>>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, THE
JANUARY 11, 2022 MEETING OF THE
PUBLIC SAFETY AND HUMAN
SERVICES COMMITTEE WILL COME TO
ORDER.
IT IS 9:30 A.M.
I'M LISA HERBOLD, CHAIR OF THE
COMMITTEE.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL.
>> LEWIS.
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER MOSQUEDA.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER NELSON.
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER PEDERSEN.
>> PRESENT.
>> CHAIR HERBOLD.
>> PRESENT.
>> THANK YOU.
THIS IS OUR FIRST MEETING OF
THE YEAR AND I WOULD LIKE TO
START OFF WITH A WARM WELCOME
TO OUR NEW MEMBERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER NELSON, COUNCIL
MEMBER MOSQUEDA, AND COUNCIL
MEMBER PEDERSEN, WHO WAS AN
ALTERNATE, AND IS NOW A REGULAR
MEMBER.
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR
YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE ON
THIS COMMITTEE.
ON TODAY'S AGENDA, WE'LL BE
HEARING FIRST AID BRIEFING FROM
THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF
POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY ON HIS
FINDINGS ABOUT THE PROUD BOYS
RUSE USED BY THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT ON JUNE 8, 2020.
WE WILL ALSO BE HEARING AN
UPDATE FROM HEALTH ON COVID-19
AND THEN FINALLY, WE'LL BE
RECEIVING A BRIEFING ON
DECEMBER 9 EMERGENCY 9/11
SYSTEM OUTAGE FROM COMMUNITY
SAFETY AND COMMUNICATIONS
CENTER AND WE WILL BE RIGHT
INTO THE AGENDA, WE'LL APPROVE
OUR AGENDA.
THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS,
TODAY'S AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED.
HEARING NO OBJECTIONS, TODAY'S
AGENDA IS ADOPTED.
AS I NOTED IN COUNCIL BRIEFINGS
YESTERDAY, THERE ARE SCHEDULE
LIMITATIONS.
SO WE'LL NEED TO DO OUR BEST TO
STICK TO THE SCHEDULE AS MUCH
AS POSSIBLE AND I HAVE A
TENDENCY TO LET THINGS RUN LONG
AND I AM PUTTING FOLKS ON
NOTICE THAT I WILL BE DOING
EVERYTHING I CAN TO NOT LET
THAT HAPPEN IN THIS MEETING, SO
WE CAN GET TO EVERYTHING ON
TODAY'S AGENDA.
TIME WILL BE TRANSITIONING INTO
THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
AS ALWAYS, I WILL MODERATE
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AS
FOLLOWS.
EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN TWO
MINUTES TO SPEAK.
I WILL CALL ON EACH SPEAKER BY
NAME IN THE ORDER WHICH THEY
REGISTERED ON THE COUNCIL
WEBSITE.
IF YOU HAVE NOT YET REGISTERED
TO SPEAK, BUT WOULD LIKE TO DO
SO, YOU CAN SIGN UP BEFORE THE
END OF THE PUBLIC HEARING BY
GOING TO THE COUNCIL WEBSITE.
THE LINK IS ALSO LISTED ON
TODAY'S AGENDA.
ONCE I CALL A SPEAKER'S NAME,
THE SPEAKER WILL HEAR A PROMPT
AND ONCE YOU HEARD THAT PROMPT,
YOU NEED TO PRESS STAR 6 TO
UNMUTE YOURSELF AND WE ASK THAT
YOU BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME
AND THE ITEM YOU ARE
ADDRESSING.
SPEAKERS WILL HEAR TIME WHEN
TEN SECONDS ARE LEFT OF THE
ALLOTTED TIME.
ONCE THE SPEAKER HEARS THE
CHIME, WE ASK THAT YOU BEGIN TO
WRAP UP YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SPEAKERS DO NOT END THEIR
COMMENTS AT THE END OF THE
ALLOTTED TIME PROVIDED, THE
SPEAKERS MIC WILL BE MUTED
AFTER TEN SECONDS TO ALLOW US
TO HEAR FROM THE NEXT SPEAKER.
ONCE YOU COMPLETED YOUR PUBLIC
COMMENT, WE ASK THAT YOU
DISCONNECT FROM THE LINE.
ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO
FOLLOWTHE MEETING.
YOU CAN DO SO BY THE SEATTLE
CHANNEL OR THE LISTENING
OPTIONS LISTED ON THE AGENDA.
WE HAVE 11 PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR
COMMENT TODAY, AND WE WANT TO
RECOGNIZE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER
MOSQUEDA HAS JOINED THE
MEETING.
GOOD MORNING.
I'LL JUST BEGIN AND CALL PEOPLE
NAMES, TWO AT A TIME.
THE NEXT SPEAKER WILL KNOW THEY
ARE COMING UP NEXT.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER THIS MORNING
IS HOWARD GAYLE FOLLOWED BY
LAURA.
HOWARD.
>> GOOD MORNING.
HOWARD DALE, DISTRICT SEVEN.
YOU HAVE BEEN FACED WITH
OVERWELMINGLY CLEAR FACTS AND
DATA.
CONTINUING RACIAL DISPARITY.
CONTINUING RACIAL DISPARITY IN
SPD STOPS.
THE 2020 CONSTITUTIONAL,
UNCONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS.
THE SPD HAVING KILLED MORE
PEOPLE IN THE YEARS AFTER JOHN
C. WILLIAMS BEFORE.
DETERMINED RECENT KILLINGS LIKE
THE MURDER OF TERRI DAYS BEFORE
GEORGE FLOYD TO BE LAWFUL AND
PROPER.
FOLLOWED BY THE PREDICTABLE
MURDER OF DEREK LAST YEAR, AND
THEN JUST SIX DAYS AGO, ANOTHER
PERSON IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
WAS GUNNED DOWN.
A FACT THAT REMAINED UNNOTICED
IN COUNCIL BRIEFING YESTERDAY.
THIS WAS THE 19th PERSON
SUFFERING A MENTAL HEALTH
CRISIS KILLED BY THE SPD SINCE
WILLIAMS.
THESE ABUSES OF JUSTICE DON'T
JUST HAPPEN.
IT REQUIRES THE FOLKS IN POWER
AT THE OPA, THE ORG, AND PCP
RISKED THEIR LIVELIHOODS.
CAROLYN DOCUMENTED ALL OF THIS
IN 11 PIECES.
KOW REPORTED ON THE PIECES
ENGAGED BY ANDREW, WHOSE ENTIRE
CAREER HAS BEEN SPENT DEFENDING
POLICE, INCLUDING DEFEND NEW
YORK CITY AGAINST THE RIGHTFUL
CLAIMS OF THE CENTRAL PARK
FIVE.
AND WHEN WORKING AS A CITY
ATTORNEY, SANCTIONED FOR HIDING
COURT.
DESPITE ALL THIS, YOUR SOLUTION
IS TO HEAR FROM THE FOLK WHO'S
HAVE WORKED TO MINIMIZE AND
COVER UP POLICE ABUSE INSTEAD
OF HEARING FROM THE PEOPLE WHO
LIVED AND UNCOVERED THE FACTS
OF SPD DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN.
WE NEED CIVILIAN CONTROL OF
POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY.
GO TO SEATTLESTOP.ORG TO FIND
OUT HOW.
SEATTLESTOP.ORG.
>> THANK YOU, HOWARD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LAURA LOWE
AND LAURA WILL BE FOLLOWED BY
PETER.
LAURA.
>> GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL, AND
THANKS TO YOUR SERVICE TO
SEATTLE.
MY NAME IS LAURA, I'M SPEAKING
ON THE AGENDA TOPIC OF THE
POLICE RUSE.
IT'S A GRASS ROOTS ORGANIZATION
WHO ARE IN COALITION WITH
COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY
OUR BROKEN JUSTICE SYSTEMS.
WE HAVE SOME CORE QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE POLICE -- FIRST, THE
TREATMENTS OF MEMBERS OF THE
COMMUNITY AS ENEMIES TO
CREATING A CENSUS PUT EVERYONE
AT RISK, INCLUDING NEIGHBORHOOD
RESIDENTS WHO WERE CAUGHT IN
CROSS FIRE.
THE SAD TRUTH IS SPD LEAD TO
THE PEOPLE OF SEATTLE AND THE
FORMER MAYOR WHO MAY BE CLAIMS
TO HAVE NOT BEEN IN CONTROL OF
THE POLICE DURING THIS TIME.
WHERE IS YOUR URGENCY TO
ADDRESS THIS?
ARE YOU ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY
CHANGE LEADERSHIP A STEP TOWARD
ESTABLISHING TRUST THAT
DEMONSTRATES YOU ARE HERE TO
PROTECT YOUR CONSTITUENTS?
DO YOU BELIEVE THE ROOT OF
FALSELY REPORTING ON RIGHT WING
EXTREMIST ACTIVITIES AND THE
ABANDONMENT OF THE EAST
PRECINCT WERE THE ONLY RUSES
AND LIES PERPETWAITED BY SPD?
WE DON'T.
WE NEED FULL DISCLOSURE AND
SPECIFICS WITH CONSEQUENCES OR
WE'LL BE LEFT WITH NO OTHER
CONCLUSION, THAN OUR CITY AND
PUBLIC SAFETY IS BEING RUN.
WE ARE E-MAILING YOU A LIST OF
QUESTIONS THAT WE HOPE ARE
ADDRESSED WITH EXTREME
CURRENCY.
ONE, ARE RUSES OR LIES EVERY
ACCEPTABLE IF THEY RESULT IN
INJURY OR DEATH?
WAS THERE A COVERUP?
TWO, WHY WERE TEXTS DELETED IN
THREE, WHEN DID THE CITY
ATTORNEY OFFICE KNOW, WHEN DID
THE MAYOR KNOW?
FOUR, WAS THERE PRESSURE ON THE
SEATTLE TIMES TO HOLD THE STORY
UNTIL AFTER THE ELECTION?
LEADERSHIP TAKES A RELATIONSHIP
TO THE MAYORAL POWER IN CONTROL
OF THE CITY.
THE MAYOR CONTINUE TO LOOK AT
THIS AS A SITUATION THAT NEEDS
COMPROMISE OR ADMIT THAT SO-
CALLED GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATIONS
HAVE FAILED?
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
TO SPEAK TODAY AND PLEASE
ADDRESS THIS WITH URGENCY.
>> THANK YOU LAURA.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PETER
CONDIT.
PETER.
>> HELLO, THIS IS PETER IN
DISTRICT SIX.
WHEN THE SPD ENGAGED IN THEIR
PROUD BOYS CAMPAIGN.
IT WAS ONE TACTIC AMONG MANY.
PEOPLE IN THE STREET, MYSELF
INCLUDED, KNEW WITHIN A DAY
THAT THEY HAD BEEN LIED TO.
WE WERE BEING LIED TO ALL THE
TIME.
REMEMBER, AROUND THIS TIME OF
PROHIBITION AGAINST TEAR GAS
WAS IGNORED IN FAVOR OF
SWITCHING FROM ONE CHEMICAL
IRRITANT TO THE OTHER.
THE THING THAT STOPPED
AGGRESSION IS WHEN YOU, CITY
COUNCIL, BEGAN DEFUNDING SPD.
NOT REIMAGINING AND NOT
RETRAINING.
DEFUNDING.
FOR THEIR PART, WHAT WERE THE
SO-CALLED ACCOUNTABILITY DOING?
I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW.
IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYWAY
BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUALS
INVOLVED ARE NOT THE PROBLEM.
NOR ARE THEY STILL EMPLOYED IN
THE DEPARTMENT TO FACE ANY
CONSEQUENCES OR ACCOUNTABILITY
TODAY.
THEY KNEW WELL ENOUGH TO QUIT
OR RETIRE AS SOON AS THEY
COULD.
EVEN THE CHIEF OF POLICE,
GASLIGHTED CHAIR HERBOLD AT THE
TIME BY TELLING HER NOT TO
BELIEVE THE NEWS.
SHE DID THIS IN HER
PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY AS A COP.
IS THIS WHAT COPS DO.
THEY ARE TRAINED TO LIE.
THEY CANNOT ENGAGE IN GOOD
FAITH DISCUSSIONS ABOUT FIXING
THEIR BEHAVIOR BECAUSE OFFICERS
DO NOT HAVE THE FREEDOM TO
DISOBEY HARMFUL ORDER.
IT IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE
INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE, IT IS A
PROBLEM WITH THE JOB
DESCRIPTION ITSELF.
THIS IS WHAT COUNCIL MAY TRY TO
CALL QUOTE, TRADITIONAL PUBLIC
SAFETY.
IT IS NOT.
ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH THE
BUDGET IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SHANNON.
SHANNON WILL BE FOLLOWED BY
ERIC.
SHANNON.
>> HI.
MY NAME IS SHANNON.
I AM A DISTRICT SEVEN
CONSTITUENT AND PART OF A GRASS
ROOTS GROUP FOCUSED ON POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY.
ITEM ABOUT THE JUNE 8, 2020,
SPD RUSE.
AMONG MANY OTHERS, I'M DEEPLY
TROUBLED IN THE IS AFTERMATH OF
THE ABANDONMENT OF THE EAST
PRECINCT.
IT IS ALARMING THAT IN AN
ALREADY STRAINED SITUATION,
CITY EMPLOYEES ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, CARRIED OUT
SPREAD MISINFORMATION, ESCALATE
TENSIONS, AND CREATE DANGEROUS
CONDITIONS ON OUR STREETS.
EVEN MORE UPSETTING IS HOW THE
CHAIN OF COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THIS INCIDENT LIES AND THE
UNACCEPTABLE LENGTHY DELAY IN
MAKING THESE INVESTIGATION
RESULTS PUBLIC.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I ASK YOU
TO RESPOND WITH URGENCY AND USE
YOUR POWERS OF OVERSIGHT OVER
OUR CITY GOVERNMENT TO GET TO
THE BOTTOM OF HOW OUR SYSTEM
FAILED DRAMATICALLY.
THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS PREVIOUS
COMMENT OUTLINED ARE EXCELLENT
ONES TO ADDRESS.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO RELY ON
THE NEVER ENDING CONSENT DECREE
PROCESS OR THE STRUGGLING
ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM OTHERWISE
CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE THESE WILL
HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
COUNCIL MEMBER HERBOLD, IN
PARTICULAR, I SAW LIVE STREAM
FROM SUMMER 2020 WHERE THE
THREE OF YOU ATTENDED THE
PROTEST.
PLEASE STAND WITH THE PUBLIC
AGAIN TO BEAR WITNESS TO WHAT
IS BROKEN IN OUR SYSTEM SO WE
CAN MOVE FORWARD TO CHANGE IT.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, SHANNON.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ERIC, AND
ERIC WILL BE FOLLOWED BY LES
DESIREE.
ERIC.
>> YES, GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS ERIC, AND I, TOO, AM
CALLING TO SPEAK ON THE TOPIC
OF THE RUSE AND ESPECIALLY TO
VOCALIZE MY UTTER CONTEMPT WITH
WHICH THE EXPLANATIONS OFFERED
SO FAR HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
THIS WAS NOT CONTRARY TO THOSE
EXPLANATIONS.
AN INSTANCE OF POLICING
TECHNIQUE BEING MISAPLAYED TO
SOME SITUATIONS FOR WHICH IT
WAS NOT QUITE AN APPROPRIATE
FIT.
WHAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED HERE WAS
FIRST THE SEATTLE POLICE
VACATED THE EAST PRECINCT AND
COMPLETELY SUSPENDED EMERGENCY
PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE PROTEST.
AND THEN HAVING DONE THAT, THEY
BROADCAST THAT A HOSTILE GROUP
WAS ON ROUTE TO THE PROTEST
LOCATION WITH THE EXPLICIT
INTENTION OF SEEKING A
CONFRONTATION WITH PROTESTERS.
WHAT POSSIBLE FORESEEABLE
RESULT COULD ANYBODY HAVE
EXPECTED FROM THAT COURSE OF
ACTION?
THERE'S NO TACTICALOBJECTIVE
TO BE ACHIEVED HERE.
THEY ABANDONED THE
NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE IS NO REMOTELY PLAUSIBLE
INFERENCE TO BE DRAWN HERE.
OTHER THAN THAT THIS WAS A
DELIBERATE CHOICE BY OUR POLICE
TO CREATE AND INFLAME THE
CONDITIONS FOR VIOLENCE WHICH
THEY DID IN A MANNER WHERE THE
BLAME FOR WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
COULD BE FIXED ON PROTESTERS
AND ON CITY'S POLITICAL
LEADERSHIP.
SO I URGE THE COMMITTEE TO ASK
THEMSELVES, HAS THERE BEEN
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THOSE
INVOLVED?
HAS THERE BEEN AN HONEST
ASSESSMENT OF WHAT THE
OBJECTIVE OF THIS RUSE WAS?
AND WHAT TOOK PLACE?
BECAUSE IF THIS REPORT FROM OPA
IS WHAT PASSES FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY, FOR THIS POLICE
DEPARTMENT, THEN IT IS BEYOND
REFORM.
IT SHOULD BE DISBANDED AND
REPLACED IN ITS ENTIRETY.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS FOLLOWED BY
VALERIE.
>> IS DESIREE WITH US?
>> REMEMBER TO HIT STAR 6,
DESIREE.
DESIREE, YOU ARE SHOWING AS
STILL MUTED.
WE NEED YOU TO HIT STAR 6,
PLEASE.
IF YOU CAN HEAR US.
THERE YOU GO.
>> HELLO.
OH, THERE WE GO.
SORRY.
I'M NEW.
HELLO.
THANK YOU.
I AM DEZ AND I USED TO BE A
SEATTLE HOMEOWNER.
I ALSO USED TO HAVE A DREAM OF
ONCE REOPENING SEATTLE'S
BAKERY.
IN 2020, I SOLD MY HOME.
I MOVED AWAY; AND I PULLED THE
PLUG ON THOSE PLANS.
I WANT TO TELL YOU HOW THAT
HOAX THAT PLAYED OUT ON THE
NIGHT OF JUNE 8, 2020, ADDED TO
MY DECISION TO PULL THAT PLUG.
I WOULD LOVE TO GO INTO DETAIL
ABOUT MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
ON THE GROUND JUNE 8th, BUT I
HAVE GIVEN TWO MINUTES HERE, SO
I NEED TO CUT TO THE CHASE AND
I'LL BE PUBLISHING THE REST
ONLINE IF ANYONE WANTS TO HEAR
IT.
SO I GUESS WE'LL SKIP TO ALL
THE IMPORTANT CONTEXT STUFF AND
I'LL TALK ABOUT THE INCIDENT IN
QUESTION AND THAT BEING THE
HOAX THAT SPD, OFFICERS PLAYED
ON THE PUBLIC THEY SPENT NIGHTS
BREWALLIZING AND GASLIGHTING.
A HOAX THAT IS NOW SOMEHOW
DIVORCED FROM EVERYTHING PRIOR
TO THAT NIGHT AND FORGOTTEN
WHEN DISCUSSING EVERYTHING
AFTER.
I PAID ATTENTION TO HOW SEATTLE
CITY LEADERSHIP HANDLED ALL OF
THIS.
I CAN SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE AT
PLAY.
AND IT CEMENTS MY NOTION THAT I
MADE THE RIGHT DECISION, CHANGE
MY ADDRESS, AND PULL THE PLUG
ON TRYING TO REESTABLISH MY
BELOVED SEATTLE RELIC.
BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY I CAN
SEE MYSELF SUPPORTING A CITY
THAT WON'T TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY
FOR THE RECKLESS AND IMMATURE
ACTIONS OF THEIR POLICE
OFFICERS ACTIONS THAT LED TO
REAL FEAR, REAL RUMORS, REAL
GUNS, REAL ARMED SECURITY, AND
REAL YOUNG PEOPLE.
WE ALL CAN SEE THAT PICTURE,
RIGHT?
THAT'S PART OF WHAT I SAY WHAT
I'M SAYING, IT WAS A SETUP TO
DERAIL THE BLM MOVEMENT AND
DELEGITIMIZE.
IT WORKED, AND YOU CONTINUE TO
LET IT WORK.
STOP IT, DO BETTER.
AND I MIGHT BRING BACK, AND ICE
MUST BE DESTROYED.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS VALERIE,
VALERIE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY
SANDERS.
VALERIE.
>> GOOD MORNING.
I AM VALERIE, THE STORY ABOUT
SPD'S PROUD BOYS RUSE OF JUNE
2020 IS NOT SURPRISING NOR IS
IT SURPRISING THAT THE OPA TOOK
SO LONG TO INVESTIGATE IT THAT
THE CLOCK RAN OUT ON
DISCIPLINE.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE LOCAL
ELECTIONS WHERE POLICE WAS AN
ENORMOUS ISSUE.
THE PUBLIC DIDN'T HAVE THE FULL
STORY DURING THE PROTESTS.
IN AUGUST, AN INVESTIGATOR IN
THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
MADE A DETAILED WHISTLE BLOWER
COMPLAINT ABOUT THE OIG'S
RUBBER STAMPING OF
INVESTIGATIONS.
ISSUES RELATED TO THE COMPLAINT
HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED BY
CAROLYN IN THE SOUTH SEATTLE
EMERALD OVER THE PAST FIVE
MONTHS.
THE ARTICLE IS DECEMBER 7, WAS
INVESTIGATING OIG COMPLAINTS
AND CITY COUNCIL'S COURT, BUT
SPC ISN'T ACTING.
IT REPORTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS
HERBOLD AND LEWIS DECLINED TO
ACT WHEN THE OIG WHISTLE BLOWER
GAVE THEM DETAILED INFORMATION
ABOUT OPA INVESTIGATIONS, AND
FURTHER, THE COUNCIL MEMBER
HERBOLD CONSULTED WITH THE OPA
ABOUT WHAT INFORMATION TO
REVEAL TO A JOURNALIST.
COUNCIL BRIEFING YESTERDAY,
COUNCIL MEMBER HERBOLD SAID SHE
WILL ASK TO LOOK AGAIN AT THE
INVESTIGATION OF THE PROUD BOYS
RUSE.
SINCE IT IS AT QUESTION,
WEIGHING IN ON THIS OPA
INVESTIGATION IS NOT A
WE'RE IN AN ENDLESS CYCLE.
IT IS PAST TIME FOR COUNCIL TO
DO THE RIGHT THING, INSTIGATE
AN IMPARTIAL INVESTIGATION OF
THE OPA.
>> THANK YOU, VALERIE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS FOLLOWED BY
DAVID.
>> GOOD MORNING, HAPPY NEW
YEAR.
MY NAME IS SANDERS AND I LIVE
IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
I'M SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM
ONE.
THE NEW POLICE CHIEF HAS NOT
BEEN CONFIRMED YET AND A NEW
POLICE SPOT CONTRACT HAS NOT
BEEN NEGOTIATED YET.
THE COUNCIL HAS
RESPONSIBILITIES TO APPROVE
THESE ITEMS.
DEMAND MORE ACCOUNTABILITY.
DOING SO IS REPEATING THE CYCLE
WE HAVE SEEN FROM THE 2017
CONTRACT.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAVID
HAINES.
>> GOOD MORNING, THANK YOU.
I WANT TO ADDRESS THE RUSE AND
PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
WITH THE DISEASE THAT SPREADS
RAPIDDEDLY, LETTING SICK,
VACCINATED WORKERS GO BACK TO
WORK.
THIS BEGAN TO SPREAD THROUGHOUT
THE NATION BECAUSE OF SEATTLE
AND OPEN BORDER SANCTUARY.
NO STRATEGY TO STOP THE SPREAD
HAS BEEN NOTED.
IT'S ALL ABOUT CHASING BARRIERS
FOR PROFITS AT EXPENSE OF
PUBLIC HEALTH.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE
PROVEN INCOMPETENT.
WE ALSO HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY
CRISIS WHERE SOCIETY IS
IMLOADING BECAUSE CITY COUNCIL
THINKS EXEMPTING EVIL DRUG
PUSHERS FROM JAIL, WHO ARE
COMMITTING CRIMES AGAINST
HUMANITY, AND DESTROYING LIVES
DAILY, IMLOADING SOCIETY, IS
BEST PRACTICES.
CITY COUNCIL HAS GONE OUT OF
THEIR WAY TO APPEASE DEVIL'S
ADVOCATES OF GEORGE FLOYD
PROTESTERS AND BLM.
BY BROWBEATING COPS SPENDING
MORE TIME ON MAKING A MOUNTAIN
OUT OF A MOLE HILL ABOUT A
LEGALIZED RUSE TO REMIND CHOP,
THAT KYLE RITTENHOUSE TYPE OF
PERSON WAS GOING TO SHOW UP TO
STOP THE VIOLENCE IN CAPITOL
HILL.
YET THERE ARE BIGGER PROBLEM,
SUCH AS AN ILL TRAINED,
UNQUALIFIED POLICE CHIEF, AND
THE CIVILIAN DISPATCH WHERE
SOME ARE RACIST, WOKE,
UNTRUSTWORTHY, PLAYING POLITIC
TRICKS.
RECENTLY I CALLED THE COPS A
FEW TIMES ABOUT ALL THESE EVIL
NEIGHBORHOOD. Y PIONEER SQUARE
ONE TIME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT.
IT SOUNDED LIKE A KIDNAPPING AT
PIONEER SQUARE.
THE CIVILIAN DISPATCH SAID, WE
HAVE ALREADY BEEN DOWN THERE AN
HOUR AGO AND YOU ALREADY CALLED
TWICE TODAY AND I NOTICE YOU
CALLED LAST NIGHT, TOO.
THEY ARE BROWBEATING ME BECAUSE
I CALLED ABOUT THESE HORRIBLE
THINGS.
PERHAPS WE NEED TO BOYCOTT
SEATTLE IF THE CITY COUNCIL IS
GOING TO CONTINUE TO IMPLODE
OUR SOCIETY.
>> OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CARL,
FOLLOWED BY BILL WILSON.
>>
HELLO.
MY NAME IS CHAR SMITH.
I LIVE IN THE SOUTH END.
I AM A TEACHER.
AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEG TO
SPEAK WITH YOU THIS MORNING
BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, TEACHERS
CAN'T USUALLY DO THAT.
SPEAKING TO THE RUSE THAT WAS,
IT'S A STRANGE WORD TO USE, THE
DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN THAT
SPD PLAYED OUT IN JUNE 2020, I
GOT TO TELL YOU.
I DON'T HAVE SOME PREPARED
STATEMENT.
I'M NOT HERE ON BEHALF OF SOME
ORGANIZATION.
I WAS JUST SOMEBODY IN THE
STREETS BECAUSE I WANT THE COPS
TO STOP SHOOTING MY NEIGHBORS
AND STOP SHOOTING HAD FAMILIES
RELATED TO MY STUDENTS.
AND WHEN THE PRECINCT WAS
ABANDONED, IT WAS KIND OF
ASSUMED THAT THE EXPECTATION
WAS A SETUP.
BUT WHEN REPORTS CAME IN THAT
THERE WERE GROUPS OF PROUD BOYS
COMING IN TO THE AREA, I THINK
IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT A LOT
OF PEOPLE'S REACTION WAS TO
THEN BRING GUNS INTO THE
CAPITOL HILL NEIGHBORHOOD.
BECAUSE THE POLICE WERE VERY
CLEAR AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN
CLEAR THAT THEY WILL DO NOTHING
TO PREVENT RIGHT WING AGITATORS
FROM HARMING PROTESTERS.
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAD JUST
BEEN GETTING GASSED AND BEATEN,
THAT WAS A ROUGH MOMENT AND IT
IS MY HOPE, ALTHOUGH DEFINITELY
NOT MY BELIEF, THAT THE CITY
COUNCIL WILL ACT IN SOME
MEANINGFUL WAY TO TAKE MONEY
AWAY FROM SPD BECAUSE THAT IS
THE ONLY THING THAT PREVENTS
THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOR IN THE
FUTURE.
I REALLY HOPE YOU ALL HAVE SOME
SEMBLANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
PLAN THAT IS MEANINGFUL,
BECAUSE IN MY ENTIRE LIFETIME,
I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
CLOSE TO THAT.
BEST OF LUCK.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, BILL WILSON,
IS SHOWING IS NOT PRESENT.
WE'LL MOVE DOWN TO ERIC
SALLINGER.
ERIC.
>> HI.
I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN HEAR ME.
MY NAME IS ERIC SALLINGER.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
I CALLED A NUMBER OF TIMES
ABOUT THE SPD RESPONSE.
I THINK THAT THERE ARE A FEW
THINGS WHICH ARE KIND OF
MISSING FROM THIS DISCUSSION.
AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR.
THE PROTEST RUSE IS -- I KNOW
OPA HAS TO INVESTIGATE IT AS A
SMALL PART OF A LARGER THING.
I WASN'T INVOLVED IN THESE
PROTESTS, I WOULD WATCH PEOPLE
MARCH BY MY HOME AND SEE A
MILITARIZED RESPONSE TO
PEACEFUL PROTESTS.
I REMEMBER THE MAYOR GOT ON TV.
I THINK SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN
THIS MEETING WERE ALSO IN THAT
PRESS CONFERENCE AND TOLD US
THE PROUD BOYS WERE COMING.
I REMEMBER WATCHING PROTESTS
AROUND THIS COUNTRY AND PEOPLE
WHO COMMITTED VIOLENCE AGAINST
BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTERS
SEEMED TO GET AWAY SCOTT FREE.
FROM WHATEVER HAPPENED.
BOTH IN SEATTLE AND IN OTHER
PLACES.
I REMEMBER THERE WAS AN
INCIDENT WHERE SOMEONE I
BELIEVE RELATED TO A POLICE
OFFICER DROVE THEIR CAR INTO A
GROUP OF PROTESTERS.
THEY WERE JUST PEACEFULLY
ARRESTED AND TAKEN INTO
CUSTODY.
THERE'S A LOT OF CONTEXT WHICH
OPA SAYS THEY CAN'T REALLY LOOK
AT WHEN THEY ARE DOING THESE
INVESTIGATIONS.
BECAUSE THEY NEED TO BE
IMPARABLE.
BUT I THINK A LOT OF THAT
CONTEXT IS REALLY CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT.
WHEN YOU'RE SPREADING RUMORS
THAT THERE IS AN ARMED GROUP OF
RESUR GENTS DOWNTOWN WITH GUNS,
AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES DOWNTOWN
AND WHO JUST WANTS TO WALK HIS
DOG, I AM WORRIED BECAUSE THOSE
PEOPLE MIGHT MESS WITH ME.
I AM NOT INVOLVED IN THE
PROTEST, BUT NOW THERE ARE
ARMED PEOPLE WITH GUNS AND I
JUST WATCHED DOWNTOWN BURN
WHILE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
TOOK A HANDS OFF APPROACH.
I JUST WATCHED THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT ABANDON A PRECINCT.
EARLIER THAT YEAR, I WATCHED A
MASS SHOOTING.
THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS STUFF
GO WAY BEYOND JUST PROTESTING
AND PEOPLE'S LIVES GET DIRECTLY
IMPACTED.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I HOPE YOU GUYS DO SOMETHING.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, ERIC.
WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS
MORNING.
THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING TIME
OUT OF YOUR DAYS TO COME AND
JOIN US AND YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT
TODAY'S AGENDA.
JUST WANT TO GET THINGS STARTED
HERE.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE GOING TO
KEEP THE TIMING ON THESE ITEMS
AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ IN
AGENDA ITEM ONE.
>> AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE.
OPA INVESTIGATION INTO JUNE 8,
2020 RUSE.
>> JUST YOUR NAME AND YOUR
AFFILIATION FOR EVERYBODY WHO
IS HERE PRESENTING ON THIS ITEM
THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU.
>> I WILL -- IF SOMEBODY COULD
GET STARTED, MAYBE SENIOR
DEPUTY HAROLD, DO YOU WANT TO
GET STARTED WITH THE
INTRODUCTIONS, IF YOU'RE WITH
US?
>> YES.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO
JOIN TODAY.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING
THE UPDATES AND TO WORKING WITH
COUNCIL TO FIND REAL SOLUTIONS
TO SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES
WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, MY
NAME IS BRANDI GRANT, I'M THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
DEPUTY POLICE COMMISSION.
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR
INVITING ME TODAY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE
BRIEFING AND POSING SOME SIMPLE
QUESTIONS AND HOPEFULLY BEING
ABLE TO WORK IN COLLABORATION
WITH YOU ALL TO COME UP WITH
SOLUTIONS TO THIS SITUATION.
THANK YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE,
ANDREW MYERBERG FROM OPA, THANK
YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I WANT TO RECOGNIZE COUNCIL
MEMBER JUAREZ FOR BEING HERE
WITH US TODAY.
SOME QUICK INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
BECAUSE TIME IS LIMITED.
WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS TODAY, I
BELIEVE, RAISES TWO SETS OF
ISSUES.
FIRST, UNDER STATE LAW, ARE
IMPLEMENTED AND I FOR ONE
BELIEVE THAT RUSES NEED
ADDITIONAL SUPERVISOR OVERSIGHT
AND MUST BE DOCUMENTED.
WE ONLY KNOW ABOUT THIS CASE IN
AN EARLIER 2029 CASE BECAUSE OF
CONSTITUENT IMMEDIATE
INVESTIGATIONS.
OVERSIGHT IS AN IMPORTANT
ISSUE.
I HAVE CONTACTED BOTH THE
OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
AND OIG IS WORKING TO ENSURE
THAT POLICY CHANGES ADDRESS
CONCERNS RAISED BY THESE CASES
AND IS ALSO RAISING IMPORTANT
QUESTIONS OF WHETHER DESPITE
STATE LAW, MAKING RUSES LEGAL,
WHETHER OR NOT A RENEWED LOOK
IS NEEDED.
THE SECOND ISSUE IS ONE OF
TRUST, ADDRESSED IN THE REPORT,
WHICH INCLUDES THAT THE USE OF
THE RUSE RESULTED IN FEAR AND
ALARM AMONG COMMUNITY MEMBERS
WHO CONTACTED ME THAT EVENING
ABOUT THE USE OF THE RUSE
RESULTING IN MY REACHING OUT TO
THEN CHIEF BEST.
ON THE PROCESS FOR DISCIPLINE
FOR SUSTAINED FINDINGS, THERE
IS A MEETING AT OPA WITH SPD
MANAGEMENT AND THE CITY
ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS THIS CASE.
IF THERE IS THE NEED FOR
FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND WHAT
THE APPROPRIATE RANGE OF
DISCIPLINE SHOULD BE, THEY
DISCUSS THAT.
THAT MEETING DID TAKE PLACE
YESTERDAY AND THE NEXT STEP
WILL BE TO PRESENT THE CASE TO
THE CHIEF.
THEY ARE SEEKING TO DO THAT
THIS WEEK.
LAST WEEK, SPD NOTED TO MY
OFFICE THE CHIEF WILL NOT HAVE
MUCH TO SAY BEFORE HE CAN GO
THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO AVOID
ANY FUTURE APPEAL ISSUES ABOUT
FINDINGS, BEFORE THE COMPLETION
OF THE PROCESS.
SO JUST, IF YOU'RE WONDERING
ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF THE CHIEF
HERE THIS MORNING, THAT IS
BECAUSE OF HIS EFFORT,
APPROPRIATE EFFORTS TO MAKE
SURE THAT HE DOES NOT SPEAK TO
ISSUES THAT THEN AGAIN COULD BE
USED TO APPEAL POSSIBLE
DISCIPLINE AND FINDINGS COMING
OUT OF THIS CASE.
I WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR
MYERBERG FOR BEING HERE TO
PRESENT.
WE ARE ALSO JOINED BY BOTH
SENIOR DEPUTY MAYOR, AND THE
CPC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BRANDI
GRANT.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER OPENING
REMARK, I THINK WE'LL JUST GET
RIGHT INTO THE PRESENTATION
FROM DIRECTOR MYERBERG.
I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE AS MUCH
TIME AS POSSIBLE FOR QUESTIONS
AND FOR QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE
NOT ABLE TO GET TO, WE CAN, OF
COURSE, WORK TO COMPILE THEM
AND SEND THEM ON AFTERWARDS.
SO IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS,
I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO
DIRECTOR MYERBERG.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WILL KEEP -- WHAT I WANTED TO
DO WAS GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF HOW
THIS CASE CAME TO US AND HOW WE
INVESTIGATED IT, AND AGAIN LIKE
COUNCIL MEMBER HERBOLD SAID,
LEAVE AS MUCH TIME FOR
QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM
HERE FROM THE GROUP.
SO, WE FIRST LEARNED OF THIS
CASE IN NOVEMBER OF 2020.
THAT'S WHEN IT WAS FLAGGED FOR
US BY OMARI.
INITIALLY, IT WAS A REQUEST TO
OUR OFFICE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
THERE WAS ANY VIDEO SHOWING THE
PROUD BOYS IN THE VICINITY OF
CITY HALL, VOLUNTEER PARK, AND
GOING TO THE CHOP AREA.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING
THAT INQUIRY, WE DID A SEARCH
BASICALLY FOR ALL RADIO TRAFFIC
AND BODY MARK VIDEO THAT WERE
RECORDED THAT MAY HAVE SHOWN
ANYTHING REGARDING THE PROUD
BOYS AND NOTHING WAS LOCATED.
WE COMMUNICATED BACK AND FORTH
WITH ASKING HIM IF HE HAD ANY
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
HE DID NOT.
AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE OF THE
LACK OF INFORMATION; WE
INITIATED A FULL INVESTIGATION.
SO, THIS CASE WAS CHALLENGING
IN A NUMBER OF RESPECTS.
FIRST OF ALL, COUNCIL MEMBER
HERBOLD FLAGGED, THERE WAS A
LACK OF DOCUMENTATION.
SO THERE WAS NO DOCUMENTATION
THAT A RUSE OR ANY SORT OF
MISINFORMATION OR
DISINFORMATION EFFORT HAD
OPINION USED FIRST OF ALL.
SECOND OF ALL, NO AFTER ACTION
REPORT OR ANY ACCOUNTING OF WHO
WAS INVOLVED, WHO SUPERVISED
IT, ANYTHING.
IN FACT, THERE WAS SIMPLY AN
ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE ASIDE FROM
AN AUDIO RECORDING THAT WAS
PROVIDED FROM OPA.
SO, ULTIMATELY, WHAT WE ENDED
UP DOING, WE SPOKE TO AS MANY
PEOPLE AS WE COULD WITHIN THE
DEPARTMENT, AND WE WERE
INFORMED BY SOMEONE AT THE
INTELLIGENCE UNIT THAT THERE
MAY HAVE BEEN THIS EFFORT RUN
THROUGH SEATTLE POLICE
OPERATIONS CENTER.
AFTER RECEIVING THAT
INFORMATION, WE REACHED OUT TO
SPOC.
WHAT THEY INFORMED US, YES,
THIS MAY HAVE OCCURRED AND IT
WAS SUPERVISORRED AND COMMANDED
BY NAMED EMPLOYEE ONE.
ONCE WE RECEIVED THAT
INFORMATION, WE STARTED TO
NARROW DOWN THE INVESTIGATION
AND WE INTERVIEWED HIM.
AS PART OF THAT INTERVIEW, HE
GAVE A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WHAT
THE EFFORT WAS AND WHY IT WAS
DONE.
HE ALSO IDENTIFIED AN OFFICER
WHO WAS NAMED EMPLOYEE 2 IN OUR
CASE SUMMARY WHO WAS INVOLVED
IN COORDINATING THE RUSE AND
BRINGING OFFICERS ON TO
PARTICIPATE IN IT.
WE THEN INTERVIEWED THAT
OFFICER.
HE IDENTIFIED OTHER OFFICERS
THAT MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.
WE BEGAN A PROCESS OF
INTERVIEWING OFFICERS TO
PLAYING THEM THE AUDIO
RECORDING.
HAVING THEM IDENTIFY THEIR
VOICES AND IF THEY COULD,
IDENTIFY OTHER OFFICERS AS
WELL.
WE ENDED UP CONDUCTING, I
BELIEVE, OVER TEN INTERVIEWS
WITH A NUMBER OF OFFICERS.
SOME WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY
WERE NOT ON THE RECORDING.
ULTIMATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO
IDENTIFY ALL THE OFFICERS ON
THE AUDIO RECORDING.
AGAIN, WE WERE VERY HAND STRUNG
WITH THIS INVESTIGATION.
WE DON'T HAVE A LIST OF THE
OFFICERS.
AND IF THE ONES THAT WERE
PLAYING AUDIO FOUR CAN'T
IDENTIFY THE OTHER OFFICERS,
SOME RESPECTS, WON'T IDENTIFY
OFFICERS, UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE
STUCK WITH THAT INFORMATION.
WE HAVE NO WAY TO MATCH UP
VOICES AGAINST THE 700 OTHER
PATROL OFFICERS THAT ARE WITHIN
THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO, WE WERE IN SOME RESPECTS,
STUCK WITH THE INFORMATION THAT
WE RECEIVED DURING THE COURSE
OF THE INVESTIGATION.
ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY
ALL THE OFFICERS THAT WE COULD,
THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE
EFFORT, WE INTERVIEWED EACH OF
THEM AND ASKED THEM, YOU KNOW,
WHAT WERE YOU TOLD?
WHAT WERE YOU INSTRUCTED?
WHAT GUIDANCE WERE YOU GIVEN?
WHAT BECAME VERY CLEAR WAS THAT
THE ANSWER WAS THAT THERE WAS
VIRTUALLY NO SUPERVISION OR
GUIDANCE PROVIDED TO ANY OF THE
OFFICERS.
THIS RUSE OR THIS EFFORT WAS
CREATED BY NAMED EMPLOYEE ONE,
WHO DID NOT PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT
SUPERVISION TO NAMED EMPLOYEE
TWO, WHO DID NOT PROVIDE
SIGNIFICANT SUPERVISION TO ALL
OTHER OFFICERS.
THERE WERE OTHER OFFICERS THAT
DID USE MISINFORMATION AS WELL
DURING THE COURSE OF SUBSEQUENT
DAYS.
HOWEVER, THAT INFORMATION WAS
GENERALLY TALKING ABOUT MOVIES
THEY HAD WATCHED OR WHAT FOOD
THEY HAD EATEN.
THERE WAS NO OTHER RUSE THAT
WAS THE SAME AS THE PROUD BOY
LANGUAGE THAT WAS USED ON JUNE
8th.
SO THAT'S WHY WE FOCUSED OUR
INVESTIGATIONS ON NAMED
EMPLOYEE ONE AND NAMED EMPLOYEE
TWO AND THE OFFICERS INVOLVED.
IN EVALUATING THIS CASE, YOU
KNOW, WE CERTAINLY FELT THAT
AND I DON'T WANT TO MINCE
WORDS, THIS WAS A REALLY POOR
DECISION FROM ALL ASPECTS OF
SPD OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THIS
CASE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY WAY
AROUND THAT.
IT WAS A BAD IDEA NOT JUST TO
USE DISINFORMATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS
NECESSARY, BUT ALSO TO USE THE
PROUD BOYS AS PART OF THAT
MISINFORMATION.
I THINK WHAT WAS CLEAR WAS THAT
THE EAST PRECINCT HAD JUST BEEN
WALKED AWAY FROM, BEING
FORMULATED, TENSIONS WERE HIGH.
PRIOR TO THE RUSE BEING LEARNED
ABOUT, FOLKS HAD ALREADY
BROUGHT FIREARMS AND OF COURSE
THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY THAT
THINGS COULD BECOME ESCALATED.
SO IN OUR MINDS, USING THAT
RUSE SERVED, AGAIN, AS WE SAID,
POUR FUEL ON THE FUEL, TO TAKE
A HEIGHTENED SITUATION TO MAKE
MORE SO.
SO I WANTED TO DISCUSS REALLY
QUICKLY THE POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONE THING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER
HERBOLD FLAGGED, PART OF OUR
CASE SUMMARY.
ONE THING IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE
IS THAT WE USE THE RUSE POLICY
BECAUSE IT WAS THE BEST FIT FOR
THIS CASE.
BUT REALLY THIS ISN'T A TRUE
RUSE.
REALLY THIS IS A
MISINFORMATION, DISINFORMATION
CAMPAIGN.
I THINK THE CLOSEST POLICY IS
THE RUSE.
THAT'S WHY WE EVALUATE IT UNDER
THE RUSE POLICY.
I DO THINK THERE IS SIGNIFICANT
MERIT IN REEVALUATING THE
POLICY FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.
RIGHT NOW WITH THE POLICY DOES,
IT DEFINES THE TIMES THAT A
RUSE CAN BE USED.
THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH STATE
LAW.
WHAT IT DOESN'T DO IS IT
DOESN'T PROVIDE GUIDANCE AS TO
WHAT TYPES OF RUSES CAN BE
USED.
WHAT CAN YOU SAY?
WHAT CAN YOU NOT SAY?
HOW SHOULD YOU DOCUMENT IT?
THAT IS ONE THING WE PUSHED FOR
FROM THE 2019 CASE, WHICH YOU
ALL REMEMBER, WAS THE CASE THAT
TRAGICALLY RESULTED IN HIS
SUICIDE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE
RECOMMENDED WAS ALL OFFICERS
RECEIVED TRAINING ON EXACTLY
THIS.
USING THE CASE AS AN EXAMPLE,
HERE'S WHEN YOU SHOULD BE USING
A RUSE AND HERE'S WHEN YOU
SHOULD NOT BE.
SPD DID REQUIRE TRAINING.
IT WAS DONE THROUGH ROLL CALLS
AND NOT A TRAINING MODULE OR
TRAINING CLASS, WHICH IS WHAT
WE SUGGESTED TO ENSURE UNIFORM.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER HERBOLD
AS WELL.
I BELIEVE THEY ARE IN PROGRESS
OF REVAMPING THE POLICY.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY WILL
GO SO FAR AS TO BAN RUSES, THEY
WILL INCLUDE NEW PARAMETERS
WHEN THEY CAN BE USED AND A
DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENT.
WITH REGARD TO THE
DOCUMENTATION IN THIS CASE,
WASN'T DOCUMENTED ANYWHERE.
I THINK THAT WAS --
>> SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE HAVING A
CONNECTIVITY PROBLEM.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF I GLOSS OVER
ANYTHING.
I'M HAPPY TO TURN THIS OVER FOR
FOLKS FOR QUESTIONING OR TO SEE
TIME TO MISS GRANT OR SENIOR
DEPUTY MAYOR HEROLL.
>> CAN YOU RESTATE THE LAST
POINT YOU MADE?
>> WITH REGARDING
DOCUMENTATION.
>> YEAH, SO I WAS SURPRISED,
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS
SURPRISING FOR US IN THIS CASE
WAS THE ABSENCE OF
DOCUMENTATION GIVEN THAT THE
RUSE WAS OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED
OR THE EFFORT WAS OFFICIALLY
SANCTIONED BY MEMBERS OF THE
CHAIN OF COMMAND.
IT WAS DONE AS PART OF
DEMONSTRATION MANAGEMENT.
GENERALLY, WE WOULD EXPECT
THOSE TYPES OF THINGS TO HAVE
BEEN DOCUMENTED IN AN AFTER
ACTION REPORT OR IN SOME
OFFICIAL LOG TO SAY THIS IS
WHAT WAS DONE AND THESE ARE THE
PEOPLE THAT PARTICIPATED IN IT.
THE FACT THAT WAS NOT DONE
RESULTED IN A FINDING, A
SUSTAINED FINDING, BECAUSE OF
THE EXPECTATION THAT WOULD BE
COMPLETED.
I DO THINK THERE IS SIGNIFICANT
MERIT IN REQUIRING ANY TIME A
RUSE IS GOING TO BE USED TO
HAVE IT DOCUMENTED.
I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE OVER
COMPLICATED TO DO SO.
I ALSO DON'T THINK THAT TO OUR
POINT, OPA, PASSED THE ISSUE TO
OCCUR.
SPD SHOULD BE CHANGING POLICIES
ALL THE TIME AND I THINK THIS
IS SOMETHING WHERE ON THEIR OWN
MOTION, THEY SHOULD BE CHANGING
AND MODIFYING AND I BELIEVE
THEY ARE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
BEFORE WE PUT IT UP FOR
QUESTIONS, I WILL WANT TO GIVE
SENIOR DEPUTY MAYOR HARRELL AND
DIRECTOR GRANT AN OPPORTUNITY
TO SPEAK AND THEN WE'LL OPEN UP
FOR QUESTIONS.
BEFORE WE GET TO THAT.
DR. MYERBERG, BECAUSE THERE
WERE QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT THE
THOROUGHNESS OF THE
INVESTIGATION, CAN YOU JUST
KIND OF RUN THROUGH QUICKLY
WHAT THE INVESTIGATION
CONSISTED OF?
>> SURE.
SO, BASICALLY, WHAT WE DID HERE
WAS WE LOOKED AT, FIRST OF ALL,
WE ANALYZED THE AUDIO RECORDING
THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US.
WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO OTHER
AUDIO RECORDINGS.
WHAT WE LATER LEARNED IS THERE
IS A LONGER AUDIO RECORDING.
WE LISTENED TO IT UP TO 10:30
P.M.
THERE WAS AN AUDIO RECORDING
WENT TO MIDNIGHT, WHERE TWO
OTHER CALL SIGNS WERE USED BY
UNKNOWN OFFICERS.
SO, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE
WERE NOT AWARE OF.
IT MAY VERY WELL BE THE CASE
THAT IT WAS THE SAME OFFICERS
THAT USED THOSE CALL SIGNS.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS WE ASK
EVERY SINGLE OFFICER WE BROUGHT
IN.
WE ASKED WHOSE VOICES DO YOU
HEAR AND WHO WAS INVOLVED IN
THE EFFORT?
AND WHAT WE RECEIVED, WHAT WE
BELIEVE WAS A FULL ACCOUNTING
OF THOSE.
HOWEVER, GIVEN THE EXISTENCE OF
ADDITIONAL VIDEO, WE ARE OPEN
TO DOING A FURTHER INQUIRY TO
BRING THE OFFICERS BACK IN AND
ASK THEM ABOUT RECOGNIZING
VOICES.
THE REALITY IS THOUGH, JUST
LIKE WITH OUR INITIAL
INVESTIGATION, WE ARE IN MANY
WAYS STUCK WITH WHAT WE GET
FROM THE OFFICERS.
IF THEY SAY NO, WE DON'T
RECOGNIZE ONE, OR THEY DON'T
DISCLOSE ANY MORE NAMES, WHICH
I DON'T EXPECT WILL OCCUR,
THERE'S NO OTHER DOCUMENTATION.
THERE'S NO OTHER RECORDS.
THERE'S NO OTHER MATERIALS THAT
WE CAN USE TO CROSS REFERENCE
AND FIGURE THAT OUT.
I THINK THAT WAS PERHAPS THE
BIGGEST GAP IN THE
INVESTIGATION.
BUT ONE THAT WE ARE HAPPY TO
KEEP LOOKING AT AND REMEDY.
WITH REGARD TO THE OTHER
ASPECTS OF THE INVESTIGATION, I
WOULD SAY IT WAS COMPLETE AND
THOROUGH AND OBVIOUSLY AS WE
DISCUSSED, CERTIFIED.
I THINK THE OTHER CRITICISM
THAT I HAVE SEEN OF THE
INVESTIGATION, AND I THINK IT
HAS MERITT, IT IS FOCUSED ON
THIS RUSE INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT
THE BROADER PICTURE OF
MISINFORMATION OR
DISINFORMATION PROVIDED BY SPD,
AND FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THAT
IS FOR A REASON.
OUR INVESTIGATIONS ARE FOCUSED
ON INDIVIDUAL INCIDENTS.
WE DON'T LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, A
SERIES OF INCIDENTS AND TO HAVE
THAT MORE LIKELY OR LESS LIKELY
THAN THE INCIDENT WE'RE LOOKING
AT OCCUR OR DIDN'T OCCUR.
FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THAT IS
MUCH BETTER SUITED TO THE
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL,
THEY CAN DO THOSE ASSESSMENTS.
I BELIEVE THAT RIGHT NOW, THEY
ARE CONDUCTING THE STAGE 2
REVIEW ASSESSMENT IN WHICH
DEALS WITH CHOP.
I WOULD ASSUME THAT THIS
FINDING AND THIS INVESTIGATION
AS WELL AS THE DISINFORMATION
USED IN AND AROUND WILL BE
ESSENTIAL TO THAT REVIEW.
AND THEN I THINK IF THERE ARE
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AFTER THAT
REVIEW.
I THINK THE COUNCIL WOULD BE
SITUATED WELL TO ADDRESS THOSE
AND TO EVALUATE THEM.
>> THANK YOU, MYERBERG.
WOULD YOU SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS?
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I APOLOGIZE, THEY ARE NOT GOING
TO BE QUITE AS ORGANIZED, BUT I
WANT TO MAKE A COUPLE POINTS.
ONE OF WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, I
LIKE MANY OTHERS WAS MADE AWARE
OF THIS CASE THROUGH AN ARTICLE
ON THE SEATTLE TIMES.
AND THIS WAS DAYLIGHTED FOR
INVESTIGATION BY CONVERGE MEDIA
AND OTHER SOURCES ON THE
GROUND.
AND THAT CANNOT BE HOW WE
OPERATE.
I BELIEVE THAT IF WE TRULY WANT
ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN OUR
SYSTEM, WE CAN'T BE ALLOWED TO
HAVE THESE FACTS OBSCURED AND I
CAN ONLY SHARE THAT FOR ANY
AMOUNT OF LEGITIMACY OF THE
SYSTEM, WE HAVE TO BE FOCUSED
ON TRANSPARENCY.
IT DOES BOTHER ME A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT, THAT THERE WAS NO
DOCUMENTATION FOR MR.
MYERBERG'S PRESENTATION.
THERE WAS NO DOCUMENTATION
ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
TRULY IF THIS WERE A LEGITIMATE
OPERATION, THERE WOULD HAVE
BEEN DOCUMENTATION AROUND IT.
IT WOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN OUTSIDE
SOURCES TODAY LIGHT IT.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF OUR
AFTER ACTIONS AS A CITY AROUND
WHAT HAPPENED AROUND CHOP CHAZ.
SO, I AM SOMEWHAT RELIEVED WITH
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DARK WILL
COME TO LIGHT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
THE COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO
FIGURE OUT HOW THIS DOESN'T
HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.
BUT ALSO HAVE TO ADMIT THAT
THIS REALLY DOUBLES DOWN ON OUR
DESIRE TO NEED TO DIG DEEPER.
TO DIG DEEPER TO THE THINGS
THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN -- THAT WE
DID NOT KNOW WERE OCCURRING AND
TO ENSURE THAT WE DIG DEEP
ENOUGH TO FIX WHAT IS ROTTEN
HERE.
SO, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
ALLOWING ME TO HAVE A FEW
MOMENTS TODAY.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR FOR --
I KNOW THAT THE COUNCIL WILL BE
PARTNERS IN WORKING WITH US ON
THIS.
I KNOW IT WON'T BE EASY, BUT WE
HAVE TO DO IT ON BEHALF OF THE
CITY.
>> I TOO, LOOK FORWARD TO
PROBLEM SOLVING AROUND THIS AND
OTHER AREAS.
I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS,
THAT YOU ARE FIRST IN THE CUE
FOR QUESTIONS.
I DO WANT TO GIVE DIRECTOR
GRANT AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY A
FEW WORDS AS WELL, BECAUSE I
KNOW THAT RUSES HAVE LONG BEEN
A CONCERN OF THE COMMISSION.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS A MEETING
THAT PUBLIC MEETING, A MEETING
AT THE END OF LAST YEAR WHERE
THIS WAS A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.
MAYBE NOT SPECIFICALLY THIS
CASE, BUT THE POLICY AROUND
RUSES AND JUST REALLY WANT TO
GIVE DIRECTOR GRANT AN
OPPORTUNITY TO UPLIFT SOME OF
THEIR CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS
AROUND THIS.
AND I KNOW THEY HAVE SOME
PENDING REQUESTS OF THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
SO, DIRECTOR GRANT.
>> THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER
HERBOLD.
ALSO, TOO, WANT TO CONCUR.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING US HERE.
I WANT TO THANK THE PUBLIC
COMMENTERS WHO SPOKE TODAY.
I ONLY HAVE A FEW ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS BECAUSE THE POINTS
THEY BROUGHT UP WERE SO
PERTINENT TO MANY OF THE THINGS
THAT WERE SHARED.
I THINK DIRECTOR MYERBERG, A
COUPLE THINGS FOR ME AND THE
PCP.
THE POINT OF CLARIFICATION
AROUND THE ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE
EARLY ON.
I THINK MY BIGGEST QUESTION
WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, PER OPA
PROCEDURES, WHEN THERE IS A
LACK OF EVIDENCE OR THERE'S
ABSENCE OF IT EARLY ON, WHAT
TYPE OF STEPS ARE YOU ALL
TAKING TO MAKE SURE THAT
FINDINGS ARE VALIDATED?
YOU HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION AND
HOW YOU'RE GOING ABOUT THOSE
PROCESSES.
IS THERE THOUGHTS AND PLANS OF
WHAT YOU ALL WILL DO WHEN CASES
LIKE THIS ARISE IN THE FUTURE?
AND THEN I THINK, TOO, IT WOULD
BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING OF THE
MISINFORMATION VERSUS
DISINFORMATION IN RUSES.
TO ME, THIS WAS IN FACT, JUST
THAT, A RUSE.
THE CLARITY AROUND THAT
PARTICULAR SENTENCE, I WOULD
LOVE TO BE ABLE TO HEAR A BIT
MORE ABOUT.
BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST
QUESTIONS THAT THE CPC HAD WAS,
YOU KNOW, FROM THE COMPLAINT TO
THE CHIEF DESK, TO BEYOND THAT,
WHY WAS THE COMPLAINT SO FAR
BEYOND THE 180 DAYS?
WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG FOR
THIS TO BE REVIEWED?
A CASE OF THIS MAGNITUDE, IS
THERE A PRIORITY SYSTEM YOU ARE
GOING TO PUT IN PLACE WHEN
CASES OF THIS NATURE COME
ACROSS YOUR DESK?
I FEEL LIKE IT WAS REALLY
DISHEARTENING TO HAVE, EVEN
THOUGH I'M THANKFUL FOR MR.
SALSBURY, THE DEPUTY MAYOR IS
CORRECT.
WE SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD THAT
DAYLIGHTED BY A JOURNALIST WHO
HAD ALSO INCURED A LOT OF THE
TRAUMA FROM THAT PARTICULAR DAY
AMONG COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO HEAR WHY
IT TOOK SO LONG AND THEN IF
THERE ARE GOING TO BE CASES
WHERE IT IS GOING TO TAKE THAT
LONG, WE SHOULD REALLY BE
CONSIDERING THE NEGATIVE IMPACT
OF WHAT THOSE PARTICULAR
FINDINGS ARE GOING TO BE WHEN
THEY ARE DELAYED.
AND WHAT COMMITMENT DO YOU HAVE
TO COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE WE
ARE INFORMED IN SOME ASPECT
ALONG THE WAY.
IF THERE ARE DELAYS,
PROBLEMATIC FINDINGS, ISSUES
THAT ARISE, I FEEL LIKE IT IS
TIME FOR US TO GO BACK AND LOOK
AT WHAT THE PROCEDURES ARE THAT
ARE PUT IN PLACE.
IT WAS EXTREMELY TRAUMATIC, THE
EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE, AND TO
HAVE ALMOST NOW GOING INTO
HONESTLY, YEAR TWO, FOR US TO
BE TALKING ABOUT THIS, WITH NO
ACTUAL CONCLUSION OR SOLUTION
IS VERY TROUBLESOME.
AND I DO HAVE MANY OTHER
QUESTIONS TO FOLLOWUP ON.
I AM COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE
WITH MAKING SURE COUNCIL GETS
TO ASK THEIR QUESTIONS.
THE COMMISSION WILL BE
FOLLOWING UP WITH SOME MORE
INFORMATIONAL REQUESTS THAT WE
HAVE AFTER THIS MEETING
CONCLUDES.
SO, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU.
I WANT TO PUT THOSE THINGS ON
YOUR MIND, DIRECTOR MYERBERG
AND COUNCIL.
I HOPE YOU ALSO WHO, IN TANDEM
WITH US TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE
TAKING THE SITUATION SERIOUSLY
SO WE CAN MAKE SURE IT NEVER
HAPPENS AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU, DR. MYERBERG, DID
YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT?
>> YEAH, I CAN RESPOND TO THAT.
THERE WERE THREE QUESTIONS I'LL
RESPOND.
I THINK I HEARD AND CAN RESPOND
TO THEM.
SO, FOR CASES THAT HAVE A LACK
OF DOCUMENTATION, I WOULD SAY
IT'S RARE THAT WE WOULD HAVE
THIS TYPE OF A CASE WHERE THERE
WAS A HIGH LEVEL DECISION MADE
TO USE A RUSE OR WHATEVER YOU
WANT TO REFER TO IT, WHERE
THERE WOULD BE NO
DOCUMENTATION.
THIS WAS RARE.
THERE ARE OTHER CASES, FOR
EXAMPLE, WE KNEW THAT SOMEONE
WAS SUBJECTED TO POLICE FORCE,
BUT WE COULDN'T FIND THEM
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A
DESCRIPTION.
WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SPEAK TO
THEM.
WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH
VIDEO, WE HAD A LOT OF
DIFFICULTY LOCATING THEM.
WITH THIS TYPE OF A CASE WHERE
THERE'S NO DOCUMENTATION OF
AGAIN, A HIGH LEVEL EFFORT IS
ABNORMAL.
SORRY, I THINK I WAS OUT FOR A
LITTLE BIT.
CERTAINLY WE CAN COME UP WITH
WAYS TO PROTOCALLS TO ADDRESS
THIS TYPE OF A CASE MOVING
FORWARD, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS
VERY, VERY RARE.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
QUITE LIKE IT BEFORE AND I
DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE'LL SEE IT
AGAIN.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE PLANS
IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THAT.
WITH REGARD TO YOUR SECOND
QUESTION.
I GUESS THE DISTINCTION I WAS
MAKING IS THAT GENERALLY WHEN
YOU THINK OF A RUSE, A RUSE
OCCURS IN THE CONTEXT OF A
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, DURING AN
INTERROGATION, SOMEONE SAYS, WE
HAVE YOUR FINGERPRINTS ON THIS
CUP, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?
THAT IS A TRUE RUSE.
WHERE THIS WAS MORE OF A FORMAL
EFFORT THAT WAS DONE ORGANIZED
BY THE CHAIN OF COMMAND SO
MAYBE IT'S AN ISSUE OF SCOPE,
WHERE I'M REFERRING TO IT AS A
MISINFORMATION VERSUS A RUSE.
BOTH ARE THE SAME, IN WHICH YOU
ARE PROVIDING FALSE INFORMATION
TO ACHIEVE A LAW ENFORCEMENT
GOAL.
YOU COULD ADDRESS BOTH THROUGH
THE SAME POLICY.
I WOULD BE CAREFUL TO SAY,
WITHIN THE POLICY, YOU'LL MAKE
THAT CHANGE IS TO REFER IT
BOTH.
NOT JUST TALK ABOUT RUSES, AS A
PATROL OFFICER WOULD THINK
ABOUT THEM.
ALSO THINK ABOUT SANCTIONED
DISINFORMATION EFFORTS AND
POTENTIALLY CONSIDER BANNING
THAT ALL TOGETHER.
IF YOU ALLOW RUSES TO OCCUR.
WITH REGARD TO THE LAST
QUESTION, I THINK IT RAISES TWO
REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.
FIRST IS THE TIMING OF THE
INVESTIGATION.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE
INVESTIGATION STARTED IN
DECEMBER WHEN WE REALIZED THAT
WE HAD NO INFORMATION THAT WE
NEEDED TO OPEN UP AN
INVESTIGATION.
WE STARTED IT IN DECEMBER OF
2020.
WHEN WE PROCEEDED THROUGH THE
INVESTIGATION, FOR MUCH OF THE
INVESTIGATION, WE DID NOT HAVE
EMPLOYEES.
MEANING WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO WAS
INVOLVED.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TRYING
TO ASSESS WHO WAS INVOLVED, WHO
MADE THE STATEMENTS, WHAT
STATEMENTS WERE MADE, AND THEN
DURING THE COURSE OF THAT
INVESTIGATION, WE STARTED TO
IDENTIFY FOLKS AND TO PUT THEM
IN AS NAMED EMPLOYEES.
THE INVESTIGATOR ON THAT CASE,
THIS IS JUST PURELY RESOURCE
ISSUES TA ARE IMPORTANT TO
NOTE.
THE INVESTIGATOR IN THAT CASE,
BECAUSE THE FIRST NAMED
EMPLOYEE WAS A CAPTAIN AND AN
ASSISTANT CHIEF.
OPA, WE HAVE TWO SUPERVISORS.
THAT'S THE SAME SUPERVISOR
WORKING ON THE EAST PRECINCT
CASE, HELPING WORK ON THE
JANUARY 6th CASE THAT WAS
SUPERVISING, YOU KNOW, NEARLY
100 OTHER CASES AND HAD A FULL
CASE LOAD.
SO SIMPLY BECAUSE OF BAND
WIDTH.
THAT SUPERVISOR IS DOING THE
BEST THEY CAN.
NO ONE ELSE IS ALLOWED TO WORK
ON THAT CASE BASED ON
CONTRACTS.
WE IDENTIFIED AS MANY PEOPLE AS
WE IDENTIFIED, WE PROVIDED IT
TO THE OIG AND THEY RETURNED
WITH A CERTIFICATION.
THERE WAS ANOTHER DELAY ON THE
BACK END WITH THE WRITING OF
THE FINDINGS.
I WAS OUT ON PATERNITY LEAVE
FOR 30 DAYS.
I WAS UNABLE TO WRITE THE CASE
UP DURING THAT TIME.
THE OTHER PART OF IT.
DURING THE 60 DAYS I WASN'T IN
THE OFFICE, I HAD TO WRITE UP
BETWEEN 80 TO 85 OTHER CASES.
AGAIN, PURSUANT TO ORDINANCE, I
HAVE TO WRITE UP EACH ONE OF
THOSE CASES, AND LOOKING AT
HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF VIDEO,
HUNDREDS OF DOCUMENTS.
THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE, I'M NOT
THRILLED ABOUT THE DELAY IN THE
CASE, IT'S A SIMPLE OF THE
REALITY OF THE WORKLOAD THAT WE
HAD AND I PERSONALLY HAD AS THE
DIRECTOR BASED ON MY JOB
DESCRIPTION.
SO, BUT TO YOUR SECOND POINT,
WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT,
DIRECTOR GRANT, IS CAN WE
CREATE SOME SORT OF A MECHANISM
TO, I MEAN, WE HAVE A PRIORITY
MECHANISM, GENERALLY WE FOCUS
ON SUSTAINED CASES THAT HAVE
PENDING 180 DAY DEADLINES.
THE NAMED EMPLOYEES, TO WHOM
SUSTAIN FINDINGS RETIRED DURING
THE COURSE OF THE
INVESTIGATION, SO THE 180 DAY
NO LONGER WAS APPLICABLE FOR
THEM.
THAT BEING SAID, IT IS A MATTER
OF PUBLIC CONCERN AND THAT IS
OBVIOUSLY MY FRUSTRATION ABOUT
NOT GETTING IT DONE SOONER.
BUT CERTAINLY I WOULD BE HAPPY
TO TALK TO THE COMMISSION ABOUT
HOW WE PRIORITIZE CASES AND IF
YOU HAVE IDEAS ON HOW WE CAN
MAKE NOTIFICATIONS TO THE
PUBLIC ABOUT CASES THAT MAY BE
COMING UP, WHAT THOSE CASES
INVOLVE, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR
IT.
WE DO USE OUR DASH BOARD, WHICH
IS OUR GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE
CASES PENDING FOR THE PROTEST.
MAYBE THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO
DO IT TO AVOID, LIKE YOU SAID.
AGAIN, I REGRET THAT IN SOME
RESPECTS, IT'S UNAVOIDABLE.
SORRY.
>> THANK YOU DR. MYERBERG.
COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, THANK
YOU.
I RECOGNIZE YOU'VE HAD YOUR
HAND UP IN THE QUEUE FOR
AWHILE.
>> THANK YOU MADAME CHAIR.
IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK HERE ON
THE COMMITTEE AND IN 2022 AND
CERTAINLY WELCOME COUNCIL
MEMBER NELSON AND WELCOME
SENIOR DEPUTY HARRELL.
WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE EVENTS
OF THE SUMMER OF 2020, WHICH
FOR EVERYBODY WAS A REALLY
CHALLENGING TIME AND JUST WANT
TO MAKE SPACE FOR THAT AND
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT I
KEEP GOING BACK TO AND I THINK
IS GROUNDING FOR OUR
CONVERSATION TODAY AS WE SEEK
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR POLICE
ACTIONS THAT OCCURRED DURING
THAT TIME IS JUDGE JONES
TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER.
AND JUST AS TABLE SETTING, I GO
BACK TO THAT WHENEVER WE ARE
DOING A HEARING LIKE THIS, FOR
THE SECTION WHERE YOU KNOW,
JUDGE JONES DETERMINED THAT THE
USE OF FORCE AND THE TACTICS
SPD WAS USING WOULD STOP A
PERSON FROM PROTESTERS, JUDGE
JONES AGREED WITH THE
PLAINTIFFS AND SAID THEY HAD A
STRONG LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS,
SPD TARGETED PROTESTERS BECAUSE
THEY WERE PROTESTING THE
POLICE.
THE POLICE USED TACTICS AND A
LEVEL OF FORCE THAT WAS
MOTIVATED BY BEING MORE EXTREME
AND HARSHER BECAUSE OF THE
TOPIC OF THE SPEECH THAT THE
PROTESTERS WERE USING.
I GO BACK TO THOSE, BECAUSE I
THINK WHEN WE HAVE THESE
CONVERSATIONS, WE NEED TO
CENTER WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
AND LOOKING AT THIS WHOLE
EPISODE IN OUR HISTORY THAT WE
HAD A DEPARTMENT THAT WAS
ENGAGED IN CONCERNING ACTIVITY.
THE QUESTIONS I HAVE TODAY
ABOUT THIS INVESTIGATION IS ONE
EPISODE IN A WHOLE BUNCH OF
EPISODES THAT LED AN ARTICLE 3
JUDGE APPOINTED BY A PRESIDENT
CONFIRMED BY THE U.S. SENATE,
TO SAY THAT OUR POLICE
DEPARTMENT WAS BEING
SPECIFICALLY BRUTAL TO
PROTESTERS BECAUSE THEY WERE
PROTESTING THE POLICE.
I JUST WANT US TO KEEP THAT IN
MIND ON THE IMPORTANCE OF
GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF SOME
OF THESE EPISODES.
AND I WANT TO START, MAYBE,
DIRECTOR MYERBERG, IF YOU COULD
GIVE MORE BACKGROUND ON THE
SPOC, WHICH WAS THE BODY WHERE
THIS PARTICULAR TACTIC WAS RUN
THROUGH, JUST SO THE AUDIENCE
AND EVERYONE ON THE COMMITTEE
KNOWS THE ROLE OF THAT BODY.
I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS
RELATED TO THAT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
ALL WORKING FROM THE SAME
BASELINE.
>> YEAH, IT'S A SPECIAL
OPERATIONS CENTER LOCATED IN
THE WEST PRECINCT.
GENERALLY DURING
DEMONSTRATIONS, THAT'S THE
COMMAND CENTER FOR OPERATIONS.
>> MY QUESTION IS, FROM READING
ABOUT THIS IN THE SEATTLE TIMES
FROM REVIEWING THE OPA REPORT,
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COVERAGE
THAT THIS OPERATION THAT WAS
RUN THROUGH SPOC WAS APPARENTLY
NOT KNOWN TO ANYONE BUT
CAPTAIN GRANNO.
CAPTAIN GRANNON WAS GOING TO
RUN THIS OPERATION IN HIS MIND,
TO DESCALATE TENSIONS, IN INTO
THINKING THERE WAS A PROTEST.
MY QUESTION FOR DIRECTOR
MYERBERG WOULD BE BASED ON YOUR
KIND OF KNOWLEDGE AND
UNDERSTANDING OF THE
DEPARTMENT, IS IT COMMON THAT
THE CHIEF, AMAYOR, ASSISTANT
CHIEFS WOULDN'T KNOW THAT THIS
OPERATION WAS OCCURRING?
>> I WOULD SAY NOTHING ABOUT
THIS CASE IS COMMON.
I THINK THAT IS JUST KIND OF AT
THE OUTSET.
I THINK THAT'S THE REALITY.
IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT TO
ANSWER.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN
BEFORE.
YOU KNOW, WE SPOKE TO THE
CHIEF.
WE SPOKE TO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF
OF PATROL, AND ALL SAID THAT
THEY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE
SPECIFICS OF THE OPERATION THAT
WAS ON GOING.
AT THAT TIME RUNNING SPOC, IS
IT POSSIBLE INFORMATION WAS NOT
SHARED AND WAS KEPT WITHIN
SPOC, IT'S POSSIBLE.
BUT I HAVE NO INDICATION THAT
THE ACCOUNTS EVER GIVEN TO OUR
INVESTIGATION INVESTIGATOR WERE
INACCURATE.
I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO IT.
>> I GUESS JUST AS A GENERAL
CONCERN.
IF IT WAS ONE INCIDENT WHERE
PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS
GOING ON WITH THEIR COMMANDERS
AND WITH PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
I COULD GET THAT.
BUT THERE'S NOW A NUMBER OF
DATA POINTS FROM OUR SORT OF
EXAMINATION OF SOME OF THESE
SPECIFIC INCIDENTS, WHERE
PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS
GOING ON AND THINGS BUBBLED UP
INTO BEING HORRIFYING
VIOLATIONS OF THE RIGHT TO
PEOPLE IN THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, THE ABANDONMENT OF
THE EAST PRECINCT, APPARENTLY
NO ONE KNEW ABOUT THAT EXCEPT
ASSISTANT CHIEF MAHATHY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME
DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS BASED ON
SOME OF THE REPORTING THAT
WE'VE SEEN FROM KOW AND OTHER
SPECULATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
THESE DOTS START TO CONNECT A
PATTERN, WHERE DURING THIS TIME
PERIOD, WE'RE JUST HEARING AN
AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE HIGH
COMMAND DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT
THINGS.
AND PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE
MANAGEMENT COMMAND LEVEL WERE
MAKING BIG DECISIONS THAT HAD
BIG IMPACTS.
AND NOBODY KNEW.
AND I GUESS MY CONCERN IS AT
WHAT POINT SHOULD PEOPLE HAVE
KNOWN AND ARE THERE
CONSEQUENCES FOR PEOPLE NOT
MAKING THEMSELVES AWARE OF
THESE THINGS THAT WERE
HAPPENING.
IF THEY ARE IN A POSITION OF
THAT LEVEL OF AUTHORITY AND
COMMAND OVER THE POLICE
SERVICE.
>> CERTAINLY IT'S A CONCERN.
WE ARTICULATED THAT SAME
CONCERN ABOUT THE EAST PRECINCT
CASE.
I MEAN, THE FACT THAT THERE WAS
THIS CONFUSION OR THIS
DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN FOLKS
ABOUT WHO KNEW WHAT AND WHEN
AND A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE
OUT TO COMMUNITY AND MEDIA,
PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND OTHERS
IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS, WHEN
THEY KNEW WHAT HAD OCCURRED WAS
A PROBLEM.
I THINK WE HAD FLAGGED THIS
ISSUE AND OTHER CASES AND IN
OUR AUGUST 2020 REPORT THAT
WENT OUT TO THE COUNCIL THAT
THERE APPEARED TO BE THIS
DISCONNECT BETWEEN COMMAND
STAFF, LIKE HIGH LEVEL COMMAND
STAFF AND MIDDLE SUPERVISORS,
LIKE LIEUTENANTS AND CAPTAINS,
HOW IT WOULD BE DONE.
IT CERTAINLY WAS CHAOTIC.
BUT YES, I WOULD EXPECT WHAT
YOU DO AS WELL, THERE WOULD BE
MORE COORDINATION,
COMMUNICATION, AND
UNDERSTANDING BY HIGH LEVEL
COMMAND STAFF WHAT WAS GOING ON
UNDER THEM.
IT'S A PROBLEM THAT DIDN'T
OCCUR.
>> YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SAY, SO
YOU SAID IT, AT LEAST I THINK
THREE TIMES TODAY, DIRECTOR
MYERBERG, THAT THIS OPERATION
WAS ORGANIZED BY CHAIN OF
COMMAND.
>> UH-HUH.
>> RIGHT?
WHEN I HEAR ORGANIZED BY CHAIN
OF COMMAND, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT
CHAIN IS STARTING WITH CAPTAIN
GRANNON, WHICH SEEMS FAR DOWN
THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
IS THAT, WHEN YOU ARE SAYING
THAT IN YOUR PRESENTATION, IS
THAT WHAT YOU MEAN?
>> THAT'S WHAT I MEAN.
YEAH, THE CHAIN OF COMMAND IS
WHAT I MEAN.
CAPTAIN GRANNON NOW.
I HAVE NO INFORMATION IT WAS
ORGANIZED BY ANYONE ELSE.
PROMOTED TO AN ASSISTANT CHIEF.
HE WAS IN A SUPERVISORY
POSITION OVER SPOC.
VERY MUCH THE CASE THAT BECAUSE
OF WHAT WAS GOING ON AND ALL
THE MOVING PARTS THAT WERE
HAPPENING, PEOPLE IN THE
CAPTAIN'S ROLE RECEIVED HIGH
LEVEL ASSIGNMENTS JUST LIKE
THIS.
>> ON THAT DAY, WHO WOULD HAVE
BEEN ABOVE GRANNON IN THE CHAIN
OF COMMAND?
>> IT DEPENDS.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN ASSISTANT
CHIEF SPURJACK.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN ASSISTANT
CHIEF.
I'M NOT SURE WHO WAS HEADING
THAT BUREAU.
AGAIN, ASSISTANT CHIEF WAS
RUNNING PATROL OPERATINS,
WHICH DIDN'T FALL UNDER.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF, AGAIN,
CONFUSION.
THERE'S PEOPLE DOING A
MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY
THAT CLEAR AS TO WHO WOULD HAVE
REPORTED TO, OR IF HE WOULD
HAVE REPORTED TO ANYONE.
THAT COULD BE PART OF THE
PROBLEM.
>> SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER, JUST
REAL QUICK AND I'LL WRAP UP.
IF THIS GETS REOPENED, MAYBE WE
ESTABLISH WHAT THE ENTIRE CHAIN
OF COMMAND WAS.
THE SENSE I JUST GET IS THAT
WHEN WE'RE SAYING CHAIN OF
COMMAND, IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS
STARTING FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE
CHAIN OF COMMAND AND GOING
DOWN.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE
MAPPING FOR THIS IN TERMS OF
DETERMINING WHO SHOULD HAVE
KNOWN.
LIKE WE KNOW WHO DID KNOW AND
WE HAVE REPRESENTATIONS OF
PEOPLE SAYING THEY DIDN'T KNOW.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHO
SHOULD HAVE KNOWN AND WHAT THE
IMPLICATION IS GOING FORWARD
FOR HOW THESE KINDS OF THINGS
ARE ORGANIZED.
ONE LAST IMPLICATION TO THAT IS
I THINK INTERIM CHIEF DIAZ HAS
SET A PRECEDENT FOR SHOULD HAVE
KNOWING IN TERMS OF HOW THAT
FACTORS INTO DISCIPLINE,
BECAUSE WITH THE PINK UMBRELLA
INCIDENT.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE
PREMISE OF ASSISTANT CHIEF
DEMOTION WAS ASSISTANT CHIEF
SHOULD HAVE KNOWN LIEUTENANT
BROOKS WAS GOING TO
UNCONSTITUTIONALLY TEAR GAS A
BUNCH OF PEOPLE.
AND SHOULD HAVE INTERVENED.
AND DIDN'T.
THEREFORE, ASSISTANT CHIEF WAS
DEMOTED.
IT SEEMS LIKE BY THAT STANDARD
OF CHAIN OF COMMAND THAT IS
BEING APPLIED, THERE SHOULD BE
MORE THAT IS HAPPENING WITH HOW
THIS RUSE IS DEALT WITH TO BE
CONSISTENT.
WHICH IS WHY I'M FOCUSING ON
THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AND HOW
THAT IS RELEVANT TO THIS FACT
PATTERN.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I
AM TIRED OF BEING IN A POSITION
WHERE I'M READING IN THE NEWS
ABOUT THE LATEST THING THAT
COMES OUT OF 2020.
EVERYONE THAT IS ABOVE, YOU
KNOW, THAT WAS IN THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE, OR THE FRONT OFFICE OF
SPD CLAIMS THEY DIDN'T KNOW
ABOUT IT.
AND SOME GUY IN THE MIDDLE GETS
HIT WITH EVERYTHING AND ALL THE
RESPONSIBILITY.
AND YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T KNOW
IF THAT IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO
RUN AN ORGANIZATION OR TO
CENTER ACCOUNTABILITY AND
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACTIONS
OF THE DEPARTMENT.
>> I'M NOT SURE.
AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE, YOU KNOW,
EXACTLY HOW TO RESPOND.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS THE CAPTAIN
IS OBVIOUSLY ONE LEVEL BEHIND
AN ASSISTANT CHIEF.
THERE'S NO DEPUTY CHIEF IN THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S ONE TIER BELOW AN
ASSISTANT CHIEF.
THE CAPTAIN IS FAIRLY HIGH UP
THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CASES IN
WHICH ACTIONS ARE ENGAGED IN BY
AGAIN, EVEN IF IT IS HIGH LEVEL
COMMANDERS, WHERE THE VERY TOP
OF THE CHAIN OF COMMAND SAID
THEY DIDN'T HAVE AWARENESS OF
THE CASE AND THAT IS A CONCERN.
AND ONE THAT I'M HOPING THAT
INTERIM CHIEF DIAZ WILL
RECTIFY.
>> THANK YOU.
I WANT TO GIVE OTHER FOLKS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WRAP UP
IN FIVE MINUTES.
I APPRECIATE THE LINE OF
QUESTIONING COUNCIL MEMBER
LEWIS; I HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATED
BY THE NUMBER OF WE DIDN'T
KNOWS, THAT HAVE COME OUT IN
THIS INVESTIGATION AND OTHERS.
JUST LOOKING FOR A HAND FROM
COUNCIL MEMBERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER NELSON, YES.
>> I DID SEE COUNCIL MEMBER
PEDERSEN HAD HIS HAND UP.
>> I DID NOT SEE THAT.
SORRY.
COUNCIL MEMBER PEDERSEN.
>> THANK YOU CHAIR HERBOLD.
I CONCUR WITH THE LINE OF
QUESTIONING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER
LEWIS ASKS.
RATHER THAN REPEAT THAT, I'LL
LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT.
-- WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO
SEEING THE NEW ADMINISTRATION
PROVIDE THAT LEVEL OF OVERSIGHT
WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT
IS NECESSARY.
THANK YOU.
>> BACK TO YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER
NELSON.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS
DETAILED PRESENTATION.
I ACTUALLY ALSO LIKE SENIOR
DEPUTY MAYOR HARRELL LEARNED
ABOUT THIS IN THE SEATTLE
TIMES.
SO I'M BRINGING MYSELF UP TO
SPEED ON THE PROCESS OF
INVESTIGATIONS IN SPD.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, SO
WHEN WAS THE INVESTIGATION
DONE?
WHEN DID THE IG SIGN OFF ON THE
INVESTIGATION?
AND THEN WHEN DR. MYERBERG, DID
YOU FORWARD IT ON FOR POTENTIAL
ACTION AND WHEN DID THE
LEADERSHIP OF SPD KNOW ABOUT
THESE ALLEGATIONS AND YOUR
FINDINGS?
BECAUSE IN COUNCIL MEMBER
HERBOLD'S PREVIEW OF THIS
SESSION TODAY, SHE MENTIONED
ACCOUNTABILITY AND ALSO
POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES, WHICH I
RUN OUT IN 180 DAYS, AS I
IMAGINE, THERE IS A TIME LINN
WHEN THOSE CAN BE RECOMMENDED
AND THERE WERE IN PUBLIC
COMMENT ALLEGATIONS THAT THERE
WAS A PURPOSEFUL RUNNING OUT OF
THE CLOCK.
SO THAT IS THE TIME LINE THAT
I'M INTERESTED.
WHEN WAS THE INVESTIGATION
CERTIFIED BY THE IG AND WHEN
WAS IT FORWARDED BY YOU TO THE
POWERS THAT BE?
>> SO THE INVESTIGATION WAS
CERTIFIED IN MID SEPTEMBER.
SO I BELIEVE IT WAS SEPTEMBER
10 OR SEPTEMBER 12 IS WHEN IT
WAS CERTIFIED.
HOWEVER, PRIOR TO THAT POINT,
SO SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THAT
POINT, BOTH NAMED EMPLOYEE ONE
AND TWO HAD RETIRED FROM THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO AT THAT POINT, ONCE THEY
RETIRED, THE 180 DAY DEADLINE
STOPPED MOVING FOR THEM.
SO THERE IS NO 180 DAY DEADLINE
BECAUSE THERE IS NO.
THE DCM WAS FINISHED IN LATE
DECEMBER, WHICH TRANSMITTED TO
THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS
THAT WERE HELD THIS WEEK.
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS.
>> OKAY, THERE WAS A GAP
BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER.
NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT'S A NEW
ADMINISTRATION'S -- OKAY.
>> SO, IT IS THE SAME, I GUESS
IT'S THE SAME AS FAR AS THE
ADMINISTRATION GOES.
IT'S THE SAME POLICE DEPARTMENT
ADMINISTRATION AND THAT INTERIM
CHIEF DIAZ WOULD HAVE BEEN THE
SAME CHIEF THAT REACHED
DISCIPLINARY FINDINGS HAD IT
BEEN DONE IN SEPTEMBER.
BOTH EMPLOYEES RESIGNED FROM
THE DEPARTMENT IN DECEMBER.
>> THANK YOU.
BEFORE WE GO BACK TO COUNCIL
MEMBER LEWIS, WHO I SEE HIS
HAND IS UP AGAIN.
OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO
HAVEN'T ASKED A QUESTION YET?
ALL RIGHT.
I HAVE NOT ASKED A QUESTION, SO
I'M GOING TO PUT MYSELF IN THE
CUE HERE.
I JUST WANT TO REAL QUICKLY
TOUCH ON THE EMPLOYEES, I
BELIEVE IT IS 3 THROUGH 6. THE
NAMED EMPLOYEES 3 THROUGH 6 ARE
ALL FINDINGS THAT HAVE BEEN
IDENTIFIED AS ALLEGATION
REMOVED.
AD I'M JUST CURIOUS A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT FIRST THE USE OF THAT
FINDING FOR A CLAIM THAT IT
APPEARS IN THIS INSTANCE, YOU
ARE SORT OF ACKNOWLEDGING THAT
THERE WAS A VIOLATION, BUT YOU
ARE REMOVING THE ALLEGATION
BECAUSE OF RELIEF THAT ABOVE
THOSE THREE EMPLOYEES HAD
RESPONSIBILITY AND I'M
WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT IT
MAKES MORE SENSE TO JUST RULE
ON THE FACTS OF THE CASE THAT
THERE WAS A VIOLATION AND THEN
LET THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR
NOT DISCIPLINE FOR THAT
VIOLATION THAT BE A
DETERMINATION OF POLICE CHIEF.
THE NATURE OF POLICING, IT
SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE OFTEN
SITUATIONS THAT ARISE WHERE
OFFICERS HAVE TO USE THEIR
DISCRETION TO ADDRESS A
DIFFICULT SITUATION.
SO, THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW,
ARE THEY NOT EXPECTED TO MAKE
ALL OF THEIR DECISIONS
CONSISTENT WITH SPD POLICY
UTILIZING DISCRETION QUOTE, IN
PROPORTION TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY
ISSUE ADDRESS.
IF A DECISION TO REFERENCE A
GROUP OF ARMED PROUD BOYS COULD
BE SEEN TO MAKE A VOLATILE
SITUATION WORSE, THEN WHY
AREN'T THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS
BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE
REGARDLESS OF THE SUPERVISION
COMPONENT WITH A SUSTAINED
VIOLATION, PERHAPS WITH A YOU
KNOW, AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT
THERE IS SUPERVISORY WORK THAT
SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE THAT
WASN'T DONE AND THAT BE
CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE
DECISIONS AROUND DISCIPLINE.
I'M JUST VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
THE USE OF ALLEGATION REMOVED.
WHY YOU ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY, YOU
SEEM TO BE SAYING THAT THIS
WOULD MERIT A SUSTAINED
VIOLATION.
>> I DEFINITELY SEE THE
CONCERN.
FUNDAMENTALLY, FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE AT LEAST, IS THAT I
THINK THE DECISION TO USE THE
PROUD BOYS WAS A VERY, VERY
POOR DECISION.
I THINK FUNDAMENTALLY, WHAT IT
STEMS FROM, IS THE FAILURE OF
ANY SUPERVISION OVER THESE
OFFICER'S ACTIONS AND THE FACT
THERE WAS NO GUIDANCE, NO
PARAMETERS.
NOTHING TOLD ABOUT WHAT THEY
SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T DO.
VIRTUALLY, ALL THE OFFICERS
SAID THEY NEVER HAD TO DO
SOMETHING SIMILARLY BEFOREMENT
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE
DOING.
I REALLY VIEW THAT
FUNDAMENTALLY AS A COMMAND
FAILURE AND NOT -- AND YES, I
LAY THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS
ON THE LEVEL OF COMMAND.
ME PERHAPS, THERE'S A BETTER
FINDING THAN ALLEGATION
REMOVED.
I DON'T THINK THE APPROPRIATE
FINDING FOR THESE OFFICER,
GIVEN THE LACK OF ANY SUPPORT
AND BEING SET UP TO FAIL THAT
THE APPROPRIATE FINDING WOULD
BE A SUSTAINED FINDING.
>> I WOULD JUST REALLY URGE
YOUR ROLE TO BE REALLY FOCUSED
ON FACT FINDING OF WHETHER OR
NOT THE VIOLATION OF POLICY
OCCURRED, WHICH YOU HAVE DONE.
YOU DETERMINED A VIOLATION OF
POLICY OCCURRED.
NOT JUST THAT IT WAS A BAD IDEA
OR BAD JUDGMENT, BUT IT WAS A
VIOLATION OF POLICY.
AND I YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT YOU
IN WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE
SHOULD BE DISCIPLINED FOR
VIOLATION OF POLICY, IF THERE'S
A FAILURE OF SUPERVISION.
I'M CONCERNED THIS PARTICULAR
SET OF FINDINGS GOES WITH THE
ALLEGATION REMOVE IS OUT OF THE
SCOPE OF JUST A FACT FINDING OF
WHETHER OR NOT THE VIOLATION
OCCURRED.
COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, DO YOU
WANT TO WRAP US UP?
>> YES, THIS IS JUST A REALLY
BRIEF INVESTIGATION QUESTION.
BUT DIRECTOR MYERBERG, IN DOING
THE FIRST ROUND OF THE
INVESTIGATION, IF THIS GETS
LOOKED AT AGAIN, WAS THERE ANY
INFORMATION THAT OPA WANTED TO
RECEIVE AND THEY WEREN'T ABLE
TO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL
TO MAKE THESE CONCLUSIONS?
I THINK THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN
WELL PUBLICIZED, A LOT OF
RELEVANT TEXT MESSAGE ARE
MISSING FROM THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT AND OTHER EXECUTIVE
DEPARTMENTS.
I JUST WONDER IF THERE WERE
ISSUES THAT WOULD HELP TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS THAT
YOUEN COUNTERED AND THAT'S AN
AREA WE SHOULD LOOK INTO?
>> AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, THERE
WERE NO EVIDENTIARY ISSUE THAT
WE HAVE WAS THE LACK OF ANY
EVIDENCE.
MEANING THE LACK OF ANY SORT OF
DOCUMENTATION OF WHAT OCCURRED
AND WHY IT OCCURRED.
WE DID E-MAIL SEARCHES AND
OTHER SEARCHES AND NO RESPONSE
OF INFORMATION CAME BACK.
THAT'S NOT A SURPRISE GIVEN THE
NATURE OF THE EFFORT.
YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, WE COULD
DO A TEXT MESSAGE SEARCH.
I KNOW TEXT MESSAGES HAVE BEEN
COLLECTED AND COLLECT AS PART
OF OTHER LITIGATION.
IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WERE
NECESSARILY AT THE TIME, THERE
WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT WE SAW
THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ASIDE FROM
A LACK OF DOCUMENTATION AROUND
THE RUSE.
>> THANK YOU DIRECTOR MYERBERG.
DESPITE MY EFFORTS TO KEEP US
ON TIME, THIS RAN OVER.
THERE'S A GREAT AMOUNT OF
INTEREST, I REALLY THANK
EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE WITH
US TODAY.
I WILL CERTAINLY FORWARD ON
QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS
MAY HAVE THAT DIDN'T GET ASKED
AND ANSWERED AND WILL OFFER TO
COLLECT THEM ON BEHALF OF MY
COLLEAGUES TO SHARE THEM WITH
DIRECTOR MYERBERG AND CHIEF
DIAZ AS WE MOVE ON, AND AS
APPROPRIATE, THE OFFICE OF THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL AND THE CPC.
I KNOW AS I MENTIONED EARLIER,
THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW OIG
DETERMINES SUFFICIENCY OF THE
INVESTIGATION AND I HAVE
RECEIVED SOME ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION FROM THE OIG ABOUT
THAT.
I WILL ALSO SHARE.
WITH THAT, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THANK YOU AGAIN, EVERYBODY, FOR
BEING WITH US AND A SPECIAL
THANKS TO SENIOR DEPUTY HARRELL
FOR BEING WITH US.
>> CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE NEXT
ITEM INTO THE AGENDA?
>> ITEM NUMBER TWO.
PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATE ON COVID-
19 BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
LET'S START WITH A QUICK ROUND
OF INTRODUCTIONS OF PRESENTERS
HERE WITH US TODAY.
>> HI, I THINK I'M THE ONLY
PRESENTER TODAY.
SO NICE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE INVITE.
I'M DENNIS WORSHAM.
I'M THE INTERIM DIRECT FORFOR
PUBLIC HEALTH OF SEATTLE AND
KING COUNTY.
WHERE WE'RE AT WITH COVID.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WHY DON'T YOU JUST TAKE IT AWAY
AND IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS, WE'LL
LET YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
THANK YOU.
>> I'M ALL RIGHT TO SHARE MY
SCREEN.
I WILL GO THERE NOW.
AND SO CAN YOU SEE THE SCREEN
FROM YOUR -- GREAT.
>> WE CAN, THANK YOU.
>> I'M DENNIS WORSHAM.
AND HAVE BEEN IN MY CURRENT
ROLE FOR ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS
NOW.
PRIOR TO THAT WAS THE DIRECTOR
FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND
HEAVILY INVOLVED IN OUR COVID
RESPONSE.
OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT THE NEWS
I WANT TO BE BRINGING AND I
THINK WE'RE FEELING THIS ACROSS
THE CITY AND COUNTY AND REALLY
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND GLOBE AT
THIS POINT.
YOU KNOW, AFTER A COUPLE YEARS
OF A PANDEMIC AND REALLY OUR
RESPONSE OF HARD WORK FROM ALL
OF US, BOTH IN PUBLIC HEALTH,
FOR ALL OF YOU IN THE ELECTED
AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND OUR
COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
PEOPLE ARE FATIGUED, BUT ARE
RISING TO THE OCCASION OF WHAT
WE NEED TO DO WITH OUR CURRENT
SURGE IN PLACE.
I JUST WANT TO GO OVER SOME
DATA SLIDES WITH YOU.
I THINK THESE ARE ALWAYS GOOD
AND PAINTING A PICTURE OF WHERE
WE'RE AT.
TO DATE, HERE IN KING COUNTY,
WE HAVE HAD 248,755 POSITIVE
CASES OF COVID.
9,950 HOSPITALIZATIONS, 2,196
DEATHS.
SO, IT IS REALLY TAKEN A TOLL
ON OUR COMMUNITY ALL THE WAY
AROUND.
WE HAVE GOOD NEWS IN HERE, BUT
WE ALSO HAVE SOME CHALLENGING
NEWS OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO IN THE CURRENT SURGE THAT
ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN READING
ABOUT AND KNOW ABOUT ALREADY,
ABOUT OMICRON, IS A VARIANT OF
CONCERN THAT WAS DETECTED IN
AFRICA ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
AND REMARKABLE HOW IT HAS TAKEN
OVER.
OUR UDUB COLLEAGUES WHO DO A
LOT OF MODELING, 90% OF OUR
LOCAL COVID CASES NOW ARE
COMING FROM OMICRON VARIANT
HERE.
SO IT HAS COME IN STRONG.
WE HAD DELTA BEFORE THAT, THAT
WAS DIFFICULT.
OMICRON IS CARRYING IT MUCH
MORE TRANSMISSABILITY AND
HIGHER IMPACTS OF DISEASE IN
OUR COMMUNITY.
FOR OUR SEVEN-DAY AVERAGE THAT
WE PUT IN THESE MARKERS HERE IN
THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF YOU, WE
ARE NOW AT THIS INCREDIBLE HIGH
SEVEN-DAY DAILY AVERAGE OF
4,614 CASES PER DAY.
THAT'S FOUR TIMES HIGHER, WHICH
WAS BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2020.
TWELVE TIMES HIGHER THAN WHAT
WE SAW IN DELTA IN EARLY
DECEMBER OF 2021.
SO, HUGE INCREASES OF WHERE
WE'RE AT CURRENTLY.
AS WE KNOW, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING
AT OUR DATA IS WE'RE SEEING
TRANSMISSION INCREASE AMONG ALL
AGES, AND IN PARTICULAR, OUR
HIGHEST AMONG OUR 18 TO 24-YEAR-
OLDS FOLLOWED BY 25 TO 34 AND 5
TO 17-YEAR-OLDS IN THE THIRD
RANKING OF THAT.
REALLY, AMONG FOLKS WHO ARE
YOUNGER, PROBABLY AS YOU CAN
IMAGINE, HIGHER CIRCULATION IN
OUR COMMUNITY AND SOME OF OUR
LOWER VACCINE RATES IN THOSE
AGE GROUPS AS WE ARE GETTING UP
TO SPEED IN SOME OF THOSE
AREAS.
CASE COUNTS AND INCIDENT RATES,
RACE AND ETHNICITY GROUPS HAVE
ALSO INCREASED.
REALLY HIGH AMONG OUR HAWAIIAN
PACIFIC ISLANDER POPULATION.
FOLLOWED BY HISPANIC, FOLLOWED
BY BLACK AND SEEING AN INCREASE
IN ASIANS.
IN OUR WHITE RESIDENTS, WE'RE
SEEING A DECREASE PROPORTION OF
CASES SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2021.
ALTHOUGH WE ARE SEEING INCREASE
OF BURDEN OF DISEASE HERE IN
THE CITY OF SEATTLE, OUR
HIGHEST OUTSIDE OF THE CITY
WITH AUBURN, FEDERAL WAY,
RENTON.
HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE GETTING A
LOT OF ATTENTION FOR GOOD
REASON.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS GRAPH,
JUST A HUGE SPIKE OF INCREASED
CASES HERE NEEDING TO BE
HOSPITALIZED.
I KNOW IN THE LANGUAGE THAT WE
HAVE SEEN IN THE MEDIA AND
COMING IT IS LESS SEVERE.
BUT EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF A LOT
IS STILL A LOT.
SO IN CONTRAST TO OUR TENFOLD
INCREASE IN CASES,
HOSPITALIZATIONS INCREASED BY
FIVE FOLD.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE ARE
SEEING ON AN AVERAGE IN THE
DELTA VARIANT, ABOUT 7
HOSPITALIZATIONS PER DAY AND
NOW WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE WITH
THE OMICRON IS ABOUT 52
HOSPITALIZATIONS PER DAY.
SO ABOUT A FIVE FOLD INCREASE
FROM WHERE WE WERE IN DECEMBER
AND SEEING OUR HOSPITAL
ADMISSIONS.
THE INCREASE IS COMING TO A
REAL CHALLENGE FOR OUR HOSPITAL
SYSTEMS.
NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE THE DELTA
SURGE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN
INCREASING NONCOVID
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND THEN OF
COURSE, STAFFING SHORTAGES WITH
OUR MEDICAL TEAMS, SOME THAT
RESIGNED, SOME THAT HAVE QUIT.
SOME THAT HAVE BEEN OUT BECAUSE
OF ILLNESS.
AND ALSO, THE OTHER PART THAT
IS REALLY TAXING OUR SYSTEM IN
PARTICULAR IS ONLY HAVING
DIFFICULTY DISCHARGE PATIENTS
INTO OTHER SETTINGS BECAUSE OF
OUTBREAKS GOING ON IN LONG-TERM
CARE FACILITIES OR A LACK OF
STAFFING IN PLACES TO PUT FOLKS
WHO MAY NOT NEED TO BE IN THE
HOSPITAL, BUT YET NOT WELL
ENOUGH TO BE OUT ON THEIR OWN
AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME.
SO MOST RECENT HOSPITALIZATIONS
ARE HIGHEST THAT WE'RE SEEING
AROUND THE COVID CASES, ARE
AMONG OUR 40 TO 69-YEAR-OLDS
AND 70 PLUS FOLLOWED BY OUR 20
TO 39-YEAR-OLDS.
HOSPITAL RATES FOR ADULTS ARE
REALLY INCREASING WITH AGE AND
REMAIN VERY LOW IN OUR YOUTH
POPULATION AS OPPOSED TO WHAT
WE HAVE SEEN IN OTHER
JURISDICTIONS.
GOOD NEWS, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR
DEATHS, THERE REALLY ARE NO
MAJOR CHANGES CURRENTLY THAT
WE'RE SEEING IN DEATH.
WE HAVE BEEN AVERAGING THROUGH
THE DELTA VARIANT, 1 TO 3
DEATHS PER DAY AND OUR LATEST
REPORT WAS ABOUT 2. SO REALLY
UNCHANGED IN THIS PARTICULAR
AREA WHERE WE SEE DEATHS.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SLIDE.
IF YOU'RE A "NEW YORK TIMES"
READER, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE
THIS MORNING THAT TALKED ABOUT
NEW YORK AND SEATTLE AND REALLY
THIS CONTINUES TO BE ANOTHER
SURGE OF PEOPLE WHO REALLY ARE
UNVACCINATED.
THIS IS, IF I CAN JUST ORIENT
YOU TO THE GRAPH IN FRONT OF
YOU.
WE LOOK AT CASES ON THE LEFT
HAND SIDE, CENTER IS
HOSPITALIZATIONS, AND THEN
DEATHS.
GOING BACK INTO AUGUST OF 2021
UNTIL BEGINNING OF JANUARY 1,
IS WE CAN SEE THE BLUE LINE
REPRESENTS PEOPLE WHO WERE
UNVACCINATE.
THE GRAY LINE REPRESENTS PEOPLE
WHO ARE VACCINATED, AND THE
ORANGE LINE IS THE OVERALL KING
COUNTY NUMBER.
OF COURSE, THAT NUMBER IS LOW
AND TENDS TO FOLLOW THE GRAY
LINE IS BECAUSE WE'RE SUCH A
HIGHLY VACCINATED COMMUNITY.
CLEARLY ILLUSTRATES THAT IN ALL
THREE, OUR GREATEST SPIKES ARE
AMONG THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE
UNVACCINATED OR UNBOOSTED AND
ALTHOUGH WE ARE SEEING IN CASES
INCREASING IN PEOPLE WHO ARE
VACCINATED, WE'RE SEEING LESS
OF THOSE CASES NEEDING TO BE
HOSPITALIZED OR EXPERIENCING
DEATH.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT VISUAL TO
REMIND US AND ALSO TO REMIND US
THAT THIS IS WHERE OUR GREATEST
WORK IS AND OUR GREATEST TOOL
IN PREVENTING SEVERE ILLNESS
AND DEATH IS ABOUT GETTING THE
IMPORTANCE OF VACCINES.
WE KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW, NOT
ONLY ARE VACCINES ARE GOOD TOOL
IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA, BUT WE
ALSO HAVE OTHER TOOLS IN THIS
MULTISTRATEGY IS REALLY
CRITICAL, ABOUT INDOOR SPACES,
AVOIDING CROWDED AND POORLY
VENTILATED AREAS FOR FOLKS.
WELL FITTED MASKS, THIS IS A
MESSAGE WE ARE TRYING TO REALLY
GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
ANY HELP YOU CAN DO WITH THIS
IS MUCH APPRECIATED.
REALLY HAVING WELL FITTED MASKS
OR RESPIRATORS ARE REALLY KEY
AND WE'RE DISTRIBUTING AS MANY
AS WE CAN INTO THE COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE CAN USE DOUBLE MASKS OR
DOUBLE SURGICAL MASKS.
WELL FITTING MASKS ARE CRITICAL
IN THIS PARTICULAR OUTBREAK.
THE NEXT SLIDE, I WANT TO SHARE
WITH YOU IS JUST, YOU KNOW,
KIND OF THE GENERAL PIECES OF
THIS.
YOU KNOW, A FEW THINGS ABOUT
OMICRON THAT ARE UNIQUE AND
CHALLENGING IN DIFFERENT WAYS
THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT HERE.
AS I MENTIONED, OUR COLLEAGUES
DO A LOT OF THE MODELING.
90% OF OUR TRANSMISSION RIGHT
NOW IS OF THE OMICRON VARIANT.
IT IS PREDICTED LOOKING AT WHAT
WE HAVE SEEN IN OTHER COUNTRIES
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON THE
EAST COAST IS WE'RE HOPING IS
TRUE FOR US, WE WOULD
ANTICIPATE BY MID TO LATE YOU T
WILL VARY ON THINGS THAT ARE
UNIQUE TO OUR OWN COMMUNITY THAT
WE'RE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY.
THE AGE DISTRIBUTIONS ARE
DIFFERENT.
UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS IN
OUR POPULATION.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE SOME OF THE
HIGHEST VACCINE COVERAGE IN THE
COUNTRY.
WE HAVE -- LOOKING AT PAST
INFECTION RATES, THE TIME OF
SEASON THAT THIS IS HITTING US
AND KIND OF HOW OUR COMMUNITY
ADJUSTS OR DOESN'T ADJUST TO
SOCIAL MIXING AND BEHAVIORS
AROUND DISTANCING ALL WILL
DETERMINE WHEN THE PEAK WILL
HAPPEN AND WITH WHEN WE BEGIN TO
COME DOWN.
THINGS ARE LIKELY GOING TO BE A
BIT MORE DIFFICULT BEFORE THEY
GET BEFORE WHEN WE GET TO THE
PEAK AND START COMING DOWN.
WE PLAN, AS PART OF THIS BECAUSE
OF THE BURDEN OF DISEASE THAT'S
SO HIGH AND THERE WILL BE LARGE
NUMBERS OF PEOPLE BECOMING ILL
IN A SHORT TIME, WHICH WILL BE
RESULTING AND WE'RE STARTING TO
SEE ABSENTEEISM IN WORK PLACES
AND STAFFING WILL BE A CHALLENGE
FOR THAT.
WE SHOULD ANTICIPATE THAT THOSE
THINGS WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE A
CHALLENGE FOR US.
I HEARD IT SAID, AND IT'S WORTH
REPEATING, ALTHOUGH OMICRON MAY
BE MILDER FOR INDIVIDUALS, IT'S
NOT AS MILD ON THE COMMUNITIES
AS IT HAS THE IMPACTS ON THE
HOSPITAL SYSTEMS AND WORK FORCES
AS THEY WILL BE IMPACTED IN THIS
WORK.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS
WE CONTINUE TO RAISE HERE AS OUR
SUCCESS HERE IN SEATTLE AND IN
THE KING COUNTY AREA IS OUR
VACCINE RATES ARE JUST
OUTSTANDING.
FOR FIVE AND OLDER, AS YOU CAN
SEE FROM THE GRAPH, WE ARE OVER
80% OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLETED
THEIR VACCINES.
AND NOW ALMOST AT 90% OF PEOPLE
WHO RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE.
THIS IS REALLY A HUGE TESTAMENT
TO THE PROTECTION THAT WE HAVE
GOING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO GOOD DATA POINTS.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE,
YOU SEE THE MAPS OF KING COUNTY
AS THOSE ARE DISTRIBUTED WHERE
OUR PROTECTION RATES COME INTO
PLAY.
A REMINDER FOR FOLKS, IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO GET THEIR
BOOSTERS WHEN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE
FOR BOOSTERS.
AND IN OUR COUNTY, WE HAVE DONE
OVER 800,000 BOOSTER SHOTS OR
THIRD DOSES HAVE BEEN
ADMINISTERED.
WE ARE PUSHING THAT NUMBER MORE.
THE DEMAND IS HIGH.
AND TRYING TO MEET THE DEMAND IN
A VARIETY OF WAYS OF INCREASING
ACCESS POINTS AND USING A
VARIETY OF MODALITIES.
PEOPLE ARE ELIGIBLE TO GET
APPOINTMENTS SCHEDULED.
WE'RE GETTING MORE CAPACITY IN
THE COMMUNITY AND HAVING INROADS
OF SUCCESS.
SO THE MESSAGE I WANT TO GET OUT
TO FOLKS IS IT IS IMPORTANT TO
CONTINUE TO SEE PEOPLE GETTING
VACCINATED.
IF YOU'RE NOT VACCINATED.
AND GET BOOSTED WHEN YOU'RE
ELIGIBLE TO BE BOOSTED.
AND GETTING OUR COLLEAGUES AND
OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND FAMILY
AND FRIENDS TO FOLLOW THAT
PIECE.
IF YOU NEED TO FIND A PLACE OF
WHERE TO GET VACCINATED, GO TO
THE KING COUNTY COVID VACCINE
SITE.
IT WILL HELP DIRECT PEOPLE TO
THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS.
ONE PIECE I WANT TO SHARE HERE,
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF -- I HAVE
HEARD FROM A FEW OF YOU, AS WELL
AS OTHER ELECTEDS THAT TESTING
HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE.
AND WE KNOW THAT THAT IS THE
CASE.
WHEN YOU HAVE SEEN THIS TEN-FOLD
INCREASE OF DISEASE IN THE
COMMUNITY, THAT MEANS EXPOSURES
ARE HIGH.
AND IT'S DRIVING THE DEMAND ON
OUR TESTING AREAS.
AND WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE
CAN TO MEET THAT DEMAND AS BEST
WE CAN.
WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO HELP BRING IN SOME
SITES.
AND TO OFFSET, WE HAVE
ORDERED A NUMBER OF RAPID TEST
KITS TO GET INTO THE COMMUNITY.
YOU HAVE HEARD THE GOVERNOR MAKE
THAT ANNOUNCEMENT.
NOT ALL OF THOSE HAVE ARRIVED
YET.
AND WHEN THEY DO, WE'LL GET
THOSE DISTRIBUTED TO THE
COMMUNITY.
PART OF OUR CHALLENGE ALSO WAS
DURING THE WINTER COLD WEATHER
SNAP THAT WE HAD AROUND THE
HOLIDAYS, WE HAD A REDUCED
CAPACITY AT THE SITES BECAUSE OF
WEATHER.
AND ALSO STAFFING CHALLENGES AS
WE ARE SEEING THE SURGE OF
OMICRON HAVING AN IMPACT ON OUR
OWN WORK FORCE TO SHOW UP AND
PROVIDE THE WORK THAT IS NEEDED.
THERE ARE TOUGH PINCH POINTS IN
TESTS.
BUT IT IS GETTING BETTER.
AT THE COUNTY, WE HAVE PURCHASED
OVER 700,000 TESTS.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO GET 100,000
TESTS DISTRIBUTED INTO THE
COMMUNITY AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
WE'RE PRIORITIZING THE INITIAL
TESTS INTO OUR HIGH-RISK
SETTINGS WHERE WE NEED TO AROUND
THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES,
ADULT FAMILY HOMES, THE
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES,
HEALTH CARE FACILITIES.
THEY ARE NEEDING HELP IN TESTING
THEIR OWN STAFF AND RESIDENTS IN
THESE CONGREGATE SETTINGS,
INCLUDING CORRECTIONAL
FACILITIES.
THE OUTBREAKS CONTINUE TO
INCREASE AT HIGH NUMBERS AND
CONCERNING FOR US OF OUR MOST
VULNERABLE FOLKS.
WE'RE PRIORITIZING OUR TEST KITS
TO THOSE AREAS AND GETTING THEM
OUT TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY,
COMMUNITY CENTERS, AND
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AS
WE GET THE TESTS IN.
ONCE IT'S THE SPIGOT ANALOGY,
WE'LL HAVE A BETTER FLOW FROM
THE FEDERAL PARTNERS AND FROM
THE STATE AND WHAT WE'RE
PURCHASING HERE LOCALLY.
I DO ANTICIPATE THIS WILL GET
BETTER OVER THE NEXT WEEK.
AND WE'LL MAKE SOME PROGRESS
HERE IN WHERE WE GO.
I KNOW SOME QUESTIONS HAVE
COME UP AROUND TESTING FOR
SCHOOLS.
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS
THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND IS DOING
A GOOD JOB IN MEETING THAT
DEMAND AND WORKING DIRECTLY WITH
SCHOOLS FOR THEIR OWN TESTING
PROGRAMS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A HIGH
COMMITMENT OF KEEPING IN-PERSON
LEARNING AS BEST WE CAN FOR OUR
STUDENTS.
IN THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, IN
MY CLOSING COMMENTS, IT'S MORE
OF THE SAME.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PROTECTIVE
FACTORS THAT ARE GOING WELL FOR
US IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE GOT THE RIGHT POLICIES
IN PLACE.
WE ARE REQUIRING MASKS TO BE
WORN IN INDOOR AREAS.
WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE TO ENFORCE
THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
MEETING THOSE THINGS THAT ARE
ALREADY IN PLACE.
WE OF COURSE HAVE VACCINE
MANDATES VERIFICATIONS IN PLACES
WHERE PEOPLE ARE GATHERING IN
INDOOR PLACES.
AND WE ARE, OF COURSE,
REITERATING THESE MESSAGES AS
HARD AS WE CAN AS GET
VACCINATED, GET BOOSTED NOW AT
FIVE MONTHS AFTER YOUR INITIAL
BOOSTER FOR ONE OF THE MRNAs OR
TWO MONTHS AFTER IN JOHNSON &
JOHNSON IF ELIGIBLE.
WEAR A HIGH-QUALITY,
GOOD-FITTING MASK.
WE'RE LEARNING MORE AND MORE IN
THE SCIENCE AROUND INDOOR
VENTILATION AND AIR QUALITY.
IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
AND IF PEOPLE ARE NEEDING TO
GATHER IN THOSE SPACES, GETTING
GOOD VENTILATION IN IS REALLY
CRITICAL.
AND AT THIS TIME, YOU KNOW,
ASKING PEOPLE TO TAKE AS MUCH OF
A BREAK AS THEY CAN AROUND
CROWDING IN INDOOR PLACES AND
KEEPING THE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
ALL THE SAME MESSAGES GIVEN AND
ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AS WE
MOVE FORWARD.
SO I WILL STOP THERE AND HAPPY
TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AROUND WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHAT
WE ARE ANTICIPATING IN THE NEXT
LITTLE BIT HERE.
.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING
SOME TIME TO BE HERE.
DO YOU HAVE A COUPLE MORE
MINUTES?
I KNOW YOU'RE PRESSED FOR TIME.
>> OF COURSE.
I WOULD LOVE TO HELP ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS.
IF WE CAN'T, WE'LL GET YOU BACK
THE RIGHT ANSWERS.
AND HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP BY EMAIL
IF NEEDED.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IF FOLKS CAN -- IN THE PANEL BY
VIRTUALLY RAISING YOUR HAND,
THAT HELPS ME SEE WHETHER OR NOT
YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
I HAVE TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
ONE RELATED TO THE HOSPITAL --
THE RISE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS.
AND I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN A CALL
TO ACTION RELATED TO THE RISE IN
HOSPITALIZATIONS FROM THE
WASHINGTON STATE MEDICAL
ASSOCIATION.
JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD
SPEAK TO WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN.
WE HAVE SEEN THE DATA ON THE
INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS,
BUT WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE
IMPACT OF THAT INCREASE ON
HOSPITAL CAPACITY LOCALLY?
AND THEN SECONDLY, JUST REALLY
APPRECIATE YOU RECOGNIZING THE
DIFFICULTIES AROUND TESTING.
AND I APPRECIATE THE
AVAILABILITY OF TESTS MADE
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND I APPRECIATE THE NEED TO
FOCUS ON VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
BUT WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE TO FOLKS
RIGHT NOW WHO NEED A TEST AND
ARE UNABLE TO FIND ONE?
.
>> YEAH.
YEAH.
LOTS OF GOOD QUESTIONS.
AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO
ANSWER THOSE.
LET'S START WITH
HOSPITALIZATIONS.
IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST CRITICAL
I HAVE SEEN OUR HOSPITAL
SITUATION IN AT LEAST MY TIME
HERE WITH THIS OMICRON VARIANT
BEING SO HIGH.
THE ISSUE IS ON SEVERAL
FRONTS.
ONE OF THEM IS THE STAFFING
CAPACITY ON THE FRONT END HAS
BEEN REALLY CHALLENGED.
NOT ONLY AS WE HAVE HEARD,
YOU KNOW, THROUGH REPORTING AND
OTHER INDUSTRIES, BUT THE GREAT
RESIGNATION DURING THIS TIME OF
COVID OF PEOPLE ELIGIBLE TO
RETIRE AND LEAVING THE FIELD HAS
CAUSED A TOUGH ROAD HERE.
AND NOW WITH OMICRON IN
PLACE AND THE HIGH INFECTION
RATES BEING IN THE THOUSANDS
EVERY DAY, WE KNOW THOSE NUMBERS
WE HAVE ARE UNDERREPORTED.
IT'S TAKING A TOLL ON PEOPLE
ABLE TO PROVIDE CARE AND ARE
BECOMING INFECTED AND WE HAVE
SEEN THE CDC CHANGE THEIR
GUIDELINES TO FIVE DAYS OR OTHER
STRATEGIES IN ORDER TO GET WORK
FORCE BACK AS QUICKLY AS THEY
CAN INTO THE ENVIRONMENTS TO
PROVIDE THE CARE THAT IS NEEDED.
SO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS
WORKING VERY CLOSELY ON THIS
ISSUE.
AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE WITH
DIRECTLY WITH THE HEALTH CARE
SYSTEM IN ORDER TO PROVIDE
ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AND SUPPORT
AS THEY CAN AROUND STAFFING
AREAS.
THE OTHER AREA THAT IS ON
THE BACK END OF THIS THAT IS
ALSO A CHALLENGE IS REALLY
AROUND DIFFICULT TO DISCHARGE.
AND AS WE LOOK AT SOME
FOLKS, WHETHER THEY ARE LIVING
UNHOUSED OR WHETHER THEY ARE
ELDERLY AND LIVE ALONE IS THEY
ARE NOT ABLE TO GO TO A CARE
FACILITY BECAUSE THE CARE
FACILITIES ARE HAVING OUTBREAKS
AND CAN'T ACCEPT NEW PEOPLE.
SO THERE'S JUST A PINCH POINT
THERE.
SO AGAIN, THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH IS WORKING TO STAND UP
SOME MAYBE ALTERNATIVE HEALTH
PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE
DISCHARGED AND CREATE MORE BEDS
TO BE AVAILABLE.
IT'S A MULTI-PRONG APPROACH.
AND NOT ONE EASY SOLUTION
TO ANY OF THEM.
IT'S A MULTI-FACTOR IN WORKING
CLOSELY WITH CALLS EVERY DAY TO
MAKE THE IMPROVED OUTCOME IN THE
WORK.
THAT'S ABOUT THE HEALTH CARE
SYSTEM.
REGARDING TESTING, WE'RE GOING
TO BE PUTTING OUT A BLOG TODAY,
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SEND THAT IF
YOU WANT TO SEND THAT OUT TO
OTHER FOLKS.
IF YOU CAN'T GET A TEST, FIND A
PLACE TO BE TESTED.
BUT THAT CAPACITY IS STARTING TO
OPEN UP A BIT MORE.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED,
ISOLATE AND QUARANTINE YOURSELF
AND NOT PUT YOU'RE OUT THERE
UNTIL YOU GET A TEST.
GIVE IT A FEW DAYS.
IF SYMPTOMS OCCUR, DON'T
CIRCULATE.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW,
JUST THE PROTECTIVE FACTORS YOU
CAN DO IN NOT SPREADING THE
VIRUS UNTIL YOU CAN GET A TEST.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S
GOING TO CHANGE IN THE NEXT WEEK
IN PARTICULAR.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE SENDING
OUT THE MESSAGES ABOUT WHAT
FOLKS CAN DO IN THE SHORT RUN.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
OTHER COUNCILMEMBERS, DO
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR
WOR THAM
WAR KSHAMA?
I'M NOT SEEING ADDITIONAL RAISED
HANDS.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT EVERYBODY
AT SEATTLE KING COUNTY PUBLIC
HEALTH ARE DOING NOW AND OVER
THE LAST NEARLY TWO YEARS NOW.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
APPRECIATE YOU MAKING THE EXTRA
TIME TODAY.
AND OUR HEARTS AND THOUGHTS
ARE WITH YOU AS YOU DO THIS
REALLY IMPORTANT AND DIFFICULT
WORK AT A TIME WHERE I KNOW
PEOPLE ARE REALLY STRESSED OUT
AND BURNT OUT.
BUT NEVER RISING TO THE
OCCASION.
THANK YOU.
.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO
SUPPORT YOU IN GETTING THE
MESSAGES OUT, LET US KNOW.
WE APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP.
ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> HAPPY NEW YEAR.
>>> ALL RIGHT.
ALEX, COULD YOU READ IN AGENDA
ITEM NUMBER THREE?
>> BRIEFING ON THE DECEMBER 9
EMERGENCY 911 SYSTEM OUTAGE.
BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR LOMBARD FOR
BEING HERE.
ARE YOU THE ONLY PRESENTER
TODAY?
>> I AM.
>> OKAY.
I'LL HAND IT OVER TO YOU AND
INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US
WHO YOU ARE AND WHY YOU'RE HERE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR
HERBOLD.
AND GOOD MORNING
PRESIDENT JUAREZ AND OTHER
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I'M THE INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR THE
COMMUNITY SAFETY AND
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER.
AND SO COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD
ASKED THAT I PROVIDE A BRIEFING
ON THE 911 OUTAGE THAT WE HAD
LAST WEEK -- I'M SORRY, LAST
MONTH.
AND THEN GIVE YOU GUYS A
COUPLE OF OTHER QUICK UPDATES ON
WHERE WE ARE WITH THE FORMING OF
THIS NEW CITY DEPARTMENT.
IF WE COULD GET THE SLIDES
UP.
CLERK, YOU WANT ME
TO -- I HAVE COPIES.
>> I CAN GET IT FOR YOU.
>> OKAY.
THERE WE GO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY.
ON THE FIRST SLIDE IS -- ALMOST
THERE.
.
>> ARE YOU SEEING THAT NOW,
DIRECTOR?
>> I'M SEEING IT.
YES.
IF WE COULD PSYCHOLOGICAL UP.
ON THE FIRST SLIDE TO REPORT
HERE, WE HAVE REPORTED TO
COUNCIL LAST YEAR AND COUNCIL
HAS BEEN MONITORING SOME OF THE
STAFFING CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE
HAD.
THIS IS -- WE CONTINUE TO BE
SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERSTAFFED.
THIS IS ACTUALLY NOT JUST A CITY
OF SEATTLE CHALLENGE, BUT IT'S
ALSO THE OTHER 911 CENTERS
THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
AND ACTUALLY A NATIONWIDE ISSUE.
WE HAD BEEN EVEN WITH THAT
AGGRESSIVELY TRYING TO HIRE AND
FILL SOME OF OUR SPOTS.
DOING LOTS OF RECRUITING.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE VACCINE
MANDATE, FOR ALL OF ITS
BENEFITS, STILL SET US BACK
ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS.
WE LOST APPROXIMATELY 10% OF THE
WORK FORCE DUE TO THE VACCINE
MANDATES.
THAT STARTED US OVER.
I HAVE CIRCLED SOME OF THE
NUMBERS.
THE COMMUNICATIONS DISPATCHER
NUMBER ONE, THAT'S OUR 911 CALL
TAKERS.
YOU CAN SEE WE ARE AT LESS THAN
HALF OF THE ALLOCATED STAFFING
THERE.
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE STRUGGLING
THE MOST WITH 911 CALLS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THE DISPATCHER
2s AND 3s THAT WILL STEP IN AND
TRY TO ANSWER THE CALLS.
AND THIS GETS TO THE ISSUE WE
HAVE REPORTED PREVIOUSLY ON THE
NONEMERGENCY OR THE SPD BUSINESS
LINE BEING SHUT DOWN OR
SHUTTERED DURING DIFFERENT TIMES
OF THE DAY.
AND I'LL REPORT MORE ON THAT IN
A LITTLE BIT.
OUR TOTAL NUMBERS FOR 2021 YOU
CAN SEE CIRCLED IN RED AT THE
BOTTOM.
WE LOST A RECORD NUMBER OF
PEOPLE, 33 PEOPLE.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS DUE TO THE
COVID VACCINE MANDATE.
THIS IS STRESS.
THIS IS SPILLOVER FROM SOME OF
THE PROTESTING AND WHATNOT FROM
THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE ALMOST A
RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE AS WELL,
THE 23.
THAT WAS A NET CHANGE OF A LOSS
OF 10 PEOPLE.
THE GOOD NEWS, WE DID JUST START
YET ANOTHER CLASS JUST THIS LAST
FRIDAY OF SIX PEOPLE.
WE HAVE BEEN DOING CLASSES ABOUT
EVERY MONTH AND A HALF TO TRY TO
GET THOSE PEOPLE HIRED AND
TRAINED INTO THE POSITIONS.
WE CONTINUE OUR -- WE ARE
CONTINUING TO TRY TO HIRE OUR
BACK OFFICE SUPPORT STAFF.
THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
HAS BEEN HELPING -- I'M SORRY,
HURTING OUR RECRUITING POTENTIAL
IS THAT WE ARE NOT YET FULLY
STAFFED OUT AS A DEPARTMENT.
WE, LIKE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS,
ARE STRUGGLING TO HIRE HR
POSITIONS, FINANCES POSITIONS,
AND MANY MORE.
THE CITY HAS MANY OF THE VACANT
POSITIONS POSTED.
LIKE SO MANY INDUSTRIES, A LOT
OF PEOPLE ARE NOT APPLYING FOR
JOBS RIGHT NOW.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I
WANTED TO REPORT BACK TO
COUNCIL, I KNOW AT THE END OF
THE YEAR, THERE WAS A LOT OF
QUESTIONS FROM YOU AS FAR AS THE
IMPACT OF THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION'S HIRING
INCENTIVES.
AS A REMINDER, THOSE INCENTIVES
FOR $10,000 FOR NEW HIRES AND UP
TO $25,000 FOR LATERALS.
WE DID SEE ABOUT A FIVE-FOELD
INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS
YEARS.
THIS IS GOOD.
THIS HELPED THE NUMBERS LOOK A
LOT BETTER THAN THEY WOULD HAVE
OTHERWISE.
THESE INCENTIVES ARE THE HIGHEST
IN THE NATION, WHICH WAS A
PHENOMENAL STATEMENT AS FAR AS
THE VALUE THAT SEATTLE PUTS INTO
OUR 911 SYSTEM AND 911 CALL
TAKERS AND DISPATCHERS.
CLASSROOM TRAINING TYPICALLY
TAKES FOUR WEEKS AND IS FOLLOWED
BY SIX TO SEVEN WEEKS OF
TRAINING ON THE FLOOR WHERE
PEOPLE WITH SUPERVISION ARE
TAKING 911 CALLS AND LEARNING
THE CRAFT.
SO A NEW HIRE CAN TAKE THREE
MONTHS TO FULLY VEST.
THE NUMBERS YOU SEE THERE SINCE
THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME OUT,
THAT'S THE 393 APPLICATIONS.
THAT REFERS TO THE FIVE-FOLD
INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS
YEARS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
JUST SOME NUMBERS ON WHERE
WE ARE WITH THE 911 ANSWERING.
AGAIN, I MENTIONED IT.
WE HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH THE
LACK OF NUMBERS HERE.
FOR THE LAST WEEK, THE
STATISTICS HERE, THE STANDARD
AND OUR HOPE IS TO ANSWER 90% OF
THE 911 CALLS WITHIN 15 SECONDS.
WE WERE ABLE TO MEET THAT PRETTY
CLOSE.
YOU CAN SEE THE AVERAGE WAS
ABOUT 89.73.
EVEN WITH OUR STAFFING CRUNCH,
WE ARE JUST BARELY UNDER THE
STANDARD.
NO AGAIN, WE HAVE TAKEN --.
>> ROUND UP.
>> WE HAVE MADE ALL KINDS --
YES, ROUND UP.
YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGE, OF
COURSE, IS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN
ALL KINDS OF MEASURES TO GET TO
THAT POINT.
YOU KNOW, NOT ANSWERING
SPD'S BUSINESS LINE AND TAKING
INCREDIBLY LONG TIMES TO ANSWER
SOME OF THE SECONDARY CALLS TO
DO THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE
PRIORITY BEING ON ACTIVE ONGOING
EMERGENCIES.
SO THE HOPE IS THAT AS WE GET
MORE PEOPLE, WE CAN START TO
ROUND OUT THE BETTER CUSTOMER
SERVICE, TAKING MORE TIME TO
ANSWER PEOPLE AND HELP THEM WITH
WHATEVER CHALLENGES THAT HAVE
LED THEM TO CALL 911.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
>> BEFORE WE MOVE ON, ON THAT,
YOU KNOW, THOSE FRACTIONS OF A
SECOND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, CAN
MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN
SOMEBODY'S HEALTH, SAFETY, AND
CALLING 911.
SO I DON'T MEAN TO MAKE LIGHT OF
YOUR EFFORTS TO MEET THAT
NATIONAL STANDARD.
AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO
THE EFFORTS TO STAFF UP, THE 393
APPLICATIONS THAT YOU HAVE
RECEIVED SINCE THE INCENTIVE
ANNOUNCEMENT, HAVE YOU ALREADY
GONE THROUGH THAT BUNCH TO
DETERMINE HOW MANY ARE VIABLE
APPLICATIONS?
JUST SO WE CAN GET A SENSE
ON HOW THAT -- I UNDERSTAND
THAT'S -- THE INCENTIVES ALLOWED
YOU TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF
APPLICATIONS FIVE TIMES, BUT I
THINK AN IMPORTANT METRIC IS TO
LOOK AT WHETHER OR NOT THAT
INCREASE IS REPRESENTATIVE OF
THE APPLICANTS AS WELL.
>> SURE.
IF THE CLERK COULD GO BACK A
COUPLE OF SLIDES -- THERE WE GO.
RIGHT THERE.
IF YOU LOOK BELOW THE CIRCLED
ONES, YOU SEE A MATH GAME.
THE MORE PEOPLE APPLYING AND WE
LOSE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE TO THE
TESTING PROCESS AND THE
INTERVIEWS AND SO ON AND SO
FORTH.
WHAT YOU SEE BELOW THERE ARE THE
DIFFERENT STEPS IN THE PROCESS.
>> ONLY 22 OF THE 393 ARE FOLKS
THAT YOU SELECTED FOR
INTERVIEWS?
>> JUST FOR THIS PERIOD RIGHT
HERE.
SO IT'S KIND OF AN ONGOING
PROCESS.
WE SWITCHED SO THAT OUR
APPLICATION PROCESS ISN'T LIKE
IN WINDOWS NOW.
IT'S JUST ONGOING.
AS THEY COME IN, WE PUSH THEM TO
THE TESTING PROCESS.
ONCE THEY GO OUT OF TESTING, YOU
KNOW, WE'RE DOING INTERVIEWS,
BACKGROUND, PSYCHS.
COUNCILMEMBER, IF YOU WERE TO
TOTAL UP THE NUMBERS, 22 PLUS 11
PLUS 9 PLUS 7, THAT GIVES YOU A
BETTER PICTURE OF HOW MANY OF
THE 393 ARE GETTING PUSHED
THROUGH AT ANY GIVEN TIME, GIVEN
THE LIMITATIONS OF HOW MANY WE
CAN INTERVIEW IN A GIVEN TIME,
HOW MANY THE TESTING COMPANY CAN
DO AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
>> THAT'S SUPER HELPFUL.
THANK YOU.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT I AM
SUPPORTIVE OF A 2022 BONUS
INCENTIVE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
AND I KNOW THAT THE EXECUTIVE IS
INTENDING TO PREPARE A REPORT ON
THE COUNCIL'S REQUEST.
IT'S DUE IN MARCH.
THE SOONER WE GET IT, I THINK
THE SOONER WE CAN HAVE THESE
DISCUSSIONS.
THE OLD 2021 INCENTIVE BONUS
PROGRAM WAS ONLY FOR CSCC AND
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
OUR REQUEST IS TO LOOK AT WHAT
THE NEEDS ARE CITY WIDE.
I DON'T WANT TO PREFERENCE THE
WORK OF ONE DEPARTMENT -- AND
THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKERS IN ONE
DEPARTMENT OVER THE OTHER.
THAT'S WHY I'M PLEASED THAT THE
COUNCIL AGREED THAT WE NEED A
CITY WIDE ANALYSIS OF EACH
DEPARTMENT AND DESIGN AN
INCENTIVE BONUS PROGRAM THAT
SERVES THE GREAT NEEDS OF
EMPLOYEES IN ALL OF OUR
DEPARTMENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE
PUBLIC RECEIVING SERVICE FROM
ALL OF THESE DEPARTMENTS.
I WANT TO STATE ON THE RECORD
HERE THAT THE SOONER WE GET THAT
INFORMATION BACK FROM THE
EXECUTIVE, THE SOONER WE CAN
HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT A
2022 BONUS INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER.
OKAY.
SO I MADE A QUICK REFERENCE ON
WHAT THAT MEANS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN DOING
EVERYTHING.
WE HAVE BEEN THROWING ALL OF OUR
RESOURCES AT 911.
HERE IS THE DOWN SIDE OR THE
NEGATIVE IMPACT.
FROM THE TIME PERIOD LISTED, WE
WERE UNABLE TO ANSWER SPD'S
NONEMERGENCY LINE 15.6% OF THE
TIME.
WE'RE ABLE TO ANSWER IT IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, BUT THERE'S
NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE CALLING THE
BUSINESS LINE IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE NIGHT.
DISTRIBUTION CURVES BEING WHAT
THEY ARE, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS
QUITE A FEW HOURS DURING THE DAY
THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ANSWER IT
BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING ALL OF THE
RESOURCES TO 911.
IT'S SPORADIC.
SOME OF THE OUTAGES HAVE BEEN AS
LOW AS 5 TO 15 MINUTES.
SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN A COUPLE
OF HOURS LONG.
AGAIN, WE ARE TRYING TO DO AS
MUCH AS WE CAN WITH THE PEOPLE
AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
>> DO PEOPLE RECEIVE AN
AUTOMATED MESSAGE WHEN YOU'RE
UNABLE TO --.
>> YES.
.
>> AND DO YOU DIRECT THOSE FOLKS
TO ONLINE REPORTING?
.
>> YEP.
YEP.
GREAT QUESTION.
SO THE AUTOMATED MESSAGING HAS
TWO PARTS.
IT HAS A MESSAGING THAT CAN
REFER PEOPLE TO OTHER RESOURCES,
ONLINE REPORTS AND WHATNOT.
AND EVENTUALLY, INTO A PRESS ONE
FOR, PRESS TWO FOR TO GET THEM
TO SOME OTHER RESOURCES.
SO YES, YOU'RE CORRECT, IT IS
NOT JUST A STRICTLY TOO BAD, SO
SAD.
.
>> THANK YOU.
AND FOR FOLKS LISTENING, WHAT
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS FOR THE
NONEMERGENCY LINE.
.
>> CORRECT.
THIS IS ANOTHER PROJECT
THAT COUNCIL WAS VERY
ENTHUSIASTIC IN SUPPORT FOR LAST
YEAR.
THIS IS THE DISPATCH PROTOCOL
PROJECT
THE EFFORT IN THIS PROJECT IS TO
REALLY GET A SOFTWARE PACKAGE
THAT WILL HELP THE 911 CALL
TAKERS BE A LOT MORE CONSISTENT
IN HOW THEY ARE TAKING,
SCREENING, AND RESOURCING
DIFFERENT INCOMING 911 CALLS.
OUR HOPE IS THAT THIS IS WORKING
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TRIAGE
ONE PROGRAM, MENTIONED
PREVIOUSLY AS FAR AS NONPOLICE
RESOURCES.
THIS IS ALSO PART OF TRYING TO
IMPROVE REDUCING OR DIMINISHING
BIAS IN CALLS.
AND AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO GET
OVERALL MORE CONSISTENCY TO HELP
QUALITY ASSURANCE, OUR METRICS,
AND EVERYTHING.
THE PROJECT TEAM HAD ITS FIRST
OPERATIONAL MEETING LAST WEEK.
THE RED STAR IS WHERE WE ARE.
WE'RE GETTING READY TO START
WITH THE RFP PROCESS TO IDENTIFY
THE DIFFERENT VENDORS IN THIS
SPACE AND WHO MIGHT HAVE THE
BEST FIT OR BEST SOLUTION FOR
SEATTLE AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING
FOR.
WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO FINISH
THAT UP BY JUNE OF THIS YEAR AND
START BUILDING AND IMPLEMENTING
THE PRODUCT IN JUNE.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS AN
EXCITING ONE.
WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.
AND THEN, AGAIN, HOPEFULLY
FINISHING UP BY THE END OF THE
YEAR.
>> AND I JUST WANT TO FLAG HERE,
ONE, I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED
THAT THE RFP PROCESS IS FIVE
MONTHS.
I'M CONCERNED THAT WE'RE JUST
GETTING STARTED ON IT, GIVEN THE
FACT THAT WHEN WE TALKED DURING
THE COUNCIL'S DELIBERATIONS ON
THE BIENNIAL BUDGET ADJUSTMENT,
WE DECIDED IT WAS NOT AN IDEA TO
WAIT ON THE DELIBERATIONS FOR
THE 2022 BUDGET.
CSCC WOULD NOT HAVE THE FUNDS
AVAILABLE TO DO THE RFP AND
DEVELOP THE RFP UNTIL THE
BEGINNING OF 2022.
AND SO THE COUNCIL'S ACTION ON
GETTING THOSE DOLLARS FOR THE
DISPATCH PROTOCOL PROJECT IN, I
BELIEVE, AUGUST, EARLY AUGUST,
MID-AUGUST, BEFORE THE BREAK WAS
INTENDED TO MAKE THE DELIVERY OF
THE PROJECT HAPPEN MORE QUICKLY
THAN IF WE HAD WAITED UNTIL THE
BUDGET DISCUSSIONS FOR 2022 THAT
WOULD NOT BE IN EFFECT UNTIL
NOW.
SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD
SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THE TIME
LINE HERE AND HOW WHAT IS
PROPOSED MIGHT NOT QUITE MEET
OUR HOPES AND DREAMS WHEN WE
DISCUSSED THIS BACK IN LATE JULY
AND EARLY AUGUST?
.
>> YEAH.
THANK YOU.
I SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATION,
COUNCILMEMBER.
SO WHAT WE HAVE BEEN RUNNING
INTO IS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW,
WITHOUT BEING TOO DISPARAGING,
CITY PROCESS.
BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE
PROJECT, THE FUNDING INVOLVED,
AND THE MAGNITUDE, IT HAD TO BE
ASSIGNED A PROJECT MANAGER.
THERE WAS A VETTING PROCESS TO
GET THAT THAT INVOLVED OTHER
DEPARTMENTS.
WE HAD TO COMPETE WITH ALL OF
THE I.T.
PROJECTS IN THE CITY.
NOW, AGAIN, FORTUNATELY, WE
ENDED UP ON TOP BECAUSE OF THE
PUBLIC SAFETY NATURE AND THE
IMPACT THAT THIS HAS ON POLICE
AND ON FIRE AND ON OTHER
DEPARTMENTS.
BUT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THE
PROCESS, NONETHELESS.
SO THAT CHEWS UP A COUPLE OF
WEEKS.
ONCE THEY IDENTIFIED THE PROJECT
MANAGER, ALL OF THIS STUFF THAT
YOU SEE, AGAIN, UNFORTUNATELY
IS, AGAIN, NOT TRYING TO DIS ON
MY BELOVED CITY HERE, BUT IT IS
BUREAU BUREAU SI IN THE HOOPS WE
HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH.
THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD,
THE FAST TRACKING FOR THE
PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE
ADHERING WITH OUR OWN RULES AND
REGULATIONS TO HAVE AN OPEN AND
FAIR PROCESS.
IF THAT HELPS.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR.
AND THE REASON WHY THIS PROTOCOL
PROJECT IS SO IMPORTANT IS IT
ALLOWS THE DISPATCHERS TO ASK A
SET OF QUESTIONS THAT WILL HELP
FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF OTHER
NONUNIFORM POLICE RESPONSES.
IT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT NEEDS TO BE
IN PLACE BEFORE WE MAKE POLICY
CHANGES.
AND THE POLICY CHANGES, WE HAVE
OFTEN TALKED ABOUT THEM AS BEING
DRIVEN BY DESIRE FOR BETTER
OUTCOMES BY HAVING PEOPLE WHO
ARE BETTER TRAINED AND BETTER
EQUIPPED TO RESPOND TO CERTAIN
911 CALLS THAT DON'T REQUIRE A
UNIFORMED OFFICER.
GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SUCH
A REDUCED NUMBER OF POLICE
OFFICERS NOW TO RESPOND TO THOSE
HIGH PRIORITY 911 CALLS, THERE'S
ALSO A PUBLIC SAFETY URGENCY
ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT
OF ALTERNATIVES.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POLICE
OFFICERS TO RESPOND TO ALL THE
CALLS THAT 911 RECEIVES.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
OFFICERS ARE NOT RESPONDING TO
THINGS THAT THEY DON'T NEED TO
RESPOND TO.
NOT JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT
THE NEGATIVE OUTCOMES THAT
SOMETIMES HAPPEN, BUT WE WANT
THE OFFICERS TO RESPOND TO ONLY
THE THINGS THAT THEY CAN.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
OFFICERS TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT
THERE'S A PUBLIC SAFETY INTEREST
AS WELL AS IT RELATES TO SORT OF
TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY AS
OPPOSED TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY
SAFETY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
IN BEING ABLE TO RESPOND QUICKLY
TO THOSE CALLS.
COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS?
>> THANK YOU, MADAME CHAIR.
I WANT TO JUMP IN AND ECHO THAT
URGENCY.
AND I REALLY WANT TO APPLAUD
DIRECTOR LOMBARD FOR WORKING IN
CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES TO TRY
TO EMPHASIZE THE SHARED URGENCY
THAT THE COUNCIL HAS FOR THIS
PROJECT.
I HAD THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF
TAKING A TOUR WHILE THE DIRECTOR
WAS UNFORTUNATELY IN WASHINGTON,
D.C., ON A TRIP.
SO I COULDN'T JOIN HIM IN
PERSON, BUT A TOUR OF THE 911
CALL CENTER WHERE A LOT OF THE
CONCERNS WERE LAID THERE BY THE
FOLKS WORKING THERE IN TERMS OF
WANTING THE NEW TOOLS AND
SERVICES, WANTING THE ABILITY TO
BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE CALLS
FOR SERVICE FROM SEATTLE
RESIDENTS.
AND I DO JUST WANT TO FURTHER
SUPPORT CHAIR HERBOLD'S POINT.
WE ALL ARE REALLY WELL AWARE
THAT THERE IS A BOTTLENECK IN
POLICE HIRING THAT IS GOING
ALONG WITH THE DEFICIT IN POLICE
OFFICERS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
THE COUNCIL FOR TWO YEARS IN A
ROW HAS FULLY FUNDED A POLICE
HIRING CLASS.
THERE'S ALWAYS ATRANSITION AS
PEOPLE ARE COMING IN, PEOPLE ARE
GOING OUT.
THERE'S HIGHER THAN USUAL
ATRANSITION OVER THE COURSE OF
THE LAST TWO YEARS.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HIRE SOME
OF THESE OTHER SERVICES THAT CAN
TAKE ON CERTAIN CALLS TO FREE UP
THE POLICE TO DO THINGS ONLY THE
POLICE CAN DO.
AND JUST IN TERMS OF THESE
SESSIONS BEING HELPFUL FOR
ISSUES FOR THE INCOMING
ADMINISTRATION, I WOULD CONTINUE
TO PUT A FINE POINT ON ANYTHING
THAT CAN BE DONE TO FAST TRACK
THE DISPATCH PROTOCOL FROM THE
INCOMING ADMINISTRATION IS GOING
TO BE TIME WELL SPENT TO RESPOND
TO THE SOCIAL SERVICE AND PUBLIC
SAFETY EMERGENCY ON THE STREET.
AND I WANT TO LIFT UP THE
EFFORTS OF THE DIRECTOR AND
ACCENT WAIT THIS IS A COUNCIL
PRIORITY ON MOVING THESE
DEADLINES FASTER, IF POSSIBLE.
SO THANK YOU.
.
>> THANK YOU.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE.
BASED ON WHAT BOTH OF YOU WERE
SAYING, THIS IS ONE OF THE
ALTERNATIVES.
SO JUST A QUICK RECAP AS WE WERE
COMING IN TO THE HOLIDAY SEASON
AT THE END OF THE YEAR, COUNCIL
HAD TALKED AND WORKING WITH
COUNCIL, WE AGREED THAT
LAUNCHING BOTH THE PROTOCOL AND
THE TRIAGE ONE PROGRAM
SIMULTANEOUSLY, THAT WOULD GET
THINGS GOING A LOT FASTER AS
OPPOSED TO DOING THE PROTOCOLS
AND TRYING TO BUILD THE TRIAGE
ONE SYSTEM.
AS COUNCIL KNOWS IN THE
BRIEFINGS TOWARD THE END OF LAST
YEAR, WORKING WITH THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT, USING THE EXISTING
MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTH PROGRAM
TO HELP US BUILD THE CSCC
RESOURCE, WE WANTED -- LABOR
EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN TALKING
WITH FIRE AND CSCC AS WE'RE
BUILDING IT OUT TO WHERE ARE THE
LINES BETWEEN THE FIREFIGHTERS
AND EMTs AND THE PATROL OFFICERS
úIN THE HEALTH PRACTITIONERS AND
WHATNOT THAT MIGHT BE IN THE
MIDDLE PROGRAM.
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT LAST
WEEK, WE KICKED OFF THOSE
MEETINGS RIGHT AFTER THE NEW
YEAR.
HAD OUR FIRST MEETING WITH LABOR
TO WORK THROUGH THE ISSUES AND
EXPRESS, YOU KNOW, WHERE THIS IS
THE MIDDLE GROUND THAT, AS WE
HAVE DISCUSSED, THAT THERE MAY
OR MAY NOT BE OVERLAP ON THE
SPECTRUM TRYING TO IDENTIFY,
OKAY, YOU KNOW, WHOSE BODY OF
WORK IS WHAT?
AND WHERE IS THIS NEUTRAL ZONE
IN BETWEEN.
I WILL REPORT MORE IN THE FUTURE
ON HOW THE MEETINGS ARE
PROCESSING.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO
KEEP MOVING THIS PROJECT
FORWARD.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
ALL RIGHT.
SO THE OUTAGE.
I'LL GET TO THIS QUICKLY AND
KIND OF SUMMARIZE WHAT HAPPENED.
DECEMBER 9th, 2021, LAST YEAR,
WE HAD A STATEWIDE OUTAGE THAT
OCCURRED IN THE AFTERNOON.
THE COMPANY THAT HAS WHAT'S
CALLED THE INTERNET THAT
CONNECTS ALL THE 911 CENTERS IN
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON AND
ROUTES ALL THE 911 TRAFFIC, THE
COMPANY WAS DOING MAINTENANCE ON
THIS NET THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
NORMALLY, THERE'S A COUPLE
REDUNDANCIES BUILT INTO THE
SYSTEM AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO
SWITCH TO THE B SIDE OF THIS.
FOR WHATEVER REASON, THIS DID
NOT HAPPEN.
WE DON'T KNOW YET WHY THAT
DIDN'T HAPPEN.
BOTH THE STATE OFFICE AND KING
COUNTY IS INVESTIGATING AND
SHOULD HAVE FEEDBACK ON THAT
SOON.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT FAILURE
OCCURS IS THAT 911 LINES THEN
GET ROUTED TO ALTERNATIVES FOR
EVERY SINGLE 911 CENTER.
IN OUR CASE, WE HAVE A
SECONDARY OR BACKUP.
AND THEN OUR NONEMERGENCY -- I'M
SORRY, NOT THE SECONDARY LINE,
BUT AN ALARM COMPANY REPORTING
LINE AND THE BACKUP LINE, AS WE
HAVE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IN
THIS PRESENTATION.
NEXT SLIDE.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE
FOUND IS THAT WHEN 911 LINES
START COMING IN ON THOSE, IT
DOESN'T PRESENT NORMALLY WITH
THE CALLER ID.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE CONFUSION
THAT HAPPENS FROM THE CALL
TAKER'S PERSPECTIVE AS FAR AS
NOT RECOGNIZING IT RIGHT AWAY AS
AN OUTAGE.
THE OUTAGE ONLY LASTED JUST OVER
AN HOUR.
15:21 TO 16:43 HOURS.
WHAT HAPPENED IS OUR FOLKS DID
QUICKLY REALIZE THAT THOSE WERE
EMERGENCY NUMBERS COMING IN.
PART OF THE OTHER ASPECT OF THE
CHANGE THAT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO
IDENTIFY IS THAT IT WASN'T
IMMEDIATE.
WE WERE STILL GETTING SOME LINES
OR SOME EMERGENCIES COMING IN ON
911 AS WELL.
SO ONCE WE IDENTIFIED IT,
OUR SUPERVISORS WERE ABLE TO
JUMP ON IT, CONFIRM THAT, IN
FACT, 911 CALLS WERE COMING
THROUGH SOME OF THE NONEMERGENCY
LINES.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE BUSINESS ONE
THAT WE SHUT ON, SHUT OFF.
SO THE SUPERVISOR TURNED THAT ON
AND DIRECTED ALL THE 911 CALLERS
TO START ANSWERING ALL THOSE
LINES WITH EQUAL PRIORITY,
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT WAS THE
BUSINESS LINE OR A 911 LINE,
KNOWING THAT WE WERE GETTING
EMERGENCY CALLS COMING IN ON
BOTH.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
EVEN WITH THE HICCUP CAUSED
BY THE FAILURE, FOR THE FIRST
PART OF THIS EVENT, WE DID
RECOGNIZE THAT CALL VOLUMES
ACTUALLY WERE PRESENT CONSISTENT
FOR THIS HOUR.
SO WE DON'T BELIEVE WE LOST ANY
911 CALLS.
WE FEEL THAT THEY CAME IN, THEY
PROBABLY JUST CAME IN ON
DIFFERENT LINES AND WHATNOT.
CALL VOLUME, AT LEAST FOR THE
FIRST PART OF IT, WAS PRETTY
CONSISTENT.
BECAUSE WE WEREN'T SURE OF THE
CAUSE OR OF THE NATURE, BECAUSE
WE SUSPECTED THAT SOME 911 CALLS
MAY HAVE BEEN GETTING DROPPED,
AND AGAIN IN THE FIRST MOMENTS
AFTER THIS HAPPENS, THERE'S A
LOT OF SIZE UP AND
TROUBLESHOOTING TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT HAPPENED.
WE STARTED COORDINATING WITH THE
FIRE ALARM CENTER AND WITH THE
EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER.
SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO
SEND OUT AN ALERT SEATTLE
MESSAGE TO THOSE WITHIN THE CITY
OF SEATTLE THAT IF PEOPLE WERE
NOT ABLE TO CONNECT TO 911, THEN
TO CALL THE TWO BACKUP OR THE
BUSINESS LINE NUMBERS.
AND ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES.
I HAVE GOT THE ACTUAL TEXT OF
THE MESSAGE SENT THERE.
THE PUBLIC ALERTS WERE SENT OUT
BY SPD'S TWITTER.
AND AGAIN, THE OFFICE OF
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN SEATTLE.
SO WE IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS
THAT ARE BEING LOOKED INTO.
THE WEA MESSAGES, THOSE ARE
SIMILAR TO THE AMBER ALERTS AND
THE SILVER ALERTS WE GET.
UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THOSE
MESSAGES WENT WAY BEYOND JUST
THE CITY OF SEATTLE OR THOSE IN
SEATTLE THAT HAVE REQUESTED TO
GET ALERT SEATTLE MESSAGES.
THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM.
ONE OF THE OTHER PARTS OF THE
PROBLEMS IS MANY, MANY, MANY OF
THOSE RECEIVING THE MESSAGE, FOR
WHATEVER REASON, WHETHER THEY
DIDN'T READ IT OR MISUNDERSTOOD
IT, BOTH REASONS THAT WERE
LOOKING AT THE MESSAGE CONTENT
AND HOW TO CLARIFY IT FURTHER,
THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED
TO CALL THESE NUMBERS.
SO BECAUSE OF THESE COMBINATIONS
OF EFFORTS, A MESSAGE THAT
PEOPLE DIDN'T READ COMPLETELY, A
MESSAGE THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO
REFORM A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN A
MESSAGE THAT WENT WAY BEYOND
SEATTLE THAT WE THOUGHT, WE
BASICALLY IMPOSED LIKE A
SELF-IMPOSED DENIAL OF SERVICE.
WE SAW A HUGE SURGE IN CALLS
THAT HAPPENED ALMOST RIGHT AFTER
IT HAPPENED.
THANK YOU FOR THE SLIDE THERE.
WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS THE
BIG SPIKE WENT OUT ABOUT A
MINUTE AFTER THE CALL.
WE WENT FROM ABOUT TWO OR THREE
CALLS IN THE MINUTE BEFORE TO UP
TO 40.
NOW, EACH OF THE LINES COMING IN
TO SEATTLE CAN ONLY HANDLE 40
CALLS AT A TIME.
THAT'S THE NUMBER WE HAVE COMING
IN TO THE CITY.
AND THEN IT BUSIES OUT.
ALL OF THOSE MAXED IN A MINUTE.
THE FLOOR WAS GOING CRAZY.
EVERYBODY REPORTED ALL HANDS ON
DECK.
GO AHEAD AND ADVANCE TO THE NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE.
IN THE FOLLOWING HOUR AFTER
THE MESSAGING WENT OUT, WE SAW A
SURGE OF OVER 1,000 CALLS TO
911.
ALMOST ALL OF THOSE WERE
DETERMINED TO BE, AGAIN, PEOPLE
CALLING SAYING AM I SUPPOSED TO
REPORT OR SUPPOSED TO CHECK THIS
NUMBER?
OR IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH 911?
UNFORTUNATELY, SOUNDS LIKE
WE NEED TO DO PUBLIC MESSAGING
AS FAR AS DON'T CALL 911 IF YOU
DON'T HAVE AN EMERGENCY.
THIS WAS AN INCREASE OF 1200%
OVER WHAT WE NORMALLY GET.
THE NORMAL FOR THAT HOUR DURING
THE DAY IS 79 CALLS.
THEY RECORDED THE OUTAGE WAS
RESOLVED ABOUT 16:43 HOURS.
SHORTLY AFTER, THE OPERATIONS
BEGAN TO STABILIZE.
>> I UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE WHERE
PEOPLE MISREAD THE MESSAGE THAT
DIDN'T TELL THEM TO CALL, BUT
TOLD THEM IF THEY HAD AN
EMERGENCY, THIS IS WHERE YOU
CALL.
CAN YOU SPEAK -- THAT'S HUMAN
ERROR AND MAYBE THERE'S THE TEXT
COULD HAVE BEEN WORDED
DIFFERENTLY OR MAYBE NO MATTER
HOW IT WAS WORDED, THERE'S GOING
TO BE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
GOING TO MISINTERPRET IT.
ON THE OTHER ELEMENT WHERE THE
ANNOUNCEMENT WENT OUT TO PEOPLE
OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE,
FOLKS WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE
RECEIVED THE ANNOUNCEMENT, CAN
YOU SPEAK TO WHY THAT HAPPENED?
>> SURE.
THERE'S A CERTAIN PART OF THE
POPULATION THAT MISINTERPRETED
THE MESSAGE.
WHEN THE MESSAGE WENT OUT TO A
MUCH WIDER BASE, IT WENT TO
SOUTH SNOHOMISH COUNTY, THROUGH
KING COUNTY, OVER TO PARTS OF
KITSAP COUNTY.
IT COVERED SUCH A LARGE AREA.
WE HAD PEOPLE FROM ALL OF THE
NON-SEATTLE REGIONS CALLING THE
TWO NUMBERS LISTED IN THE
MESSAGE WITH THE SAME CONFUSION.
>> THAT'S MY QUESTION.
WHY DID A LARGER NUMBER OF
PEOPLE RECEIVE THE MESSAGE?
>> SO THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT IS TRYING TO
INVESTIGATE THAT AND KIND OF
FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO
THAT, WHAT THEY CALL THE WEA
MESSAGING.
IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT.
THE FORENSICS OF THAT ARE
ONGOING AS TO WHY THAT HAPPENED.
>> THANK YOU.
>> YEP.
SO AGAIN, THE CONCLUSIONS,
I HAVE HIT MOST OF THOSE.
SO WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED
WORKING WITH KING COUNTY 911 ON
MESSAGING SINCE IT DID HIT ALL
THE 911 CENTERS IN THE COUNTY
THAT IF WE DO ALERT SEATTLE
MESSAGING OR SOMETHING SIMILAR
IN THE FUTURE, OUR INTENT IS
THAT KING COUNTY 911 SHOULD TAKE
THE LEAD ON MESSAGING.
THEY REFER PEOPLE TO A WEBSITE
INSTEAD OF PHONE NUMBERS.
AND THEN THE WEBSITE SHOWS THAT
HEY, IF YOU LIVE IN THIS CITY,
CONTACT THIS NUMBER.
IF YOU LIVE IN THIS CITY,
CONTACT THIS NUMBER.
WE FEEL THAT THAT WOULD
SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE OUR
RESPONSE SHOULD SOMETHING LIKE
THIS HAPPEN AGAIN.
AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE
SPECIFICS YET FROM THE STATE OR
THE COUNTY YET ON WHY THE
AUTOMATIC SWITCHOVER DID NOT
HAPPEN.
BUT WE WILL REPORT THOSE BACK AS
SOON AS WE CAN AS WELL.
AGAIN, WE BELIEVE THAT NO 911
CALLS WERE LOST.
THEY JUST CAME IN ON DIFFERENT
LINES AND POSSIBLY TOOK A LITTLE
BIT LONGER FOR US TO ANSWER.
NEXT SLIDE.
ALL RIGHT.
THAT'S THE SNAPSHOT FOR
WHERE CSCC IS.
AND SOME OF OUR RECENT
ACTIVITIES.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
COUNCILMEMBER NELSON?
>> YES.
THANK YOU.
AFTER I RAISED MY HAND, YOU GOT
TO WHAT I WAS RAISING MY HAND
FOR, WHICH IS ON PAGE 7.
THE CALLS DID NOT GET ROUTED TO
THE B SIDE.
BUT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AND
THAT'S THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM.
SO I AWAIT THOSE ANSWERS.
BUT MY QUESTION OR MY QUESTION
IS A LITTLE BIT BROADER THAN
THIS SLIDE PACK.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT KING
COUNTY HOLDS THE CONTRACT WITH
COMTECH, RIGHT?
AND SEATTLE IS ONE PUBLIC
SAFETY -- I THINK PSAP?
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THAT IS.
BUT WHAT IS THE CITY'S
RELATIONSHIP TO THE COUNTY WHEN
IT COMES TO LOOKING AT THIS
CONTRACT WITH COMTECH AND HAVING
INPUT ON OPERATIONS AND GETTING
INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT GOES
WRONG WHEN THINGS HAPPEN?
>> SURE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
COUNCILMEMBER.
IT STANDS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
ANSWERING POINT.
AND THAT'S KIND OF THE ACRONYM
FOR THE 911 CENTERS.
SO THEY ARE ACTUALLY -- THAT
CONTRACT, I BELIEVE, RESIDES AT
THE STATE LEVEL.
BECAUSE IT IMPACTS ALL -- NOT
JUST WASHINGTON, COMTECH'S
CONTRACT IS FURTHER BEYOND THE
STATE OF WASHINGTON.
THEY HAVE 911 SERVICES FOR A
VAST AREA.
SO THE STATE ADMINISTERS
THE 911 PROGRAM THROUGH THE
COUNTY 911 SYSTEMS.
OURS IS KING COUNTY 911 THROUGH
THE COUNTY, THROUGH THE I.T.
DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THE -- AS FAR AS THE
WAY THAT WE FUNNEL OUR
COMPLAINTS THROUGH IS THROUGH
THE COUNTY, WHO TAKES IT UP TO
THE STATE.
SO OUR ABILITY TO IMPACT COMTECH
OR TELL THEM WHAT THEY CAN AND
CAN'T DO IS REALLY LIMITED.
WE JUST HAVE TO USE THE
REPRESENTATIVE AUTHORITY THROUGH
THE KING COUNTY 911 OFFICER.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN A GREAT
CHAMPION AND A GREAT PARTNER IN
THIS.
THEY JUMPED ON THAT AND FILED
THE APPROPRIATE TICKETS AND HAVE
BEEN WORKING AGGRESSIVELY TO
FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT WE
CAN DO TO FIX IT AND MAKE SURE
IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION.
I HAVE A COUPLE ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS BEFORE I JUMP IN I
WANT TO SEE IF ANY OF MY OTHER
COLLEAGUES DO AS WELL?
SO JUST INTERESTED TO KNOW
WHETHER OR NOT -- THERE WAS A
NATIONAL CENTURY LINK OUTAGE IN
DECEMBER OF 2018.
ARE THESE THE SAME TYPES OF
ISSUES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT
HERE LOCALLY AS WHAT WAS SEEN
WITH THE NATIONAL OUTAGE SEVERAL
YEARS AGO?
AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO
THIS PARTICULAR EVENT, YOU MAY
HAVE COVERED IT, I'M SORRY, WERE
ALL KING COUNTY 911 DISPATCHERS
AFFECTED?
IF NOT, WHAT WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT
THE CENTERS THEMSELVES THAT WERE
NOT AFFECTED?
>> SURE.
GREAT QUESTIONS.
SO THE TELEPHONE SWITCHING
SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE UNITED
STATES, OF COURSE, IS VERY
TIERED.
YOU HAVE THE BIG ONES COVERING
NATIONWIDE STUFF.
THAT'S THE 2018 ONE THAT YOU
REFERRED TO.
AND THEN IT BREAKS DOWN BY
REGIONS INTO MUCH SMALLER
GRANULES.
SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION
IS A LITTLE BIT OF YES AND NO.
YES, IN THAT THEY ARE SIMILAR IN
THAT THEY WERE SWITCHING
PROBLEMS.
BUT THAT'S PROBABLY ABOUT AS
CLOSE AS THEY WERE RELATED.
THE 2018 OUTAGE WAS A
CASCADE-TYPE FAILURE.
THAT WAS A SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING
ISSUE WHERE WHEN THE SWITCH
FAILED, THE SYSTEM WAS SET UP TO
TRANSFER THE LOAD OF CALLS TO
ANOTHER SWITCH.
AND WHAT HAPPENED IS THROUGH
SOME SOFTWARE PROBLEMS, THEY
STARTED TRANSFERRING, YOU KNOW,
THESE HUGE LOADS, NATIONAL CALL
VALUE TO OTHER SWITCHES.
AND WITH EACH SUBSEQUENT
FAILURE, THE SWITCH, IN THAT
CASE, COULD NOT HANDLE THE
ADDITIONAL LOAD.
THEY STARTED FAILING FASTER AND
FASTER.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I GUESS IF
YOU WERE THINKING OF AN ANALOGY,
IF YOU HAD A COUPLE OF DUMP
TRUCKS AND ONE GOT A FLAT TIRE,
IT WOULD BE HARD TO TAKE THE
DIRT AND PUT IT IN ANOTHER DUMP
TRUCK.
THE TIRES WOULD BE UNDER MORE
STRESS.
AND EVENTUALLY, YOU BURY THE
DUMP TRUCK.
THAT WAS THE NATIONAL OUTAGE.
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AT THE STATE
LEVEL, THIS WAS ANOTHER SWITCH
ISSUE THAT DIDN'T FALL OVER
PROPERLY.
A DIFFERENT MAGNITUDE.
AND THIS WENT CAUSED -- WE DON'T
KNOW YET IF IT WAS SOFTWARE OR
NOT.
BUT IT WAS NOT CAUSED BY A SURGE
LOAD FROM A SWITCH FAILURE IN
THE LINE.
IT WAS SOLELY INDEPENDENT ON ITS
FAILURE.
AND THE SECOND PART, OH, ALL THE
PIECE APPS IN KING COUNTY WERE
AFFECTED BY THIS ABOUT THE SAME
TIME.
I SUSPECT BECAUSE OF OUR CALL
VOLUME AND SIGNS, WE WERE ONE OF
THE EARLIER ONES TO NOTICE IT
THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS.
IT WASN'T LONG INTO THE INCIDENT
WHEN WE STARTED REACHING OUT TO
KING COUNTY 911 AND FOUND OUT
EVERYBODY IS HAVING THE SAME
PROBLEM.
>> THANK YOU.
AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, YOU
TALK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE
CSCC HAS A CONTINUITY OF
OPERATIONS PLAN THAT CAN BE USED
IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
AND SORT OF WHAT'S THE PLAN IN
TH UNLIKELY LIKELIHOOD, BUT ONE
THAT WE WOULD NEED TO PLAN FOR
THAT BOTH THE SEATTLE DISPATCH
CENTERS ARE DOWN SIMULTANEOUSLY
BOTH AT CSCC AND FSD.
ALSO, JUST INTERESTED TO KNOW
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE COUNTY
OR STATE LEVEL TO INCREASE
CONTINUITY PLANNING.
AND LASTLY, HOW THE COUNTY-WIDE
911 PLATFORM MODERNIZATION
PROJECT FOR NEXT GENERATION 911
MIGHT REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF
SIMILAR OUTAGES IN THE FUTURE?
.
>> SURE, YEAH.
MORE GREAT QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE A
CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLAN.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S A PRETTY OLD
ONE.
IT'S STILL REMINISCENT FROM WHEN
911 WAS UNDER THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
IT HAS A LOT OF THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT STUFF OVER THE TOP OF
IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE BEEN
WANTING AND TRYING TO GET TO IT.
BUT BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING ON THE
STAFFING ISSUES FOR THE BACK
OFFICE SUPPORT STAFFING AS WELL,
WE HAVEN'T HAD ANYBODY TO KIND
OF GIVE IT THE REFRESH YET.
BUT THAT PLAN DOES ADDRESS
DIFFERENT TYPES OF FAILURES,
LIKE YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT,
COUNCILMEMBER, AS FAR AS IS IT
PART OF THE FAIL OVER TYPE
SYSTEM.
TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION AS FAR
AS BIG SURGES IF BOTH CENTERS
HAPPEN TO BE OUT, FOR EXAMPLE,
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, BOTH
CENTERS, AT LEAST ON THE LOCAL
LEVEL, ACT AS A BACKUP FOR EACH
OTHER.
IF WE HAVE TO PHYSICALLY LEAVE
EITHER OF THE 911 CENTERS IN
SEATTLE, THEY BACKUP TO EACH
OTHER.
THE DISPATCHERS WOULD COME TO
THE CENTER OR VICE VERSA.
WE DID EXPERIENCE TWARD THE END
OF LAST YEAR ONE SUCH FAILURE
THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK I MENTIONED THE PREVIOUS
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE COMMITTEE
THERE WAS A TRANSFORMER THAT
BLEW IN INTERBAY.
IT CAUSED A SURGE AND MADE A BIG
ENOUGH EXPLOSION THAT THE 911
CENTER RECEIVED WITHIN A SINGLE
MINUTE ABOUT 80 911 CALLS ABOUT
THE EXPLOSION.
REPORTING IT, ASKING ABOUT IT,
AND WHATNOT.
IN THAT TYPE OF A SURGE OR A
FAILURE, THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED
AND ALL 911 CENTERS ARE DESIGNED
TO APPOINT A BACKUP CENTER.
THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE CSCC IN
THIS CASE, IDENTIFIED SPOKANE AS
THE BACKUP LOCATION.
THAT HAS TO DO WITH GEOGRAPHIC
DIVERSITY.
IF WE GET AN EARTHQUAKE OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IN THAT CASE, SPOKANE DID
RECEIVE THE OVERFLOW CALLS.
THEY IDENTIFIED IT WAS A KWAT
PROBLEM BUT HAD NO ABILITY TO
ASSIGN THEM.
BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO REACH OUT
TO US IN THAT CASE AS FAR AS THE
LOG NUMBER OF CALLS AND WHATNOT.
TO UPDATE YOU ON THE
PROJECT, THE PROJECT IS WELL
UNDERWAY NOW AS FAR AS THE 911
MODERNIZATION THROUGHOUT THE
KING COUNTY.
AND THIS IS OUR NET OR HOW WE'RE
ALL CONNECTED HERE AT THE COUNTY
LEVEL.
AND THAT WILL, AS YOU MENTIONED,
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE, IF
NOT ELIMINATE A LOT OF THESE
TYPES OF CHALLENGES.
ALL OF THE PHONE SYSTEMS FOR THE
911 CENTERS IN THE COUNTY WILL
BE IDENTICAL, AND WE WILL NOT BE
LIMITED TO GOING FROM THE FIRE
ALARM CENTER TO CSCC AND BACK
AND FORTH.
IT WILL PROVIDE OPTIONS.
WE HAVEN'T WORKED OUT A LOT OF
THE POLICY ABOUT THE CAPABILITY.
IT WILL ALLOW SOME OF THE
CAPABILITY FOR THE FOLKS TO GO
TO OTHER 911 CENTERS IN THE
COUNTY AS A BACKUP OPTION.
WE HAVE TO WORK ON HOW THEY GET
THE DISPATCHING AND THE RADIO
ACCESS.
FROM A PHONE PERSPECTIVE, YES,
THEY WILL BE ABLE TO LOG ON AT
OTHER 911 CENTERS AND START
RECEIVING SEATTLE 911 CALLS.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT
PROJECT AS IT CONTINUES ALONG.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE
TIME TO BE WITH US TODAY.
AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE
DOING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM
COUNCILMEMBERS STILL WITH US?
NOT SEEING ANY.
WE'LL CONCLUDE THIS ITEM.
AGAIN, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR
LOMBARD.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> AND NEXT PUBLIC SAFETY AND
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE IS
SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY
25th.
THAT'S AT 9:30 A.M.
ANY COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES
?
ALL RIGHT.
SEEING NONE.
IT IS 11:59 A.M.
AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYBODY.
BE WELL.