Target: King County Sheriff, Patti Cole-Tindall
Goal: Adopt alternative policing methods to reduce harm to community members of color.
The King County Sheriff’s Office is “350% more likely to arrest a Black person for a crime given its proportion of the population,” according to a King 5 report. The audit found this to be a “systemic issue across the county” with almost every jurisdiction showing racial disparities.
The Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) community members of King County face significantly disproportionate levels of arrests. The audit reports that Black people account for a full 25% of all arrests, while being only 7% of the population. Hispanic and Indigenous folks were also found to be arrested with a higher frequency. The audit also showed many troubling aspects with the King County Sherriff’s Office’s use of force. Hispanic people are 50% more likely to have force used against them, and Black folks are 29% more likely to experience the use of force. Not only are BIPOC community members more likely to have force used against them, but white officers are more likely to use force than officers of all other racial backgrounds combined – they are a staggering 52% more likely to do so. In fact, the report found white officers used force against Black people 75% more often than officers of any other racial background.
Cities and states around the US have demonstrated that alternative policing methods and policies, like having mental health providers respond to low-risk calls instead of armed officers, can create safer interactions for BIPOC community members while lightening the load for officers. King County’s audit found that 58% of the calls made to the Sheriff’s Office are categorized as lowest-risk and could be handled by professionals outside of the police force. Call on the King County Sheriff’s Office to adopt these alternative policing practices to take BIPOC community members out of harms way.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Sheriff Cole-Tindall,
A recent audit of your department has found that the King County Sheriff’s Office has seen troubling instances of racial inequality within its policing practices. The audit found that BIPOC community members experience disproportionate levels of arrests – with Black people accounting for a full 25% of all arrests made, even though they make up only 7% of the population of King County. Hispanic and Indigenous folks were found to be arrested at higher rates as well.
The audit also found a troubling trend in the use of force practices of your officers. Like arrest rates in King County, BIPOC community members are more likely to have force used against them, given their proportion of the population, than a white resident, but also troubling, is the higher likelihood that white officers will use force. The audit found white officers were 52% more likely to use force than officers of all other racial groups combined. In fact, the report found white officers used force against Black people 75% more than officers of any other racial background. You must take swift action to ensure these racist policing practices do not continue and to protect the BIPOC members of your community.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: AvGeekJoe
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