Police Department

Mayor and Chief Receive Final Letter from Use of Force Commission

Work of Use of Force Commission is Now Complete

Monique Cotton, Director of Communication and Public Information, 509.363.8285

Monday, March 23, 2015 at 8:26 a.m.

Updated 03/23/2015

Following their final report to the Use of Force Commission on February 13, 2015, Mayor David Condon and Chief Frank Straub received the attached letter from the Commission.

The Spokane Police Department, as referenced in the Commission’s letter, has made great progress in the initiation or completion of all police-specific recommendations.

Quoting the Commission:

“The vast majority of our twenty-six (26) recommendations have been followed to the letter of the law, and in all other instances the spirit of our recommendations has been embraced to drive improvement.”

“We are very pleased to see the many initiatives being undertaken to make Spokane a more welcoming and safe community for all…More and better use of force policies, training programs, and practices are in place than was the case in February 2013. Resources have been allocated to new tools and activities that are enabling SPD officers to be better prepared to carry out their duties in ways that generate and maintain community trust. The entire chain of command, from the patrol officer to you, is better positioned to respond fully and transparently to instances where concerns arise about an officer’s use of force.”

In regards to Use of Force Commission Recommendation #1: “Conduct a culture audit of the SPD,” the Spokane Police Department continues to work closely with the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (DOJ-COPS) regarding this recommendation.

Recently, Mayor Condon and COPS Director Ron Davis specifically discussed this recommendation and Director Davis pledged his assistance.

Mayor Condon and Chief Straub would like to extend their thanks to the men and women who served on the Use of Force Commission, for their diligent efforts to provide detailed and comprehensive recommendations for the Spokane Police Department.

The City of Spokane and the Spokane Police Department are committed to implementing all forty-two (42) DOJ-COPS recommendations within the next eighteen (18) months.

With the filing of the attached letter, the work of the Use of Force Commission is complete.

• Use of Force Commission Letter (PDF 143 KB)

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