Seattle police cease to use force in crisis situations

On June 17, Seattle police officers encountered a woman leaning off the edge of the 12th Avenue Bridge. One end of a long scarf was tied around her neck. The other end was tied to the railing. It was among the first calls for officers to exercise yet-to-be tested crisis training, in the wake of scrutiny over the department’s use-of-force.

It took 50 minutes to talk the woman off the edge. Once safe, she was involuntarily committed to a local hospital.

Related: Police learn de-escalation tactics as part of change in use-of-force policy

After implementing a new crisis template for Seattle officers to follow in May, police have documented 2,464 contacts with people in crisis; generally people with mental illness or problems related to drug use. And with improved data tracking, the Seattle Police Department is able to track how its officers have handled each situation.

That data infers that use-of-force has not been commonly used in such crisis situations, according to the Seattle Police Department. In fact, 98 percent of all crisis contacts resulted in no use-of-force over the past three months.

“These results are remarkable,” said Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole. “They underscore the fact that policing is a service that goes well beyond law enforcement. I’m incredibly proud of SPD officers for handling these complicated situations so effectively and with such minimal force.”

Related: Some officers fight change in SPD culture

The new crisis template includes the formation of a crisis response team, partnerships with local community services and hospitals, and officer training in escalation.

Those tactics were used on June 17, when a man barricaded himself inside what was believed to be an empty house. The man threatened to blow the place up. It was suspected that he suffered from a mental condition caused by methamphetamine use. That negotiation took nearly 11 hours. And another time when a mentally ill man broke a bottle over the head of another, unrelated man walking downtown.

Out of the 2,464 contacts, 1,594 people were referred to community services, a procedure included in the new crisis template. Also included in the template is diverting people to hospitals for further help. There have been 272 voluntary commitments to local hospitals so far, and 772 involuntary commitments.

There have been 187 arrests out of these contacts, which falls just short of 8 percent of 2,464 total contacts. Approximately 64 percent of those arrested were armed or threatened violence.

There were also 113 people who had committed a crime but were not arrested, instead they were diverted to services. About 60 percent of those who committed crimes were taken to a hospital

By the end of 2015, the Seattle Police Department expects to make approximately 10,000 contacts total within the city.