Seattle must stop releasing names of officers involved in misconduct

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) will no longer release the names of officers who have engaged in misconduct.

The decision comes as the department is under federal investigation for use of excessive force and after a two year contract dispute between the department and the Seattle Police Union.

An arbiter sided with the Seattle Police Union in the dispute, ruling the public will no longer know the identity of police officers involved in misconduct.

Rich O’Neill, President of the Seattle Police Officers Guild said, “I think the arbitrator sent a very clear message to the city; you don’t sign a contract in July where you agree on certain language and then in just a matter of months decide you’re arbitrarily going to change that and ignore the contract and that’s what happened here.”