Overview

• U.S. District Judge James Robart on Sept. 3 approved Seattle's unopposed motion to terminate the decree, restoring the police department's full autonomy.
• The Justice Department recognized the case as the consent decree's successful completion and noted dismissal of the lawsuit.
• Federal oversight followed a 2011 investigation and 2012 agreement after findings that excessive force occurred in roughly 20% of force encounters with frequent baton misuse.
• Reforms spanned de-escalation training, body-worn cameras, crisis response diversion, new oversight bodies, and crowd-control rules that satisfied the court after most requirements were lifted in 2023.
• City officials report investing more than $127 million in changes and cite an approximate 35% decline in average annual use-of-force incidents under revised policies.