On March 31, 2011, we opened an investigation of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Following a comprehensive investigation, on December 16, 2011, we announced our findings. We found that SPD has engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive force that violates the Constitution and federal law. Our investigation further raised serious concerns that some SPD policies and practices, particularly those related to pedestrian encounters, could result in discriminatory policing. We negotiated and filed a consent decree to address these concerns on July 27, 2012, and separately entered into a settlement agreement on related issues on that same date. On September 21, the court modified and entered the consent decree. The documents below provide more information about the investigation, the Justice Department's findings, the consent decree and memorandum of understanding, and next steps.

Findings Letter (12/16/11)

Technical Assistance Letter on Garrity issues (11/23/11)

Settlement and Approval Documents

Complaint (7/27/12)

Settlement Agreement (7/27/12)

Memorandum of Understanding (7/27/12)

Joint Motion for Entry of the Agreement (7/27/12)

Order Modifying and Preliminarily Approving Agreement (9/21/12)

Order Granting Provisional Approval of the Agreement (2012)

Findings of Fact & Conclusions of Law (2012)

Order Denying Community Police Commission's Motion to Intervene and Granting Amicus Curiae Status (2013)

Compliance Monitoring Plans and Reports

First Year Monitoring Plan (2013), Appendix A: Schedule of Priorities for Settlement Agreement (2013)

Monitor's First Semiannual Report (2013)

Second Year Monitoring Plan (2014)

Monitor's Second Semiannual Report (2013)

Monitor's Third Semiannual Report (2014)

Memorandums and Orders Regarding Policies

Memorandum Submitting Consensus Use of Force Policies (2013)

Order Approving Consensus Use of Force Policy (2013)

Memorandum Submitting Consensus Stops and Bias-Free Policing Policies and Order Approving Policies (2014)

Consensus Crisis Intervention Policy and Order Approving Policy (2014)

Monitor's Submission of Consensus Performance Mentoring Policy (2014)

Order Approving Consensus Performance Mentoring Policy (2014)

Memorandum Submitting Office of Professional Accountability Internal Operations and Training Manual, and Policies Order Approving Policies (2014)

Order Approving Office of Professional Accountability Internal Operations and Training Manual, and Policies Order Approving Policies (2014)

Memorandum Regarding Instructional System Design Model for Comprehensive Use of Force Training (2014)

Memorandum Regarding Instructional System Design Model for Search and Seizure and Bias-Free Policing Training (2014)

Memorandum Submitting Consensus Basic, Dispatcher, and Strategy Crisis Intervention Training (2014)

Memorandum Submitting Consensus Advanced Crisis Intervention Training (2014)