Tentative deal reached with SPOG, city of Seattle

Tentative contract between city and Seattle Police Union

A tentative contract agreement between Seattle and the Seattle Police Officer's Guild could mean big raises for officers. However, the agreement only makes small changes when it comes to officer accountability.

SEATTLE - Mayor Bruce Harrell outlined a tentative agreement this week focusing on improvements within the Seattle Police Department.

The deal aims to address officer recruitment and retention challenges, advance accountability within the force, and increase the role of civilians in public safety.

The proposal, arriving during a period of historically low staffing numbers for the department, was ratified by the Seattle Police Officers Guild and now awaits the City Council’s approval. The agreement affects wages and underscores the city's commitment to enhancing public safety through various reforms.

Key elements of the tentative agreement include:

It increases wages 1.3% retroactive to 2021, 6.4% retroactive to 2022, and 15.3% retroactive to 2023 to strengthen the City’s ability to retain and recruit qualified police officers. These wage increases mean Seattle police officers will be among the most competitively paid in the state – a wage commensurate with the public safety needs and complexity of policing in the city.
It requires an arbitrator in discipline appeals when misconduct is found to give deference to the discipline imposed by the Police Chief.
It improves timelines applicable to investigations of alleged officer misconduct, including for allegations of criminal conduct, by tolling the 180-day timeline for criminal proceedings in Seattle and extending (up to 60 days) the 180-day timeline following a Force Review Board referral for Type 3 (most serious) use of force.
It eliminates the currently required 5-day notice to officers of specific allegation(s) of misconduct, reducing an administrative burden that slows the investigation process.
It revises grievance procedures to complete implementation of state law changes that regulate and improve the appointment of arbitrators, which eliminates "shopping" for arbitrators and establishes requirements for arbitrator qualifications.
It increases the number of civilian investigators in the Office of Police Accountability by two, bringing the total number of civilians overseeing and investigating allegations of police misconduct to seven.
It significantly expands the City’s ability to use civilian resources to assist with public safety services, including but not limited to: responding to lost or missing property and found property events; requests for transportation; emergency food and shelter requests; property damage; noise complaints; delivering messages and performing mail runs; addressing landlord/tenant problems; support missing juveniles, runaways, and missing adult persons; wellness checks; and acting as hospital guards for low-level offenders.
It allows for civilian review of automated traffic safety camera violations, including those related to traffic signals, rail crossings, speeding, traffic obstructions, blocking intersections or crosswalks, transit only lanes, and stopping or traveling in restricted lanes.
It allows for expanded civilian assistance to detective units with administrative tasks, case file preparation, and crime analysis.

"Our highest priority is a safe and healthy Seattle – and this tentative agreement is a shared commitment with our police officers to continue strengthening public safety," said Mayor Harrell. "This agreement focuses on three key areas: improving police staffing and fair wages at a time when officer numbers are at a historic low; enhancing accountability measures to ensure allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated and discipline is appropriate; and expanding civilian response options to build a diversified safety system and create new efficiencies. I look forward to continued collaboration with our officers as we seek to create a police service that reflects our communities and our values."

The agreement is "partial" in that it only spans the first three years of a potential four-year period and comes after a three-year wage freeze for Seattle officers. Upcoming negotiations for the year 2024 continue with the assistance of a mediator.

"Approving this contract is an important step in remediating the permissive public safety environment our city has endured for years," said Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7, Downtown to Magnolia) and the Council’s Public Safety Committee Chair. "There’s no way to address Seattleites concerns about their well-being and safety without fully staffing our police department – and recruiting the number of officers we need is impossible without paying them a competitive wage. This contract ensures that the City will be paying our officers a competitive wage within the state of Washington, particularly our three-county area, which is long overdue. I’m proud to say that this Council is committed to a fully funded, well-staffed police department as part of its public safety strategy. "

The proposal, if passed by the City Council, would allow the City of Seattle to implement the new accountability measures, still leaving room for additional changes recommended by community partners and within the scope of the federal Consent Decree with the Department of Justice.