Law Enforcement Participation

The Seattle Police Department has copywritten and trademarked the Safe Place Program concept, and logo.

The Seattle Police Department will license the logo and program to other law enforcement agencies to adopt the Safe Place Initiative for their Jurisdiction for FREE after receiving permission.

There are some basic requirements around training and written agency policies. The Seattle Police Department has given authorization and licensed this program to nearly 300 Law Enforcement agencies across the United States, Canada, and internationally to utilize this program.  Authorization includes the use of the official rainbow shield/star, and information and training contained on the SPDSafePlace.com website.  Once authorized your agency may then create your own Safe Place agency website and modify the Safe Place Sticker for your agency.  Your agency will then run and manage your own Safe Place Program within your justification. Joining nearly 300 Law Enforcement Agencies across the United States, Canada, and Europe in standing up to hate and showing that you have Training Policies and Procedures for hate/bias crimes.

To start the process, receive more information, and ultimately receive written authorization to utilize the copywritten and trademarked program please contact the Global Safe Place Administrator Officer Korieo.  Dorian.Korieo@Seattle.Gov or via phone at (206) 386-1793.  The high-resolution artwork for modification will also be sent to approved agencies.  Officer Korieo is available to spend as much or as little time you and your agency through this either long or short process based upon your existing policies and training.  Some agencies already have policies, others take this to update their policies to be best patterns and practices we can work through that together.

To the right are a few examples of what other agencies have produced to look like their agency badge/shield or changing the background color. 

The SPD SAFE PLACE concept is specifically a law enforcement initiative - meaning it only works when local law enforcement actively manages the program.  This program will only be licensed to active Law Enforcement agencies, as they will be the ones responding to the 911 calls. 

Community groups can reach out to Officer Korieo for more information, and we can both approach your Law Enforcement agency if you like. Ultimately need the law enforcement agency within your jurisdiction to adopt the principles and then program there.

The Safe Place Program should not be overseen, implemented, funded, controlled, or otherwise 'handed off to' community members, social organizations, advocates, activists, or politicians. 

This program is also a certification that your agency has policies, procedures and training for bias and or hate crimes.  It is a symbol to victims that your agency is continuing to take steps to protect and support minority members of your community. 

Why Get Your Agency Involved in Safe Place?

The SPD SAFE PLACE Initiative can help with the following issues:

• Increases in bias crimes, crimes with bias elements, bias incidents & student bullying, (both perceived and actual increases). 
• It is a visible and ongoing statement and commitment to minority communities and says where both the city and Police Department are standing with marginalized communities.
• It shows that your agency has put in place Training for your Officers, and has policies and procedures to investigate and protect minority communities.
• Significant under-reporting and/or non-reporting of bias crimes, crimes with bias elements, bias incidents, and student bullying.
• Inconsistent, confusing and/or non-existent protocol and training on identifying, defining, reporting, and statistically categorizing bias crimes, crimes with bias elements, bias incidents and student bullying. (Locally and Nationwide).
• Misinformation, and/or confusion regarding the calling of 911.  Misinformation, inconsistencies, and/or confusion surrounding definitions of bias crimes, crimes with bias elements, bias incidents, student bullying and/or free speech.  
• The frustration and disconnect between minority communities, businesses, law enforcement agencies, and social organizations regarding increases in crime, police response, lack of police resources, and the resulting loss of business revenue.
• Starts community conversation and inclusion of the Police Department into community conversations that it might not otherwise be included in.
• Lack of effective communication between members of minority communities and law enforcement, businesses, schools, and government leaders.
• Continuing (and often unreported) school bullying incidents resulting from student reluctance or skepticism that school officials and/or police will take bullying allegations seriously.
• Lack of a specific law enforcement where the public can find current, and useful information regarding bias crimes, student bullying, and associated resources.
• Improvement of law enforcement's understanding of minority community issues, and improved training of officers on socially sensitive topics.

How to make the SAFE PLACE initiative successful

Trust and follow-through are the keys. The SPD SAFE PLACE initiative only works if the victims of hate crimes and the community, in general, believe in and trust the program.  Trust comes when a victim observes and experiences that sincere effort is being made by all parties involved to keep their safety the paramount concern. This means that Law Enforcement needs to make the first step in many to start the road of recovery for Law Enforcements tumultuous past with minority communities.

Everything must work together - if law enforcement or schools fail to educate and train their staff to properly document these incidents if businesses don't train their employees to call 911 or shelter victims until the police arrive if the media doesn't educate the public about the spirit behind this initiative - then SPD SAFE PLACE will only be a colorful decal without meaning behind it.  Victims won't know or trust the symbol as a place to seek help, nor trust law enforcement enough to report the crimes.

Public Messaging

The SPD SAFE PLACE concept is designed to encourage the reporting of bias crimes or incidents.  It helps to develop a universal message to address the communities' concerns regarding the perception of increased reporting.  If adopting SPD SAFE PLACE increases the community trust to report crimes, it may lead to an increase in bias/hate crime reports.  It is important to message this to the public - that this does not necessarily mean there are more hate crimes occurring in your jurisdiction, but instead crimes that would have gone unreported are now known about are now being reported because of the built up trust.    

As Law Enforcement we have the image of the old grouchy Police Officer responding to a victim of a bias or hate crime, and then not knowing how they will be treated. Will they take my assault seriously? Will they be mean to me? Will they even care? It happened yesterday do I still call 911 even though it's not an emergency? This program starts that process of publicly saying where your agency stands and with training policies and procedures it makes sure that Officers/Deputies responding out will be treating these calls seriously, and the victims with care, dignity, and respect.