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 and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to reform SPD practices. Those two documents are referred to as the Consent Decree. The Consent Decree is overseen by a federal judge and appointed police monitor who are charged with ensuring SPD's unconstitutional policing practices are corrected.
The Community Police Commission (CPC) was mandated under the Consent Decree to provide community input on needed reforms. The City of Seattle established the CPC by ordinance, which began its work in 2013. Four years later, under the City's landmark 2017 Accountability Ordinance, CPC was made permanent and its scope of responsibilities and authority broadened. While it continues to be responsible for its obligations related to the Consent Decree, it now also provides mandated ongoing, community-based oversight of SPD and the police accountability system.
There are three parts to the accountability system and they all work together in different ways to promote effective, constitutional policing. The partners include:
- Office of Police Accountability (OPA);
- Office of the Inspector General (OIG); and
- Community Police Commission (CPC).
Together, these partners are mandated to offer critical analysis and advice to the City Council, Mayor, City Attorney, and each other, while also making policy recommendations and engaging in collaborative conversations with the Seattle Police Department.
Vision
We envision our communities and Seattle's police aligned in shared goals of safety, respect, and accountability.
Mission
The Community Police Commission listens to, amplifies, and builds common ground among communities affected by policing in Seattle. We champion policing practices centered in justice and equity.
The CPC has 15 Commissioners, with the Mayor, the City Council, and the CPC each appointing five. Commissioners represent the diversity of Seattle and include individuals from communities of color, ethnic and faith communities, immigrant communities, the urban Indian community, the LGBTQ community, and the business community. Commissioners also include youth representatives, civil rights advocates, and individuals familiar with the challenges faced by homeless people and those with mental illness or substance abuse issues.
Two positions are designated for public defense and civil liberties lawyers, one position is designated for a member of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, and one position is designated for a member of the Seattle Police Management Association. Commissioners live or work in Seattle.
Lars W. Erickson
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Lars Erickson is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. He has more than 25 years of experience in public and government relations, communications, and politics – serving over nine years as Senior Director of External Relations for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). In this role, Lars oversaw external and internal communications, government relations, community outreach efforts, strategic planning for special projects, and liaising with the Governor’s Office and partner agencies.
During his time at WSDOT, the agency received national recognition for its emergency/crisis communications efforts, social media engagement, and comprehensive user-focused website redesign. Lars’ experience also includes serving as Public Relations Officer at Pierce Transit, as Press Secretary for Gov. Chris Gregoire, and on multiple campaigns including Kerry/Edwards in 2004. Lars is a proud member of the Washington State LGBTQ Commission, appointed by the Governor, and also serves as a volunteer advance and press lead for the Biden Administration.
Suzette Dickerson
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Suzette is an experienced Staff Representative at WSCCCE AFSCME Council 2 with a demonstrated history of working in government relations. She is skilled in team building,management, leadership and labor relations. She is also a strong business development professional with a Project Management Certificate focused in Project Management from Bellevue College. Prior to her current role, Suzette worked as a Business Representative for Teamsters Local 11.
Suzette has a strong passion for helping others and is driven by equity and social justice-- two components that are a driving force for her work, day in and day out.
Raven Nicole Tyler
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Raven is an Army veteran, having served 7 years in the United States Army as a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear officer and an all-source intelligence analyst. Prior to her time in the Army, Raven was contracted as an intelligence analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency providing experience in mapping and predictive analysis. She currently works as an associate at NWP Consulting in Seattle, Washington.
As an active member in her College’s Social Justice Leadership Institute, she worked closely with social impact organizations in multiple states through volunteerism. During her undergraduate studies she was an intern and Unite Here Labor union, where she worked with union organizers to unionize the Baltimore-Washington Airport workers.
Raven studied Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Marketing, at Marietta College. She later attended Bowie State University earning a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy and management. Raven currently works at NWP Consulting where she works as a political consultant with a focus on campaigns, communications, and causes.
Rev. Harriett Walden, Co-Chair
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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.
Joel Merkel, Co-Chair
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Joel Merkel, Co-Chair, is an Assistant Attorney General in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Washington Attorney General’s Office. Previously, Joel served for nearly a decade as a Deputy Prosecutor at the King County Prosecutor’s Office. Joel tried dozens of domestic violence and sexual assault cases while working closely with victims thrust into the criminal legal system, many of whom are from diverse and marginalized communities. Joel served on an office-wide Equity Action Work group to develop internal recommendations on criminal justice reform and racial equity. Joel also spent nearly six years as Legislative Counsel for U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell in Washington D.C. and Seattle, carrying out oversight over multiple federal agencies, including complex investigations and legislative responses following the 2008 financial market crisis. Joel was appointed to the Commission by the City Council in 2022 to a term ending December 31, 2024.
Le'Jayah Washington
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Le'Jaya Washington serves as Operations Specialist for King County Equity Now, where her duties include tracking policy projects and participating in panels and community events. Her professional experience includes working at Seattle C.A.R.E.S Mentoring, Cultivating the Genius of Black Children and the Black Community Impact Alliance. Previously, she served as assistant to the Deputy Coroner in the City of Pasco and interned in the Office of King County Councilmember, Larry Gossett. Her volunteer experience includes the Urban League, Central Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Tyree Scott Freedom School.
Mark Mullens
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Officer Mark Mullens was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. Before becoming a police officer, Mullens worked for Intel Corporation, Microsoft and Airborne Express. He became a Seattle Police officer in 1990 and has worked in all precincts -- making the South Precinct his home for 29 years as a patrol officer.
Officer Mullens has worked on the Anti-Crime Team and served as a Community Police Officer, working closely with El Centro de La raza and the residents of the housing program. He is also one of the original mountain bike patrol officers.
In 2017, Officer Mullens was voted Officer of the Year for the South Precinct.
Currently, Officer Mullens serves as Shop Steward for The Seattle Police Officer's Guild (SPOG).
Anthony Gaedcke
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Captain Anthony Gaedcke has been in law enforcement since 1994. During his time with the Seattle Police Department, he has held assignments in the Patrol Operations Bureau, the Professional Standards Bureau, and the Criminal Investigations Bureau. He is member of the Seattle Police Management Association (SPMA).
Jeremy Wood
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As a former Seattle Assistant City Attorney, former chair of the Seattle Human Rights Commission, and most of all the cousin of a formerly-incarcerated person, I bring a passion and experience that I am confident would serve the Commission’s crucial work. City Council appointed me to the Seattle Human Rights Commission and the members of that body later elected me its chair. In that role, I led the successful effort to end Seattle’s longtime practice of conscripting prison labor to clean homeless encampments. Outside my day-job as a labor and employment attorney, I served as pro bono counsel for the caucus of state legislators of color in New York, prevailing in litigation to open police disciplinary records to public disclosure against challenge from New York police unions.
Tascha Johnson
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Commitment Statement:
I commit to participating fully in all required activities with the Community Police Commission, to attendall required meetings and indulging myself fully to the communities that we serve. I am committed to working towards having safe and healthy communities by participating in the change work necessary to achieve meaningful police reform by improving operations and strengthening relationships within those communities.
As a community leader, I am constantly looking for ways to involve myself in my community. With an understanding the power that the community has through organizing and the creation of policy, we can work towards moving our communities forward. As the Associate Executive Director at CHOOSE 180, I have the ability to work towards the transformation of many young lives on a daily basis, while also working to transform systems by providing alternatives to youth detention and confinement and I am eager to put these skills to use in working with the Community Police Commission.
In the year and a half that I’ve had on the commission, I have not had an opportunity to make as big an impact as I had hoped. However, I would welcome the opportunity to continue on as a commissioner for another term in order to better position myself to make a difference and be a voice of the communities that I serve.
Tascha R. Johnson
Date: 1/3/23
Erica Newman
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Erica Newman is longtime resident of the City of Seattle. For the past decade, Erica has spent a large amount of her time helping individuals and families navigate the education and criminal justice system. She has worked as a legislative analyst for the Metropolitan King County Council
and a legal administrative specialist for the King County Prosecuting Attorney.
Her volunteer experience includes work with community organizations like Africatown, Antioch University, and the NAACP.
Although the Community Police Commission (CPC) is independent, it works closely with others to engage with the community to advance measures that support effective and respectful policing.
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 Seattle Police Department (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 perspectives about the police are heard.
Other key partners include SPD, the Office of Police Accountability (OPA), the Inspector General's Office (OIG), the Mayor's Office, and other City agencies and departments.
The CPC also partners with the Seattle Police Monitor who oversees the settlement agreement and with the United States Department of Justice.
Cali Ellis, PhD
Executive Director
Cali.Ellis@seattle.gov
Linnea Lassiter
Policy Director
Linnea.Lassiter@seattle.gov
Emma Shepard
Communications Advisor
Emma.Shepard@seattle.gov
Mergitu Argo
Community Engagement Specialist
Mergitu.Argo@seattle.gov
Jo-Nathan Thomas, MBA
Community Engagement Specialist
Jo-Nathan.Thomas@seattle.gov
Jessica Phares
Data & Policy Analyst
Jessica.Phares@seattle.gov
Dani Sullivan
Senior Policy Analyst
Dani.Sullivan@seattle.gov
Cameron Runyan
Executive Assistant
Cameron.Runyan2@seattle.gov