About Us
The 2010 shooting death by Seattle police of First Nations woodcarver John T. Williams, and a series of other serious incidents involving police and people of color, ignited public concern about bias and the use of excessive force in the Seattle Police Department (SPD).
After a federal investigation, the City of Seattle signed a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to reform SPD practices, as well as a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that established the work to be done over three years to ensure bias-free policing and address the issue of use of excessive force.
By ordinance, the City of Seattle established the Community Police Commission (CPC) to provide community input on the proposed reforms. The CPC was mandated under the MOU.
The CPC began its work in March of 2013.
The CPC plays a key role in the reform efforts. The CPC's charge is to represent a broad range of community perspectives and to reach out and engage communities directly, to get critical feedback, and to then recommend changes to SPD policies and practices. It gives community members a voice and stake in the reform efforts.
The CPC is depending on community involvement over the long haul. Community perspective is needed in the short-term on proposed policy changes, but also down the road to help determine whether the policies SPD implements are really working. The CPC fosters ongoing dialogue about police practices with community members, which will help build trust and strengthen community-police relations.
All CPC recommendations are intended to:
- Ensure police services comply with the Constitution and the laws of the United States and Washington
- Increase the effectiveness of the police accountability system
- Promote public confidence in SPD
The CPC's 15 commissioners are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. They represent the diversity of Seattle and include people from communities of color, ethnic and faith communities, immigrant communities, the urban Indian community, the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender community, civil rights advocates, the business community, individuals familiar with the challenges faced by homeless people and those with mental illness or substance abuse issues, and youth. One member represents the Seattle Police Officers Guild and one represents the Seattle Police Management Association. CPC members live or work in all five Seattle police precincts. There is one vacancy at this time.
Claudia D'Allegri
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Claudia D'Allegri is Vice President of Behavioral Health Services at Sea Mar Community Health Centers, where she has over 17 years of experience administering health programs. Sea Mar serves more than 153,000 clients in Washington State each year, the majority of whom are low-income. Claudia also chairs the Latino Civic Alliance, a statewide organization that focuses its efforts on civic engagement, conducting town hall meetings and working on legislation with the State Legislature.
Lisa Daugaard
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Lisa Daugaard is Director at the Public Defender Association (PDA). Since 2001, under Lisa's leadership, the Racial Disparity Project at PDA has focused on racial disparity in Seattle drug arrests, and since 2005, they have worked to develop LEAD, a pre-arrest diversion alternative to traditional arrest and prosecution for low-level drug and prostitution suspects. Prior to becoming a public defender in 1996, Lisa directed the Urban Justice Center Organizing Project and was Legal Director of the Coalition for the Homeless, both in New York City, and was a fellow at the ACLU National Legal Department.
Josias Flynn
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Josias Flynn is a trial attorney who represents clients in a wide range of civil matters. He also partners with the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (ACLU) to defend and promote the civil rights of Washington citizens. Josias works on issues at the intersection of civil rights and public. This includes advocacy to promote the effective use of police body cameras in a way that balances concerns about police accountability and citizen privacy.
Melinda Giovengo
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Dr. Melinda Giovengo became the Executive Director of YouthCare in November 2006. She has thirty years of experience in developing and implementing re-engagement programs for out-of-school and homeless youth. Melinda speaks locally and nationally on youth homelessness, adolescent mental health issues, and child sexual exploitation and is published on issues concerning homeless youth and the impact of learning disabilities for hard-to-serve populations. She is a board member of the National Network for Youth and the National Youth Employment Coalition, and serves as the Government Relations Chair of YouthBuild USA. Melinda holds an M.A. in Clinical Psychology and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology
Kay Godefroy
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Kay Godefroy founded the Seattle Neighborhood Group in 1988 to provide community organizing support to communities overwhelmed by crime, specifically crimes related to drugs and gangs. She is on the Leadership Team for the 2013-2015 Department of Justice (DOJ) funded Juvenile Hotspot project in Southeast Seattle. Kay served on a similar Leadership Team for the 2013-2014 SPD Juvenile Hotspot project in the West Precinct. She is a leader of the Get Off the Streets project in the Central Area, which has reduced recidivism by providing treatment and housing to long-time addicted offenders. She also manages the Community Matching Grants for the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative and heads up the prevention component of a 2013-2015 DOJ funded Project Safe Neighborhoods grant. In addition, Kay was a member of the Seattle Police Chief Search Committee in 2014, 2010 and 1990.
Enrique Gonzalez
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Enrique Gonzalez has worked for El Centro de la Raza in various roles for the past nine years. As the Juvenile Justice Policy Advocate, his focus has been on making policy changes in the juvenile justice system and working with schools to prevent suspensions and expulsions. El Centro de la Raza has been at the forefront of building better relationships with police officers and establishing trust within the community. This has been a major part of Enrique's work.
Jay Hollingsworth
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Jay Hollingsworth is an enrolled member of the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut and a member of the SPD Native American Advisory Council. He is also a member of the Washington State Democrats Native American Caucus and chair of the John T. Williams Organizing Committee.
David Keenan
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David Keenan practices at the global law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in complex litigation. David graduatedsumma cum laude from Seattle University School of Law while working full-time in his prior career in federal law enforcement. A former juvenile offender and high school dropout, David serves on boards at Northwest Justice Project, Friends of the Children, the Federal Bar Association, and Seattle University School of Law, as well as on the Washington State Bar Association's Judicial Recommendation Committee and the Washington Supreme Court's Civil Legal Needs Study Committee. He also devotes a significant amount of his practice to pro bono work relating to access to justice.
Joe Kessler
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Captain Joseph Kessler has worked for the Seattle Police Department for 35 years. He has worked in all of the patrol precincts and has served as the Commander of the West and Southwest Precincts and currently serves as the Commander of the Forensic Sciences Section. He has worked in many varied communities over the years including as a team member for the Safe Communities project. He previously served on the Commission as one of the original Commissioners. He is on the Board of the Seattle Police Management Association and fills the seat on the Commission for that organization.
Marcel Purnell
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Marcel Purnell is the Program Coordinator for Youth Undoing Institutional Racism (YUIR). The program was developed in 2001 as a partnership between The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, the American Friends Service Committee, and the Seattle Young People's Project. YUIR is a youth-centered multi-generational vehicle for young people to engage in ongoing anti-racist and anti-oppression education and to take action in their schools and community to bring forth social change.
Isaac Ruiz
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Isaac Ruiz is a trial lawyer and a partner with the firm Keller Rohrback L.L.P. in Seattle where he represents seriously injured people and insurance policyholders. He is the author of Washington's Insurance Fair Conduct Act: Cases & Analysis (2014), a leading insurance treatise. He serves as Vice President on the Board of the QLaw Foundation, which provides free legal services to members of the LGBTQ community. He also serves as the Chair of the Washington State Association for Justice's Insurance Section. Isaac holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Notre Dame Law School. He served as a judicial law clerk for Hon. Carlos F. Lucero of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver, Colorado.
Harriett Walden
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Rev. Harriett Walden has been a vocal advocate for better police-community relations in Seattle since she co-founded Mothers for Police Accountability in 1990. She has been appointed to and served on numerous task forces and commissions that involve efforts to improve and heal community-police relations and to achieve greater transparency and accountability in the criminal justice system.
Aaron Williams
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Rev. Aaron Williams is the Senior Pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church and Vice-President of the United Black Clergy. His greatest wish as a religious leader is that we strive to create a "beloved community." He believes we must all work towards that end, and he's eager to work with the Mayor and other community leaders to make it a reality. Aaron served on the Police Chief Search Committee for the City of Seattle in 2009. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Paine College in Augusta, Georgia, and a Master of Theology with an emphasis in Systematic Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas.
Past Commissioners
Taylor Hoang
Appointed by: Mayor Ed Murray
Term: 2016 - 2019
Taylor Hoang is an entrepreneur and leader in the Asian and business communities of Seattle. She is the Executive Director of Ethnic Business Coalition, a nonprofit committed to the long-term growth, sustainability, and success of immigrant and minority-owned small businesses in Washington.
Bill Hobson
Appointed by: Mayor Mike McGinn
Term: March 2013 - September 2014
Bill Hobson was the Executive Director of the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) since 1988 until 2015. He unfortunately passed away in March 2016.
Kate Joncas
Appointed by: Mayor Mike McGinn
Term: March 2013 - June 2014
Kate Joncas is the Deputy Mayor for Mayor Ed Murray. Prior to her position with the Mayor's office, she was President and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association from 1994 until 2014.
Diane Narasaki
Appointed by: Mayor Mike McGinn
Term: March 2013 - December 2014
Diane Narasaki is Executive Director of Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS). She was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to serve on the Center for Mental Health Services National Advisory Council.
Tina Podlodowski
Appointed by: Mayor Mike McGinn
Term: March 2013 - January 2014
Tina Podlodowski is a former Microsoft manager and Seattle City Councilmember. She served on the CPC until Mayor Murray appointed her to Senior Policy Advisor.
Ron Rasmussen
Appointed by: Mayor Ed Murray
Term: Jan 2013 - August 2015
Ron Rasmussen is a Seattle Police Department Acting Captain. As a Seattle Police Management Association board member he filled the seat on the Commission reserved for that organization.
Kevin Stuckey
Appointed by: Mayor Mike McGinn
Term: 2013 - 2016
Officer Kevin Stuckey has been with the Seattle Police Department for 20 years. He greatly enjoyed his years as a school emphasis officer (SEO).
Jennifer Shaw
Appointed by: Mayor Mike McGinn
Term: March 2013 - August 2015
Jennifer Shaw is Deputy Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington. She is responsible for leading policy advocacy work and coordinating multi-disciplinary, high impact campaigns for civil liberties that involve legal, legislative, public education and mobilizing programs.
Kip Tokuda
Appointed by: Mayor Mike McGinn
Term: March 2013 - July 2013
Kip Tokuda was the former state representative for the 37th Legislative District and a tireless advocate on behalf of children and families. He unfortunately passed away in July 2013.
While the CPC is independent, it works closely with others to promote reform and develop policy recommendations.
The CPC partners with many community organizations. In 2013 it directly contracted with 13 organizations (through which 100 other organizations were also involved) to obtain insights about SPD. All of these organizations are identified in the CPC's January 2014 Community Outreach Report. The CPC continues to partner with these and other groups to ensure that a wide variety of community views are represented in the reform process.
Other key partners include SPD and its Compliance Division, the Office of Professional Accountability, the Mayor's Office, the Department of Justice and other City agencies and departments. The CPC also partners with the Seattle Police Monitor who oversees the settlement agreement and with the DOJ.
Fé Lopez
Executive Director
206-684-5175
fe.lopez@seattle.gov
Fé Lopez is the Executive Director of the Community Police Commission ("CPC"). She was appointed to the position by Mayor Ed Murray and confirmed by the CPC and the Seattle City Council. Prior to working for the CPC, Ms. Lopez was the director of alumni relations and annual fund at Seattle University School of Law. She is a past president of the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington ("LBAW") where she and other minority bar and community leaders advocated for greater police accountability. Fé currently serves as a board president of OneAmerica and past co-administrator of the SGB/LBAW Free Legal Clinic at El Centro de la Raza. Ms. Lopez earned her J.D. at Seattle University School of Law.
Anne Bettesworth
Policy Analyst
206-684-8078
anne.bettesworth@seattle.gov
Anne Bettesworth provides complex policy research, advice, and strategy to help the Commission fulfill its duties. Anne came to the CPC from the Council of State Governments Justice Center, where she worked on an initiative called Justice Reinvestment, the aim of which was to avert state prison population growth and reinvest savings in strategies that would reduce recidivism and increase public safety. Prior to that, Anne lived in Washington, DC, where she worked for a member of Congress and in the Government Affairs Office at the American Psychological Association. She has a Master in Public Administration from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington, where she studied political science and Spanish.
Minty LongEarth
Community Engagement & Communications Specialist
minty.longearth@seattle.gov
Minty LongEarth is responsible for the CPC's communications and community engagement. She previously served as Executive Director for South King Council of Human Services and as interim Executive Director at United Indians of All Tribes Foundation. A longtime member of the Seattle community, Minty has two decades of experience in facilitation, coalition building, development and community outreach, with a focus on inclusion and cultural competency. In addition to being an activist for topics related to multiculturalism and cultural nuance, Minty is a member of the Huy Advisory Board, which assists indigenous people incarcerated in Washington State.
Tracy Whitlatch
Administrative Staff Assistant
206-233-2664
tracym.whitlatch@seattle.gov
Tracy Whitlatch is responsible for office management and administrative support. Prior to joining the CPC, Tracy worked 11 years for SPD beginning with 9-1-1 dispatch, and later supporting command staff, the Investigative Bureau and in SPD's public disclosure unit. In 2009 Tracy received the SPD Innovation Award which is "presented to a person or team that developed a creative solution or new program that embodied the characteristics of courage, risk-taking and/or perseverance, to address a long-standing problem." She also received the SPD Impact Award with the Narcotics Section, ProAct Teams. "This award is given to a team or unit that through their collaborative and innovative working style has made a significant impact on a crime or crime-related problem."
Technical Support
Betsy Graef
Contractor
betsy.graef@seattle.gov
Betsy Graef served as interim Director of the CPC from July 2013 through January 2014. She is currently managing the CPC's work to reform SPD's accountability system and providing technical back-up in a variety of other areas. As a legislative aide at the Seattle City Council, Betsy built expertise in local government public policy research, analysis and development, with a focus on public safety, criminal justice and education issues. Her prior career was as a project manager in the healthcare field. She has a Masters in Health Administration from the University of Colorado.