425-260-9366
JANUARY 14, 2022 8:30 PM
Eight months ago, the city’s Inspector General sent interim Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz a letter asking him to “partner with OIG to find ways to eliminate, or at least greatly reduce the practice of conducting traffic stops for civil violations or low-level, non-dangerous moving violations.” Inspector General Lisa Judge – whose duty is to “help ensure the fairness and integrity of the police system” – voiced concern about such stops resulting in “use of force or tragedy” and having “broader implications for public trust. Judge added that “a new framework is needed to address the historical inequities and inherent dangers in traffic stops. Without drilling down to underlying issues and root causes, police and community are destined to continue the same cycle of traffic stops gone wrong.”
Working-group conversations ensued, as outlined in this followup Inspector Judge sent earlier this week, released this evening after Chief Diaz went public with his official reply, spelling out what SPD will “deprioritize.” Here’s the chief’s full letter; from SPD Blotter, an excerpt:
… the Seattle Police Department will no longer treat the following violations as primary reasons to engage in a traffic stop:
-Expired or missing vehicle registration. License tabs expired. (Title: License and plates required) – SMC 11.22.070
-Issues with the display of registration plates. No front license plate, a vehicle must have a rear license plate. (Title: Vehicle license plates displayed) – SMC II.22.080
-Technical violations of SMC 11 .84.140, such as items hanging from the rear-view mirror and cracks in the windshield. Actual visual obstruction, such as snow, fog, non-transparent material, or shattered windshields, will be enforced. (Title: Windshield obstruction) – SMC 11.84.140
-Bicycle helmet violations (KCHC 9.10)
(That rule is a King County matter, and a possible repeal remains under discussion.) In the response, Diaz notes that these violations can still be enforced – they just won’t be a sole reason for a traffic stop. He adds, “The group also recommended ceasing primary enforcement for all equipment violations. I support this recommendation in principle, but only if there are viable options to address the equipment violation. For pedestrian and driver safety, we cannot allow vehicles with safety equipment issues to just remain in that status. SPD is working with others to identify a way for individuals to get safety equipment issues fixed, even when they cannot afford to do so.”
