Community Leaders Hold Press Conference about Rejecting Proposed SPOG Contract

The Community Police Commission and community leaders are urging Seattle City Council to reject its proposed contract with the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild, the City’s largest police union. We believe that if the City were to approve the proposed agreement, then it will undo the progress of the Accountability Reform Legislation unanimously supported and adopted by City Council in June 2017.

The adoption of that legislation was a sign of improvement; that, police reform and accountability are getting better in Seattle, but the proposed contract is a reminder that we have a long way to go. This juncture means life or death. By passing that legislation a year ago yet scheduling a vote to approve the SPOG contract imminently, the City is sending two conflicting messages to the public. In essence, the proposed contract rolls back on accountability measures that inspired trust between police and community members. We have come too far, worked too hard, and lost too many lives for the accountability measures to be stripped away, resulting in the public’s damaged confidence in the police.

We know we need the police, but we also need accountability measures. We are not against police, we are supportive of the City paying them fair wages. We need to bring people from all walks of life together – including those that are no longer with us – and we can do that by implementing the agreements stated in the Accountability Reform Legislation.

As a community in 2012, we brought the Department of Justice to Seattle, where they ruled that our local police uses excessive force. We as a community can stand together again to urge City Council by Tuesday, November 12, to reject the proposed contract between the City and SPOG. In the meantime, please contact your City Council representative to urge them to reject the City’s proposed contract during Tuesday’s vote. We must reopen the dialogue if we want to move forward and set a national example of quality police accountability.

Click to read the Seattle Community Police Commission’s report: http://www.elcentrodelaraza.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018-10-30-Final-Short-Chart.pdf

Click to read why we are advocating for the rejection of the SPOG Contract: http://www.elcentrodelaraza.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/24-Community-Leaders-Request-to-Reject-the-Proposed-SPOG-Contract-Final.pdf

Click to read more about today’s Press Release: http://www.elcentrodelaraza.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018-11-8-police-tentative-contract-letter-press-release-final.pdf