Police Accountability System Overview

Police oversight in Seattle is three-pronged, with investigatory oversight the responsibility of the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA). OPA’s purpose is to receive and investigate citizen complaints about police misconduct. The Office of Professional Accountability Auditor and the Office of Professional Accountability Review Board review and report on the OPA’s work.

The Office of Professional Accountability was created in November 1999, in response to recommendations of a citizen review panel appointed by then-Mayor Paul Schell to evaluate the issue of employee accountability within the Seattle Police Department and the process used to investigate reports of police misconduct.

In 1999, after more than three months of investigation, the panel issued its final report. Although no evidence of widespread corruption or misconduct was found, the panel’s report offered a series of recommendations to increase confidence in the department’s ability to maintain standards of professional integrity.

The cornerstone of the panel’s report was the creation of an Office of Professional Accountability. The first OPA director, Sam Pailca, was nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the Council in 2000. Under city law, OPA directors can serve a maximum of six years. The current OPA director, Kathryn Olson, was appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Council in 2007.

The mayor also appoints the Office of Professional Accountability Auditor, an independent civilian contractor who reviews open internal-investigation files and may provide advice on investigations. The Office of Professional Accountability Review Board, a three-member citizen panel created and appointed by the City Council, reviews closed internal investigations to determine the way they have been handled by the OPA. The group reports to the City Council.