Background: The Seattle consent decree began in 2012 following a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union to the then Attorney General alleging excessive use of force.

Time:

13 years

Status:

Terminated – September 2025

Cost:

>$200 million

Result: After over a decade, the City of Seattle requested the termination of its consent decree in July 2025, which took effect in September. While under its decree, Seattle’s monitors were scrutinized heavily and involved in a public-facing texting scandal – leading to questions around the purity of their intentions and financial motives. Today, Seattle has fewer officers per capita than most major U.S. cities, with Washington ranking 51st in police staffing behind all 50 states and D.C. During this time, Seattle also saw a clear rise in both violent and property crime.

View Graph   Graph Source: King 5