A new report from Seattle’s Inspector General finds the city’s police contract restricts unarmed crisis responders from helping “a significant portion of the population” they were intended to serve. The crisis responders’ union has filed an unfair labor practice over these limitations.

The report finds that “even as the SPOG contract adds a new response type, expands call types, and removes the cap on new staffing, it also further limits the CARE Team,” which took shape three years ago as a third public safety agency alongside the Seattle police and fire departments.

Some of those restrictions include:

  • Requiring crisis responders to go to certain calls only alongside police – even if that delays the response for hours
  • Prohibiting CARE teams from responding to welfare check calls in private residences and commercial spaces, even those open to the public like grocery stores;
  • Prohibiting CARE teams from responding with police to “nuisance” calls like trespassing if the caller wishes to press charges;
  • Authorizing the Seattle Police Department to override decision-making by 911 dispatchers on assigning CARE teams;
  • And allowing police to cancel CARE co-response altogether.