Washington (U.S.), September 4 (H.S.) : U.S. District Judge James Robart on Wednesday ended 13 years of federal oversight of the Seattle Police Department, first imposed after allegations of excessive force and racial bias. The Department of Justice had previously acknowledged that such practices disproportionately harmed minority communities.

The Biden administration initially proposed lifting the oversight in 2023, but the process was delayed due to unresolved issues.

According to The New York Times, the Seattle Police Department has since adopted new use-of-force policies, implemented body-worn cameras, revised accountability protocols for officers, and reassessed crowd-control tactics. In his ruling, Judge Robart noted that the city had met its obligations, making the federal consent decree—an agreement overseen by the court—no longer necessary.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a written statement to the court on Wednesday: “This is a different department than in 2012. We remain committed to continuous improvement.”

The decision comes at a time when, under President Donald J. Trump, the Justice Department rolled back similar federal interventions in police departments across the country and closed pending civil rights investigations.

The Seattle Community Police Commission emphasized that federal oversight had played a pivotal role in reshaping the department, while stressing that more work is needed to rebuild trust, particularly within communities most affected by past misconduct.

Harmeet K. Dhillon, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division under the Trump administration, said in a statement: “Now that federal oversight has ended and full responsibility has been returned to local authorities, we are proud to stand with every member of the Seattle Police Department.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar