Police Department

Mayor, Chief Deliver Final Update to Use of Force Commission

Report outlined progress of Spokane Police Department

Monique Cotton, Director of Communication and Public Information, 509.363.8285

Friday, February 13, 2015 at 4:51 p.m.

This afternoon, Friday, February 13, 2015, Mayor David Condon and Chief Frank Straub delivered their final update to the Use of Force Commission.

In their final report to the commission, Mayor Condon and Chief Straub outlined the progress of the Spokane Police Department in implementing the Commission's twenty-six (26) recommendations. All police-specific recommendations have been initiated, are complete, or are in the process of being completed. Other recommendations are and will continue to be on-going elements of SPD training, policy development and implementation.

Additionally, Chief Straub presented the Spokane Police Department's 2014 end of year crime and use of force statistics.

In 2014, the Spokane Police Department reduced crime in all categories:

• Violent crime is down 19.72%
• Property crime is down 7.52%
• Overall crime is down 8.36%

Also in 2014, while the Spokane Police Department reduced crime, officers also reduced use of force incidents by 22%. Force was used in less than one-tenth of one percent of all community contacts.

Since January of 2013, the Spokane Police Department has been engaged in a Collaborative Reform agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office. After site visits, direct observations, interviews and a survey of SPD personnel, interviews with community stakeholders, analysis of use of force report data, and review of departmental policies, practices and procedures, the DOJ-COPS team delivered 42 findings and recommendations. SPD has begun implementation of these recommendations. All DOJ-COPS recommendations will be implemented within 18 months of the release of the final report (December 2014).

Attached please find Chief Straub's letter to the Use of Force Commission as well as his PowerPoint presentation.

• Use of Force Letter (PDF 129 KB)
• Use of Force Powerpoint (PDF 2.6 MB)

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