What We Do

The 2010 shooting death by Seattle police of First Nations woodcarver John T. Williams, and a series of other serious incidents involving police and people of color, ignited public concern about bias and the use of excessive force in the Seattle Police Department (SPD).

After a federal investigation, the City of Seattle signed a settlement agreement and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to reform SPD practices. Those two documents are referred to as the Consent Decree. The Consent Decree is overseen by a federal judge and appointed police monitor who are charged with ensuring SPD's unconstitutional policing practices are corrected.

The Community Police Commission (CPC) was mandated under the Consent Decree to provide community input on needed reforms. The City of Seattle established the CPC by ordinance, which began its work in 2013. Four years later, under the City's landmark 2017 Accountability Ordinance, CPC was made permanent and its scope of responsibilities and authority broadened. While it continues to be responsible for its obligations related to the Consent Decree, it now also provides mandated ongoing, community-based oversight of SPD and the police accountability system.