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Race, justice and Ian Birk: What SPD chief told East Precinct community

Seattle Police Chief John Diaz answered questions from East Precinct community members Thursday night in a public appearance at Seattle University that comes as prosecutors decide whether to charge one of Diaz’s officers with a crime in the shooting death of JT Williams and the Justice Department says it has launched a review of violence and racial bias within SPD.

“Sometimes we make huge mistakes,” Diaz said Thursday night. “Those are the ones you have to be held accountable for.”

Diaz appeared at the monthly meeting of a community crime prevention group that may see the occasional television news crew show up but not the throng of reporters and cameras from most major Seattle media outlets that attended Thursday night’s meeting. Many of the East Precinct Crime Prevention Coalition members who usually attend the monthly meetings to ask questions of the East Precinct brass about specific issues and problem streets in the area instead turned their attention to the bigger issues currently facing Diaz.

Thursday night, Diaz was called on to comment on everything from the logistics of the Ian Birk case to gentrification in the Central District — “Gentrification is part of the price of safety,” one community member said as she asked Diaz about what he was doing to build community and reduce “fear of crime.”

A community member asks Diaz about The Guardian (Sy Bean/THE SPECTATOR Special to CHS)

The police chief steered mostly clear of specifics saying he expected there to be a decision on Birk “within a month.” Of Ian Birk, one community member who said he had watched the video of the shooting told Diaz, “It’s unfathomable to me that he could still have a job.”

The community meeting, usually held at Seattle Vocational Institute at 23rd and Jackson, was held inside a conference room at Seattle U to coincide with Diaz’s appearance. Security was extremely tight and attendees arriving after the start of the session were turned away because the room was at capacity, Seattle U security staff told CHS. A small number of protesters gathered on the edges of campus near Chardin Hall.

Some of the night’s discussion did focus on East Precinct specific issues. Diaz said e considered the Drug Market Initiative and the focus on reducing criminal activity at 23rd and Union a success calling the effort “a perfect example of fighting crime by including community.” Diaz said he plans to establish another DMI effort elsewhere in the city.

Diaz also said his department is working on a service to better communicate SPD efforts at the community level with more neighborhood specific information sources. In 2010, SPD introduced online access to some incident reports and online mapping tools that document where and how officers are being dispatched.

Protesters were kept far from the chief (Sy Bean/THE SPECTATOR Special to CHS)

Two community members called on Diaz to explain what he is doing about the situation around articles in the Seattle Police officer’s guild newspaper railing against City of Seattle’s anti-bias training efforts. Diaz said he fully supports the city’s Race and Social Justice Initiative and admitted he is frustrated by the attention the articles have received.

“It’s bad for the entire organization. It’s bad for the community,” Diaz said. “It’s a stupid thing to do.”

Activist Anwar Peace (Sy Bean/THE SPECTATOR Special to CHS)

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b2k
b2k
13 years ago

it was a stupid thing to do. but what is he doing ABOUT IT?

middleoftheroad
middleoftheroad
13 years ago

What is he doing about it? How about we brain wash all police officers to think exactly the same way. Or we take away their freedom’s provided by the Constitution.

As long as an officer is impartial at work, why right do we have to demand they change?

lonny peddycord
lonny peddycord
13 years ago

It is actually a bit disconcerting that Chief Diaz is expresssing frustration at the response to the truth of what was released to the public in the article in the Guardian by officer Steve Pomper, what does he expect the truth to be continue to be hidden, that this kind of attitude be allowed to stay hidden as those of badge and gun carrying officers in the streets of seattle.
We are supposed to trust and believe in the honor of these people sworn to uphold the laws of this city and state, yet when they feel that everyone dont deserve the same rights that is a bit scary

KasparHauser4
KasparHauser4
13 years ago

OK Police officer made a mistake and the wood carver paid for that officer’s mistake with his life. This is indeed a tragedy. I wonder how many surgeons make a mistake in the operating room and the patient dies?

Unfortunately the police are many times in a life and death situation and they are trained not to take any chances but to kill the aggressor. The Police officer was following police procedure but not following his own common sense.

steve mccoy
12 years ago

doesnt the officer get a right to a fair trial and investigation too? what if he has ptsd or other factors? he shouldnt be on the force, but he still may be innocent by reason of insanity. we dont know the full story, and people should wait for it.