Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has formally asked a federal judge to end the Seattle Police Department’s consent decree, the oversight agreement that has shaped local policing since 2012. City leaders say years of reforms have met all federal requirements, including improved use-of-force policies and crowd management.

The decree began after a U.S. Department of Justice investigation found 20% of SPD’s serious use-of-force incidents were unconstitutional. Since then, SPD has sought to overhaul training and accountability systems. Recent data shows less than 0.17% of police dispatches in 2024 involved force — most of it classified as minor.

If approved by U.S. District Judge James Robart, the move would restore full local control over SPD for the first time in over a decade. “An end to the consent decree does not mean the work is done,” Harrell said. “We are committed to being a learning, growing organization.” Seattle’s three-part, civilian-led police oversight structure remains in place, along with new rules restricting crowd-control tactics.