Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Liza Javier, 206-774-2460

SEATTLE – Asian Counseling and Referral Service and nearly two dozen Seattle community groups sent the following letter to Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan regarding the nomination process for appointees on the Community Police Commission last week:

Dear Mayor Durkan:

The below signers representing Seattle social justice, faith-based and advocacy groups, and communities of color are deeply concerned about the recent action of your office related to the nomination process for the Community Police Commission (CPC).

On Tuesday, February 26, Seattle City Council voted on the slate of nominees identified by your office for the Community Police Commission. The council’s subsequent approval of the nominees resulted in Emma Catague being unseated from her current commissioner position and removed from the commission altogether. We are aware that recent action by council in committee, and a vote by full council early next week, Emma is expected to rejoin as a commissioner as one of council’s appointees to the CPC.

Emma Catague is a long-standing, well-respected member of our community who has advocated tirelessly to improve police accountability and speak on behalf of our most impacted communities. Her removal from the CPC raises strong concerns about your office’s action which runs counter to the values of independence of the CPC – to be free from interference and obstruction – so that the CPC can carry out the important work of civilian and community oversight as part of the reform following the 2012 consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department. To further strengthen that independence, in 2017 city council passed ordinance 125315 pertaining to civilian and community oversight over the internal disciplinary system of the Seattle Police Department.

This year the city enters into a round of new negotiations with the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild (SPOG). For this reason, your action to remove a strong community advocate like Emma Catague from the CPC is troubling when this critical time calls for someone with knowledge, expertise, community trust, and commitment to represent us on the CPC.

As this year goes on, our community stands united and vigilant and will monitor and engage in these important SPOG negotiations with the CPC so we have strong provisions in place, which the community advocated for but did not see in last year’s contract.

Sincerely,

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Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) offers hope and opportunity in over 40 languages and is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization working for social justice and offering a broad array of behavioral health programs, human services and civic engagement activities for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and other communities – whether immigrant, refugee or American-born – in Washington.