Category: Issues and initiatives

UWPD is pleased to announce voluntary completion of a pledge taken to improve response to those suffering from mental illness in their community. Last year, partnering with the community and with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), UWPD pledged to complete four promising practices.

1. Establish a clearly defined and sustainable relationship with at least one community mental health organization.
2. Develop and implement a written policy addressing law enforcement response to persons affected by mental illness.
3. Demonstrate that 100 percent of sworn officers (and selected non-sworn staff, such as dispatchers) are trained and certified in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA).
4. Demonstrate that 20 percent of sworn officers (and selected non-sworn staff, such as dispatchers) are trained and certified on the collaborative crisis response training.

Since taking the pledge UWPD officers have had numerous contacts with individuals suffering from mental illness and in most cases have been able to connect individuals with resources and avert further crisis. IACP President Cynthia Renaud, announcing UWPD’s achievement said, “As law enforcement leaders, we know that successful interactions between police officers and persons affected by mental illness improves public trust, ensures officer safety, and saves lives.”

Sergeant Kevin Jackson, a UW Alum, took the lead on many of the initiatives. He received the Certificate of Completion from current IACP President Renaud on May 3, 2021. More information about IACP’s One Mind Campaign is available at https://www.theiacp.org/projects/one-mind-campaign

View/download One Mind Campaign Certificate of Completion

Whenever more restrictive deadly force standards are adopted by law enforcement agencies, the number of people killed by police decreases. Recent research suggests additional restrictions be incorporated in a police department’s use of force policy. The suggestions are:

• Require an officer to report whenever they point a firearm or use any type of force on a civilian.
• Required use of de-escalation techniques
• Verbal warnings before shooting
• Require the use alternatives before the use of deadly force
• Establish a use of force continuum that restricts the most severe types of force to the most extreme situation*
• Ban shooting at people in moving vehicles
• Ban chokeholds and strangleholds **

Today, Campaign Zero’s 8 Can’t Wait Campaign calls for police departments across America to adopt these principles in their use of force policies.

UWPD RESPONSE

The UWPD approached the initiative, 8 Can’t Wait, with an open mind and a listening ear. The Use of Force Policy is found in chapter 4 of the policy manual. The current policy, revised in May 2019 meets or exceeds each of the additional restrictions as outlined by Campaign Zero’s 8 Can’t Wait Campaign.

View/download Use of Force Policy

Additionally, Campaign Zero’s 8 Can’t Wait Campaign called on police departments to enact a Duty to Intervene policy. While the policy manual addresses these responsibilities, UWPD will revise the policy manual and use the term Duty to Intervene to best reflect the intended responsibility of every officer to intervene and stop excessive force used by other officer and report the incident immediately to a supervisor.

Also, please take the time to click on the link to review our policy on Biased Policing.

* The UWPD policy is based on the reasonableness of the force used by officers during the circumstances they faced at the time and based on the information they knew at the time of the incident. Our current force options reflects an objective reasonableness standard.

** May only be used in a situation that meets all elements for the use of lethal force.

New Revised Date: 10-16-18

Purpose

To affirm the commitment to unbiased policing at the University of Washington Police Department (UWPD) and to establish procedures that serve to ensure the public that UWPD is providing professional and ethical service and enforcing laws in a fair and equitable manner. While profiling, in itself can be a useful investigative tool, biased‐based policing can lead to allegations of violations of the constitutional rights of citizens and can undermine legitimate law enforcement efforts. Biased-based policing can alienate citizens and foster distrust of law enforcement by the community.

Policy

All investigative detentions, traffic stops, arrests, searches, and seizures of property by officers will be based on a standard of reasonable suspicion or probable cause as required by the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article I, Section 7 of the Washington State Constitution. Officers must be able to articulate specific facts, circumstances, and/or conclusions that support reasonable suspicion or probable cause for conducting investigative detentions, traffic stops, arrests, searches and seizures
of property. (CALEA 1.2.9a)

Procedure

A. Except as provided below, officers will not consider race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, economic status, cultural group, religion or sexual orientation in establishing either
reasonable suspicion or probable cause.

1. Officers may take into account the reported race, ethnicity, national origin or gender of a specific suspect or suspects, based on credible or reliable information that links specific suspected unlawful activity to a particular individual or group of associated individuals of a particular race, ethnicity, nationality, or gender in the same way they would use specific information regarding age, height, or weight, about specific suspects.
   • A person shall not be singled out or treated differently as a consequence of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, economic status, cultural group, religion or sexual orientation.
2. In an effort to prevent perceptions of biased law enforcement, officers will utilize the  following strategies when conducting investigative detentions, traffic stops, arrests, searches and seizures of property:
   • Be courteous, polite, and professional.
   • Provide an introduction and explain to the person the reason for the stop as  soon as practical, unless providing this information would compromise the  investigation or the safety of officers or other persons.
   • Ensure that the length of the detention is no longer than necessary to take  appropriate action for the known or suspected offense.
   • Answer any questions the citizen may have, including explaining options for  the disposition of the traffic citation, if relevant.
   • Provide name and badge number when requested, in writing or on a  business card.

B. Administration

1. Initial training will be provided to all newly hired affected Department personnel and  annual training to all affected Department personnel on topics that can be associated with the practice of biased-based policing as the need is identified. Relevant topics  can include, but are not limited to: (CALEA 1.2.9b)
   • Ethics.
   • Field contacts.
   • Traffic stops.
   • Search issues
   • Asset seizure and forfeitures.
   • Interview techniques.
   • Cultural diversity.
   • Discrimination.
   • Legal issues that surround these topics.
2. Suspected violations of this policy will be investigated through the Office of  Professional Accountability and Community Compliance (OPACC) and will result in disciplinary action consistent with the Department1s progressive discipline policy.
3. Supervisors will ensure all personnel under their command are familiar with the  content of this policy and that they comply. All personnel will report any incident of  biased-based policing to their supervisor, who will forward the incident to the Deputy  Chief of the OPACC.
4. In the first quarter of each year, a documented annual review of Department  practices will be conducted by the Deputy Chief of the OPACC to determine if there is  any disparate impact to any of the identified community groups or members as stated  in this standard. Resources for conducting the review are use of force forms, internal  investigations/inquiries, citations, FIRS, and other police Department documents that  may indicate a biased-based policing practice has occurred. Citizen concerns will be considered when conducting the analysis as well as any corrective measures taken.  (CALEA 1.2.9c) (WASPC 4.3)
5. The Chief will review the annual analysis to determine if there are patterns or trends  that could indicate training needs and/or policy modifications. (WASPC 4.3)

Download Biased Policing Policy document