Seattle police aren't using enough force, internal memo says

al-Jazeera ^ | September 26, 2014 | Renee Lewis

[2ndDivisionVet]

Officers lament new use of force policy, established after DOJ report found pattern of excessive force.

A Seattle police department internal email said officers aren’t using enough force and that the softer approach could endanger both the police and the public, local media reported.

The letter, obtained by local television news network KIRO 7, comes amid a national dialogue on excessive force by law enforcement in the wake of racially-charged protests in Ferguson, Missouri, where black teenager Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white officer, Darrell Wilson, on Aug. 9.

But officers of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) argue a new policy on the use of force, which requires extensive reports following such incidents, is preventing them from doing their jobs.

“Some officers are very hesitant to use force in situations where force is clearly needed,” East Precinct Lt. Bryan Grenon wrote in the email, KIRO 7 reported Thursday. “Please communicate to our officers to use force when necessary to protect themselves, fellow officers, the public and the suspect from harm.”(continued)

[Mears]

I was not familiar this case. Awful.

.

[Peter ODonnell]

Maybe you don’t need much force to break up disputes about who ordered the soy caramel cappucino and who paid for the other fancy coffee.

[Talisker]

Doesn’t Seattle have a female police chief now? Kinda surprised at the strength of this memo.

Your assumptions about women being violent are badly out of date.