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Policing

Law enforcement must protect both public safety and the rights of individuals. This is why arrests and use of force should be last resorts, not first options, for police. The ACLU-WA advocates for stronger laws regulating police use of force, alternatives to arrest and incarceration, and de-escalation practices and training. And to ensure law enforcement is accountable to the people they serve, the ACLU-WA works for greater community oversight, such as independent civilian review boards with disciplinary authority.

Resources

ACLU to Seattle Police: End Unjustified Arrests

News Release, Published: 
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The ACLU has asked Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske to take action to reduce unjustified arrests for obstructing a police officer, a charge that is only intended to be used on bystanders who interfere with police actions.
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King County: Council Creates Oversight Office for Sheriff

News Release, Published: 
Monday, October 9, 2006
The King County Council has voted to create an independent office of oversight for the Sheriff's office. It was one of several recommendations made by a blue ribbon panel that included ACLU of Washington Legislative Director Jennifer Shaw.
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Edmonds Pharmacist Seeks End to Harassment at Border

News Release, Published: 
Monday, June 19, 2006
Shimrote Ishaque is joining nine other citizens who have experienced stops, body searches, handcuffing, excessive force and other aggravations by customs officers - all partly due to inaccurate government records.
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Tacoma: A Win for Civilian Review

News Release, Published: 
Friday, August 12, 2005
In June 2005 the Tacoma City Council approved by a 6-2 vote a major reform of police accountability by establishing an independent auditor and a citizen review board. The vote culminates over two years of work by the Police Accountability Working Group, created by the Tacoma Human Rights Commission to draft a proposal for citizen oversight.
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Appeals Court Finds Government May Have Violated Rights of WTO Protesters

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Today the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that even in times of unrest, the government cannot arrest protesters simply because of their message. The ruling came in the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington's lawsuit challenging the City of Seattle's establishment and enforcement of a No Protest Zone during the meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1999.
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Agents Sued for Detention of Iraqi Refugee

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
The ACLU is suing two federal agents for unlawfully imprisoning and seeking to deport an Iraqi refugee who had broken no laws.
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ACLU Stands Up For Photographer at Ballard Locks

News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
The ACLU-WA is assisting Ian Spiers, a biracial community college student who was questioned and detained by local police and a Homeland Security agent for taking photographs at the Ballard Locks.
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Seattle: ACLU Urges Greater Police Accountability

News Release, Published: 
Friday, November 7, 2003
From the vantage point of almost two decades of observation, and countless meetings with local officials and their staff, the single most important overriding message I would like to leave with you is the following: "stop the giveaways." By this I mean, the City should stop giving away in the collective bargaining process the public’s ability to establish a stronger and more effective police accountability system.
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Landmark Ruling Says Police Need Warrant for GPS Surveillance

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
In a first-in-the-nation case, the Washington Supreme Court today unanimously ruled that police must obtain a warrant in order to track an individual's movements by Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The ruling agrees with the contentions of an amicus brief submitted in the case by the American Civil Liberties Union.
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Seattle: Police Improve Disclosure Policies in Settlement of ACLU Lawsuit

News Release, Published: 
Monday, October 28, 2002
In settlement of a lawsuit brought by the ACLU, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has agreed to improve its policies for handling requests for documents by the public. The ACLU sued the SPD in 2001 for violating the state Public Disclosure Act by failing to disclose a key document relating to police enforcement of the City's "no protest zone" during the World Trade Organization demonstrations in 1999.
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