Use of force report now available

Outside consultant to present recommendations at April 12 City Council meeting

An outside, third-party consultant hired by the City of Bellevue has delivered its final review and recommendations on the police department’s use of force policies. The full report is available for the public to view at Council Pledge. The Office of Independent Review Group (OIR) will brief the City Council next Monday during the regular April 12 meeting. An additional briefing of the council by the police chief will be scheduled for a future council meeting.   

OIR’s findings are another step in the Council Pledge process; a commitment to the community signed by Mayor Lynne Robinson on behalf of the council last June. Bellevue adopted the pledge following the tragic death of George Floyd, as people across the nation were moved to address the continued reality of systemic racism. The pledge included the following actions:

1. Review - police use of force policies.
2. Engage - the community by including a diverse range of input, experiences and stories in the review.
3. Report - the findings of the review to the community and seek feedback.
4. Reform - police use of force policies.

The report comes after a robust community engagement process that included calls with impacted stakeholder groups, three virtual listening sessions, two surveys and hundreds of emails with direct feedback.