A new report from Seattle police shows a relatively low number of use of force incidents linked to crises-related calls over an 18-month period.
Seattle officers responded to 15,995 calls with people believed to be in behavioral crisis between Jan. 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018. It was a 9 percent increase in crises-related calls from 2016-2017.
However, of the nearly 16,000 calls, fewer than 2 percent involved any use of force, according to the police department. In nearly 80 percent of calls, an officer trained for crisis intervention was involved.
"The data shows that officers are continuing to employ de-escalation training and crisis intervention skills to offer meaningful support to this vulnerable population, even as the demand continues to rise," the department stated in a press release.
The report is part of the department's efforts to be transparent as it continues with its commitments under a Consent Decree with the Department of Justice.
In January, U.S. District Court Judge James Robart ruled the Seattle Police Department was in "full and effective" compliance with court-ordered police reforms. The city entered into a court-ordered Consent Decree with DOJ in 2012 when Mayor Jenny Durkan was a U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington. At the time, she said they found a "pattern and practice" of "unconstitutional use of force" within the Seattle Police Department.
Seattle changed its policing model by using de-escalation training and creating new procedures for use of force.
The department must now demonstrate that it is sustaining performance across all areas of the Decree. With respect to crisis intervention, the plan requires three reports over 2018-2019. That includes two annual Outcome Reports related to crisis contacts and an evaluation of use of force in crisis incidents at the end of 2018.
