COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.    11b 
BRIEFING ITEM                            Date of Meeting     September 14, 2021 

DATE:     September 14, 2021 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Bookda Gheisar, Senior Director, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion 
Delmas Whittaker, Director, Marine Maintenance 
SUBJECT:  Port Policing Assessment Final Report 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
In response to the Port of Seattle Commission's Motion 2020-15 creating a Task Force on Port
Policing and Civil Rights, staff have been actively working to implement a comprehensive
assessment of the Port of Seattle Police Department's (POSPD) policies, protocols and procedures
impacting issues of diversity, equity and civil rights. With the help of a wide range of external
stakeholders and a consulting team, Port staff have achieved the Commission's goal of 
identifying opportunities for the POSPD to meet the highest nationwide standards achievable for
public safety and protection of civil rights, equity, accountability and oversight. 
The briefing on September 14 will provide a summary of key findings and recommendations for
potential Commission or Executive action, as well as a proposed plan for implementation over
the coming year. 
BACKGROUND 
Upon the passage of Motion 2020-15, the Task Force on Port Policing and Civil Rights hired 21CP
Solutions (21CP) as its consultant and formed a Task Force composed of key internal and external
stakeholders to guide the process and provide input on key issues. In addition, the structure of
the policing assessment was divided into subcommittees that include both Task Force members
and other Port and external participants. 
In addition to supporting the work of the subcommittees and integrating their feedback into the
assessment, 21CP also interviewed  stakeholders, reviewed  documents, surveyed POSPD
employees and drawn on their expertise to develop their recommendations. The results of this
work are found in 21CP's report which is included in the public materials for the September 14
Commission meeting. 
Motion 2020-15 states that the Executive Director and Commission will "review the report within
90 days of receipt" and will "respond to the recommendations within six (6) months". The Task
Force Co-chairs and staff will work with Commissioners, the Executive Director and the POSPD
during  this period to  facilitate  this  review  and  response,  as well  as  any  subsequent
implementation. 

Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 11b                                 Page 2 of 3 
Meeting Date: September 14, 2021 

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 
The 21CP final report and the summary of the final report  both of which provided as
attachments to this memo  highlight two main conclusions: 
1)  First, the Port of Seattle Police Department is in a strong position and already operating
to a great extent in alignment with the Commission's goals as articulated in Motion 2020-
15. POSPD has good policies and procedures, a robust training program and a clear
commitment to mission and goals. Use of force is infrequent and, with few exceptions,
reasonable,  necessary,  and  proportional.  The  relatively  few  POSPD  misconduct
complaints were investigated in a timely and objective manner. Forward thinking appears
typical of POSPD leadership and was observed in supervisors and officers providing dayto-day
policing services, the POSPD training program, and through participation in the
work of the Task Force. 
2)  Second, as with any organization, there are opportunities for growth and change that will
bring POSPD even closer to the Commission's vision of a world-class police force that not
only sets a high standard for performance and community service, but also centers equity
and civil liberties as core values in its work. To that end, 21CP's full report offers a wide
variety of recommendations in each of the nine areas for assessment outlined by the
Commission. 
In particular, 21CP's recommendations focus on three priority areas: 
How increased organizational transparency can improve perceptions about the
POSPD; 
Supporting  the  POSPD's  move  away  from  a  traditional  police  response  on
homelessness; and 
The need for the POSPD to focus on internal procedural justice to address a
perception of inequity experienced by many, but particularly Non-White employees. 
Overall, 21CP offers a full list of more than 50 recommendations based on the work of the
subcommittees as well as its engagement efforts with the POSPD, other Port staff, and external 
stakeholders. Those recommendations are listed in the summary report document, and are
further explained in the full report document. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS PRESENTATION - 
(1)   21CP Final Policing Assessment Report Summary 
(2)   21CP Final Policing Assessment Report 
(3)   Presentation slides 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
April 27, 2021  The Commission heard a progress report from the Task Force co-chairs. 
November 17, 2020  The Commission heard a progress report from the Task Force co-
chairs. 
Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 11b                                 Page 3 of 3 
Meeting Date: September 14, 2021 

July 14, 2020  The Commission approved the Port Policing Assessment Motion. 
June 30, 2020   The Commission held a study session on the draft Port Policing
Assessment Motion. 

















Template revised September 22, 2016.