The Seattle City Council is seeking candidates for the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA) Review Board. There are four open positions on the seven-member board, which serves the city’s police accountability system.
The OPA Review Board recommends best practices to increase police accountability and oversight. The board will also work with the 15-member Community Police Commission (CPC) to assist in the reform efforts embodied in the Settlement Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding instituted by the Department of Justice in 2012. The agreement was created after a federal report found that Seattle police engaged in unnecessary and excessive force to the point of violating constitutional rights.
A federally commissioned survey released in September conducted by Anzalone Liszt Grove Research found that a majority of Seattle residents surveyed did not believe the police treats people of all races and groups equally. The survey also found that only 36 percent of Asian Americans believed SPD treated all races equally.
“The [OPA] board members are critical in the public outreach and transparency of police conduct and their work is a tremendous value to the city,” said Councilmember Bruce Harrell in a statement. Harrell is the chair of the Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology Committee.
Additional information about the position is posted online: www.seattle.gov/council/oparb/default.htm.
Interested candidates should deliver a resume, cover letter, and the names and contact information of three references by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 15 to Harrell’s office by email ([email protected]); by fax (206-684-8587; provide cover memo with Attn: Bruce Harrell); or by mail to:
Councilmember Bruce Harrell
Seattle City Council
P.O. Box 34025
Seattle, WA 98124-4025
