Seattle Public Safety and Human Services Committee - 12/17/20

Members Present: Councilmembers Gonzales, Lewis, Morales, Sawant (observing), Herbold
  
Public Comments:
The public was invited to comment and they had two minutes each to speak.

• Ballard resident—LEAD program—public safety program that uses human services tools; no transparency in program currently; local communities aren’t being represented
• Dist 7 resident—subpoena power legislation—overall going in a good direction, but concern that doesn’t go far enough; concern about OPA investigation where officer hit a parked car and lied about it—OPA disciplined officer but not other cops involved in attempted cover-up
• QA resident--cops are moonlighting and not providing needed services

 
Summary of Discussion:
CoLead presentation (see slideshow)
a.    Reduces crime through life stabilization of vulnerable individuals by addressing basic needs of participants through provision of hotel-based intensive case management connecting participants to social services
b.    Intended to operate at scale by 2023 (accept all qualified participants)
c.    Will ultimately not require referrals from police
d.    JustCare—a new model of justice

• Currently funded for ID/Pioneer Square
• Working w/ 4 hotels
• Participants—unhoused people w/ significant mental health issues
• Targeting Native Americans

e.    Have made adaptions based on COVID-19
f.    Community response to low-level negative behaviors
g.    Lessons learned

• Lodging and prosecutorial liaisons are key
• Diverse staff is important
• Harm reduction protocol works but also need to maintain boundaries
  
• Supporting food insecurity (providing meals) important

h.    Community reception

• Overwhelming support for this approach
• Support from Downtown Seattle Assn and other organizations and businesses

i.    112 hotel placements so far
j.    Multi-disciplinary mode of care
k.   Goal—reduce participants’ contact with criminal justice system but also maintain public safety
l.    Developmental evaluation—appropriate for new and innovative programs
m. Distinction between LEAD, CoLEAD and JustCares

• LEAD—street-based outreach case management, low caseloads but not tied to dedicated housing resource—have to navigate various resources on a case-by-case basis
• CoLEAD—hotel-based adaptation of LEAD; short-term intervention on street (a couple of weeks) but real work starts once people are in the hotel; also have dedicated medical provider and 7-day a week schedule
• JustCare targets specific neighborhoods and sites and works across multiple providers—provides more options than CoLEAD

 
Subpoena process for OPA
Original bill

• Subpoena enforcement by OPA and Inspector General
• Subject to collective bargaining requirements

Substitute bill (see agenda)

• Clarifies language, changes effective date (court approval or 30 days from approval of mayor, whichever is later); other technical changes
• Substitute bill adopted (4-0) and will not be heard at 1/4 city council meeting

 
Less lethal weapons recommendations from CPC, OIG, OPA (see slideshow)
a.       Not talking today about all weapons mentioned in ordinance
b.       Plan to vote in committee on 1/12
c.        Legislation will then follow consent decree process—to monitor and DOJ
d.       Court—need to have time for training on alternative methods before making changes to existing law
e.       Generally, CPC wants to ban weapons such as tear gas, pepper spray, blast balls for crowd dispersal, while OIG and OPA want to maintain them (but use of weapons needs to change) (chart included in PP presentation)
f.        Recommendations (groups came up with very detailed recommendations; will just provide a summary at this meeting)

• Ban tear gas
• Develop protocols for use of LLW (less lethal weapons)
• Develop detailed tactical plan in advance
• Don’t use LLW just to prevent property damage
• Better communication w/ crowds
• Improve training and increase accountability
• Don’t require executive authorization
• OPI may be making amendments based on review of complaints from recent protests
• OIG—should certain tools be banned by ordinance or should this be a matter of SPD policy
• CPC—concern about officer discretion being used inappropriately

g.       Becca Boatright from SPD

• Regular ongoing daily protests and LLW haven’t been used
• SPD is open to alternatives to policing these events and understands concerns about blast balls but there are concerns about necessity to create space between groups to minimize threat to life and property—blast ball is best tool to achieve this
• City needs to decide how much property damage and disruption it’s willing to accept in the name of 1st amendment activity
• Need to do a better job of articulating crowd management policy