County Council considers resolution addressing use of force policies and social justice

— by Minor Lile, Orcas Issues reporter –

At their June 23 meeting, the County Council took up for consideration a proposed resolution that is aimed at addressing issues of justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity in the County and affirming “Commitment to a Safe and Inclusive Community.”

In addition to other elements, the resolution recommends changes to the current law enforcement policies governing use of force. County Sheriff Ron Krebs participated in the discussion. He said that he supported the proposed recommendations, adding that “this is something that that the Department is already in the process of doing, and we will continue with that process.”

The provisions of the resolution aimed at use of force policies call for a ban on all carotid control holds, the appointment of the County Manager and one County Council member to the Department’s Force Review Board, and providing the Force Review Board with the power to recommend disciplinary action, ‘up to and including termination.’ Sheriff Krebs said that these changes would, “add transparency and balance” to the review process.

As discussed in a recent Orcas Issues editorial, the Force Review Board is currently composed of two people: the Undersheriff and Patrol Sergeant. The policy manual also specifies that the board does not have the authority to recommend discipline. The authority to determine whether discipline is appropriate resides with the Sheriff. According to the existing policy, if the Sheriff concludes that discipline should be considered, a disciplinary process will be initiated.

The Sheriff’s Department uses policies that were developed by Lexipol, a privately held company that provides services and policy recommendations to first responders around the country. According to the Lexipol website, they provide services to approximately 3,500 law enforcement agencies in 38 States.

Councilmember Rick Hughes said that his intention in offering the resolution was to offer a vision that could help to guide the County toward greater inclusivity and diversity. In further remarks after the Council meeting, Hughes described the process of composing the resolution, which was initially written as a statement of values and did not include the use of force or other recommendations.

Hughes added that the specific recommendations grew out of conversations with minority community members, and were added to the initial draft of the resolution, which had been inspired by work he has done through the Opportunity Council, a regional non-profit that advocates for ‘just and equitable communities.’ County Human Resources Manager James Wolf also contributed ideas to the development of the resolution.

In addition to the recommendations regarding use of force, the proposed resolution also calls for:

• more fully incorporating the values of equity, diversity, collaboration, respect, integrity, passion, and learning into County protocols and practices,
• establishing June 19 (Juneteenth) as a County holiday,
• requiring county lending institutions to review their non-discrimination policies,
• funding positions in the County’s Human Resources Department and Procurement Department to develop outreach processes that will result in greater involvement by traditionally marginalized minorities and groups, and,
• lobbying the Washington State Congressional delegation to support legislation that would broaden the scope, availability, and flexibility of immigrant worker visas.

A full draft of the resolution is available here.

The proposed resolution will be on the agenda for further consideration at the next regular meeting of the County Council on June 29.