Speaker 3: Agenda item for Council Goal 119803 requiring that certain uniformed peace officers do not cover with a mourning band the serial number that is engraved on their badge and section 3.28. 130. The code declaring an emergency and establishing an immediate effective date. All might be forced out of the city council.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Madam Clerk. I will move to pass Council Bill 119803. Is there a second?
Speaker 2: Thank.
Speaker 0: It's been moved and seconded to pass the bill. Councilmember Herbold, you are the prime sponsor of this bill, so I am going to recognize you in order to address this item.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much. So today we're voting on Council Bill 11 9803, which will require officers to display their badge numbers while allowing mourning bands to observe the death of officers on a different part of the badge. Many, many constituents have contacted the council, alarmed that batch numbers were not visible in the two weeks following the murder of George Floyd. After I announced that I was drafting legislation, Chief Bass issued a directive to all officers to display their badge numbers while wearing mourning bands. I, of course, appreciate that order, but believe that this policy must be adopted into state city law. The legislation amends Section 3.28130 of the Seattle Municipal Code, which was created after the 1999 WTO protests, when people noted at that time that they could not view the nametags of officers. So then former City Council member Peter Steinberg sponsored legislation to create a new section of the municipal code to require display of nametag. This legislation is emergency legislation. So it will go into effect immediately upon signature of the mayor within the next ten days. It would not have the additional 30 day waiting period for non-emergency legislation. The bill also requests that the Seattle Police Department work with all other law enforcement agencies whose police officers reasonably may be anticipated to enforce traffic or criminal laws in Seattle pursuant to Chapter ten point. Our CW to develop a policy that would require these peace officers when enforcing these laws to conform with requirements concerning badges, ID devices, departmental ID on uniforms and oral ID that is consistent with Seattle Municipal Code Section 3.28.130. The Seattle Police Department is required by Seattle City Council with a proposal for the policy by January 2021. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Councilmember Herbold, for that description and for introducing this important bill. Are there any comments or questions on this bill? Hey, I'm not hearing or seeing any. Again, I want to thank you, Councilmember Herbold. I think we have all discussed this bill quite a bit before today and do agree with the approach that you've described, which is which is about not just allowing this kind of policy to exist at the discretion of whomever might be the chief, but to actually make sure that this is made concrete and long lasting through through legislation. And, of course, a future council could disagree with their policy position and change that. But I think it's pretty clear that this council agrees very strongly that this should be the policy and that it should be codified in law and not just exist in a in a in a police manual or in a directive from from the chief. So appreciate the wisdom in nonetheless moving forward this legislation and appreciate you bringing this for our consideration. Because remember state I see that you raise your hand, please.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much. Council member Herbold, thank you for bringing forward this legislation. I just wanted to ask you a question, both as a sponsor of this legislation and as chair of public safety. We know that even after the chief issued that directive, we heard reports of individuals who are still recovering batch numbers. Can you remind folks what to do if they see that happen after this ordinance has passed and.
Speaker 0: What the process should be?
Speaker 1: It would be a violation of both MPD policy and city law. The Office of Professional Accountability has a a complaint process to investigate complaints of violation of city policy. And there's also the ability of an investigation, of the violation of city law to to go along the investigation of the violation of city city policy. I do want to note that batch numbers are in different places on different people's badges. Sometimes they're in the center and sometimes they're at the bottom. And I know that some of the examples of covered badge numbers that I saw after Chief Best's order had badges, had the had the tape through the middle, and there was actually a badge number at the bottom of the badge. And in some instances, I, of course, have not seen every example of every complaint. There are the this issue is is one of the sort of the the top ten issues that the Office of Professional Accountability is looking at as it relates specifically to the volume of complaints that they've received.
Speaker 0: Thank you. And either questions or comments. All right. Hearing that, I'm going to ask that the clerk please call the role on the passage of the bill.
Speaker 2: Peterson I.
Speaker 1: Want.
Speaker 2: Strauss i.
Speaker 1: Herbold i.
Speaker 0: Whereas.
Speaker 3: Hi.
Speaker 1: Lewis. Hi. We're Alice. I let's get a. Mosquito. I President Gonzalez. Hi. Nine in favor and unopposed.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. The bill passes and the chair will sign it and I ask that the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation. Okay, folks, we are now in the other business category of city council. I know of our agenda.
AN ORDINANCE requiring that certain uniformed peace officers do not cover with a mourning band the serial number that is engraved on their badge; amending Section 3.28.130 of the Seattle Municipal Code; declaring an emergency; and establishing an immediate effective date; all by a 3/4 vote of the City Council.