Boycott The OPA?

Well, it isn't a call for a boycott per se, just a recommendation against using it until it is fixed. (see the post below this one)

Why?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349469_force31.html

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349169_lying29.html

http://thepapernoose.blogspot.com/2007/06/policing-police.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003762615_alleybarnes26m.html

http://www.seattleweekly.com/2004-06-02/news/the-cops-credibility-gap.php

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=490766

We could keep going citing case after case of abusive behavior going unpunished... but the common theme is that even when the OPA does find evidence of abuse, the chief of police always exonerates officers or goes against disciplinary recommendations. The system is flawed, it is clearly evidenced that it will not hold officers accountable for misconduct, thus it cannot do anything good for the community nor the victims of police misconduct.

Therefore, since it can only serve to help protect abusive officers by providing the SPD with advanced warning of potential legal action, we recommend against using the SPD OPA for finding redress for incidents of police misconduct.

Since the Seattle Police Officer's Guild insists that it will not consider reforms until 2010 and even then it may not accept all suggested reforms, there is little hope that the system will be fixed for years.

Call it what you will, but we highly recommend against using the OPA for your own benefit until substantial changes are made.

Clarification: Instead of using the OPA, we highly recommend that you immediately contact a lawyer if you are the victim of police misconduct.

Also, if you witness police misconduct, do not report it to the OPA, instead report it to the media or here. If you feel the event was a serious abuse of power, then contact the US DOJ and/or FBI at the links provided on the sidebar as well.

While the DOJ and FBI are unlikely to investigate individual cases, they may be spurred to investigate the Seattle Police Department AGAIN if there are enough complaints.

(NOTE: The previous FBI investigaton ended early after some officers found out about it and tipped other officers off about the undercover FBI investigation into SPD corruption, the chief exonerated officers that were accused of interfering by intimidating officers they thought had cooperated with the investigation.)