December 21, 2011 Mayor Mike McGinn City of Seattle P.O.

Box 94749 Seattle, WA 98124-4749 Dear Mayor McGinn, The ACLU of Washington and the community organizations listed below request you make a strong public statement outlining your plans for addressing the very serious issues raised in the report by the United States Department of Justice stemming from its investigation of the Seattle Police Department, including implementation of the recommendations included in the report. We agree with U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan that most Seattle police officers are good, dedicated public servants. However, the issues pinpointed by the DOJ including excessive use of force, insufficient skills in de-escalating conflict, and lack of internal accountability are longstanding problems. Organizations in the community have voiced concern about them for years. The Citys leadership needs to set a tone indicating that it accepts the DOJ reports recommendations. These were based on intensive discussions with police, City officials, and community members, and detailed analysis of records provided by the Seattle Police Department itself. We are concerned that some of your public comments give the impression of a reluctance to embrace the recommendations of the report. Instead of focusing on re-evaluating the data, the Citys leadership should focus on finding solutions to well-documented problems that have developed over the years at the Seattle Police Department. Further, community stakeholders must be included in discussions about any solution to the problems identified by DOJ, including the conditions of a consent decree. The impact of any intended solution will be felt by all community members in Seattle, and it is critical that SPD and City leadership regain the trust of those community members. Only with them at the table can we create lasting and sustainable change where public safety and civil rights are both protected. The City of Seattle deserves no less. Sincerely,
Kathleen Taylor, Executive Director ACLU of Washington Estela Ortega, Executive Director El Centro de la Raza Merril Cousin, Executive Director King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF W ASHINGTON FOUNDATION 901 FIFTH AVENUE #630 SEATTLE, WA 98164 T/206.624.2184 F/206.624.2190 WWW.ACLU-WA.ORG JESSE WING BOARD PRESIDENT KATHLEEN TAYLOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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Robert Chang, Director, Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality Fe Lopez, President-Elect Latina/o Bar Association of Washington Rev. Harriett Walden, Executive Director Mothers for Police Accountability Mary Nguyen, Co-Chair, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum Seattle Tim Harris, Executive Director Real Change Jesus Rodriguez, Co-Chair Trusted Advocates Association Floris Mikkelsen, Director The Defender Association Chris Stearns, Chairman The Seattle Human Rights Commission Magdaleno Rose-Avila, Executive Director Community Health and Safety Committee Millie A. Kennedy, President Northwest Indian Bar Association Jorge L. Barn, Executive Director Northwest Immigrant Rights Project Pamela Masterman-Stearns, President CANOES (City Native American Employees Association) Dan Ford, Attorney Columbia Legal Services S. Arsalan Bukhari, Executive Director Council on American-Islamic Relations of Washington State Pramila Jayapal, Executive Director OneAmerica Kerem Levitas, President Middle Eastern Legal Association of Washington Nicole Gaines, President Loren Miller Bar Association Rev. Paul Benz, Policy Director Faith Action Network Dorry Elias-Garcia, Executive Director Minority Executive Directors Coalition Andy Sachs, President QLaw: GLBT Bar Association of Washington Alison Eisinger, Executive Director Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness Cindi Beech LaMar, Chair Ndns for Justice Deborah Sioux Cano-Lee, Board President Washington Indian Civil Rights Commission Jenine Grey, Executive Director Chief Seattle Club Susan Segall, Regional Director American Friends Service Committee/Pacific Northwest Diane Narasaki, Executive Director Asian Counseling and Referral Service MEDC Multiracial Task Force on Police Accountability Cecile Hansen, Tribal Chairperson/DTS President, Duwamish Tribe on behalf of Duwamish Tribal Services Jay "Westwind Wolf" Hollingsworth John T. Williams Organizing Committee Sharyne Shiu Thornton, Executive Director International District Housing Alliance James Bible, President Seattle/KingCounty NAACP Christopher Peguero, Co-Chair City of Seattle LGBTQ Employees for Equality