Seattle Regains Full Control of Police Force After 13 Years of Federal Oversight

A court ruling acknowledged the efforts to reform the Seattle Police Department under federal monitoring.

Police officers stand near the scene as they gather security camera footage after multiple people were stabbed in the Chinatown-International District in Seattle on Nov. 8, 2024. Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo

The City of Seattle regained full control of its police department after a federal judge granted a motion to end the consent decree from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that has been in place for 13 years.

The ruling, issued on Sept. 3 by Judge James Robart of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, marks the end of the federal monitoring that began in 2012 after a DOJ investigation found that the Seattle Police Department engaged in “a pattern of excessive force” and unconstitutional practices.