidates are encouraged to submit application materials early for maximum consideration.