Monitor: Seattle police making progress on reforms

SEATTLE (AP) — A court-appointed monitor says the Seattle Police Department is making good strides toward reform.

Merrick Bobb filed his latest progress report with the U.S. District Court in Seattle on Monday. It says that while a lot of work remains, the department is making "sustained, positive" progress, thanks largely to thanks largely to new Chief Kathleen O'Toole.

Bobb noted that by the end of the year, all officers will have completed 32 hours of training on new use-of-force policies, as well as additional training on bias-free policing and dealing with those suffering from mental illness. He also says Seattle police are continuing to improve the way they document and report uses of force.

The city agreed two years ago to make changes in the police department after the Justice Department found it had a "pattern or practice" of violating the civil rights of citizens. The DOJ said officers were too quick to use force, including using their batons and flashlights, even in situations that could have been defused verbally.