Seattle Police Dept. misses key federal reform deadline

SEATTLE -- There's been a big setback for reform at the Seattle Police Department and the effort to root out the use of excessive force.

The SPD now admits it won’t meet a key deadline set by the U.S. Department of Justice.  The mayor and police chief say they need at least nine more months to overhaul the department’s computer system, something that should have been started earlier this year.



The new system will closely monitor officer behavior, and has been an important mandate in other cities that have also come under federal scrutiny.

On Wednesday, Mayor Ed Murray was contrite about the missed deadline and the yet-to-be-acquired computer system.

“We don’t have it,” Murray said.  “The delays have been unacceptable, and I have to wave my flag a little bit here.”

On Tuesday, the frustrated federal judge overseeing the city’s compliance with the DOJ mandates agreed to a new deadline of next March.