Monday, February 24, 2020

Resources for monitoring the rollout of I-940 reforms


Independent Investigation resources

The Independent Investigative Teams (IITs) that are intended to fulfill the requirements of I-940 will be set up in 15 regions across the state.  If we want to monitor the progress of setting up these IITs, we need to know where they are, and who is staffing them.

  • The current map of these 15 IIT regions is on the google drive HERE

Training resources

The "Basic Law Enforcement Academy" training required for every law enforcement officer in WA State consists of a 720 hour syllabus.  If we want to monitor how training is changing to meet the new requirements of I-940, we should compare the current syllabus to the changed syllabus.

  • The current syllabus (as of Jan 2019) is on the google drive HERE  (from the CJTC website)

Next Steps Meeting Thu Feb 27, 7-9pm SeaTac Community Center

Agenda for Thu Feb 27

  • Update from Fred on Next Steps opportunity to provide input to the So King IIT development process
  • Brainstorming session to identify what issues/topics we want to focus on in giving this input
We're going to defer discussion of the other two items to a later date:
  • Review LETSCA Summit Planning document prepared for Fred and Annalesa (the topics we discussed last week).  A draft is now up on the google drive HERE
  • Review the list of questions developed by Joyce and the Vancouver team for asking local Chiefs and Sheriffs about the status of the Independent Investigative Teams they are setting up for their region.  A draft is up on the google drive HERE


Meeting Deets:  Same place, slightly later start time

SeaTac Community Center   
13735 24th Ave S   98168 
          Thursday  7:00-9:00pm    

Events (now past)

  • Tuesday Feb 25, 9:30am:  KC Sherrif's office responded to OLEO report on the shooting of Mi’Chance Dunlap-Gittens.  Public comment will be taken.  WHERE:  Council Chambers of the King County Courthouse (516 3rd Avenue, 10th Floor).
          News Coverage of the hearing:  Stranger articleSeattle Times article


* Next Steps Washington:  Everyone Comes Home Alive* 

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Next Steps meeting: Thu Feb 20, 6:30-8:30 PM SeaTac Community Center

We have a meeting location for tomorrow (and next week)!


Meeting time/location:      Thursday  6:30-8:30pm
SeaTac Community Center
13735 24th Ave S
98168

AGENDA:
At the beginning of the meeting we will list the upcoming events of interest to this group, so if you know of any events, please be prepared to give us the details.  We will send out this list of events to the mailing list after the meeting Thursday night.

We will be discussing the meeting Fred had with the Algona Police Chief about the process for, and current status of, setting up the regional IIT for South King County.  It was apparently quite interesting.

We will also list and discuss the many topics we identified as "next steps" after reading through the 940 WACs last week.  It's time to start identifying the work, and doing it.

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow ;)

Next Steps Washington
 * Everyone Comes Home Alive *

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Friday, February 7, 2020

Final official WACs for I-940 implementation (LETSCA)

Hi Folks -- 


Next week (Th 2/14/2020) we will be educating ourselves about the I-940 law  as it stands now.  The formal title of I-940 is the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (LETCSA), and the implementation regulations are now part of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC).


We will be reading through the official document, the LETSCA WACs.

If you're feeling ambitious, grab a copy from the links below, and study it.  But we will plan to read through it, line by line, at the meeting, so we can all get to know what we are working with in the year ahead.

You can get the official copy of the LETSCA WACs online at: 

But for an easy to ready copy of that official WAC, try this file on the NextStepsWA google drive.




Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Upcoming Events and Activities

(1)   Next Steps group

We have formed a new group called “Next Steps” that will meet in the south-end.
We hope to have a circle of people that will focus on monitoring the current 940 implementation
and work together towards new legislation needed to accomplish truly independent investigations
of police use of force.
We are looking for your diverse wisdom to move this group onto the Next Steps!!!


What: First meeting of Next Steps
When: Thursday, Feb 6th 7pm-9pm
Organizers:  Fred and Annalesa Thomas
17850 Military Rd S
SeaTac, WA 98188

(2)  De-escalate WA legislation and legal follow up

There are lots of activities starting up in this next phase of the process, as the new regulations begin to be implemented on the ground.  Examples include:

                Legislation to require data collection

                Strategies for ensuring that the 39 prosecutors across the state begin to act on the new authority and responsibility that I-940 gives them to prosecute officers whose use of deadly force does not meet the new good-faith standard.

                 Applying for the new community representative positions on the regional “Independent Investigative Teams” that will investigate all cases in which police use deadly force.


Contact:  The Facebook page for De-escalate is a good place to start
https://www.facebook.com/deescalatewashington/


(3)  Seattle SPOG Contract

This contract is being re-negotiated now because it was found to be out of compliance with the Consent Decree. There are several upcoming meetings, with opportunity for public comment, and we will be organizing a reading group to prepare and educate ourselves.

Contact:  Next Steps email



(4)  King County Office of Law Enforcement (OLEO)
This is another opportunity to get involved locally, learn about the operation of the King County Sherrif’s office, and support the office that provides civilian oversight. There are several upcoming presentations to King County Council where public attendance and comment are needed. Having strong turnout will demonstrate to the Sheriff's Office and King County Council that the public is paying attention and wants accountability. It will also demonstrate to the impacted families that they have support. Meetings of the King County Council's Law & Justice Committee will be chaired by brand new Councilmember Girmay Zahilay. These presentations will be among the first meetings he presides over in his new role.

February 11, 2020 at 9:30 AM at King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Ave Seattle 10th Floor
OLEO will present report to Law & Justice Committee on
review of the January 2017 Mi’Chance Dunlap-Gittens shooting 




February 25, 2020 at 9:30 AM at King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Ave Seattle 10th Floor
     OLEO will present report to Law & Justice Committee on
KCSO’s revised policies for reviewing shootings and other critical incidents (see Chapter 6 of linked General Orders Manual).

These are the review processes for administrative investigations, not criminal/I940.

Administrative investigations are important because they determine violations of policy, training, whether the officer will be disciplined or fired, etc.

Problems with the new policy include that they will not interview involved officers after incidents (written statement within 48 hours instead); in reviewing the case they ask very limited questions about whether force was justified; and inadequate access for oversight.

Contact:  Next Steps email

(5)  Charleena Lyles’ inquest
         Charleena’s case is one of the first to go through the new revised King County inquest process. There will be a set of pre-inquest hearings to determine procedures and evidence that will be allowed before the actual inquest happens. As with all of these legal processes, it is very important that we show up to shed some sunlight on the process, and to support the family.

         February 14, 2020 at King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Ave Seattle, 9am 

         Next pre-inquest hearing. We will update when the room is announced. The last pre-inquest
         hearing was held in Room E-854, but that could change for this time.
Contact:  Next Steps email

These are just some examples of local and state police accountability efforts –
please contact us if you know of other important activities and opportunities to get involved.

Saturday, February 1, 2020

First Meeting of Next Steps Washington

We have formed a new group called "Next Steps Washington" that will meet in the south-end. We hope to have a circle of people that will focus on monitoring the current 940 implementation and work together towards new legislation needed to accomplish truly independent investigations of police use of force.

We are looking for your diverse wisdom to move this group onto the Next Steps!

WHAT:       First meeting of Next Steps Washington

WHEN:      Thursday, February 6th, 2020, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

WHERE:    Valley View Library, 17850 Military Road South, SeaTac, WA 98188

WHO:        Fred and Annalesa Thomas, organizers

Agenda:  on the NextStepsWA google drive here