Seattle police will begin implementing the nation's first policy that governs the use of police patrol "ruses" during investigations.

Seattle police will begin implementing the nation’s first policy that governs the use of police patrol “ruses,” a statement an officer knows is not true but may be helpful to an investigation, according to city press release Monday.

“Effective public safety requires community buy-in, and this new policy is an important step to build understanding with the public, demonstrating that for Seattle Police Department (SPD) operations to be successful, they must be paired with a commitment to unbiased, constitutional policing,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.

The policy comes a few years after a Seattle officer’s ruse contributed to the suicide of a hit-and-run driver in 2018. Another controversial ruse was when officers created fake radio traffic to try and get protesters away from the CHAZ/CHOP zone in 2020. Harrell directed the SPD to develop the new policy because those cases undermined the public’s trust and confidence in police, according to the SPD.

  • DreamButtEnglish
    16•8 months ago

    The new “Ruse Policy” was established with the notion that while the ruse tactic may be necessary in specific situations to support public safety, the need and conditions for its use should be strongly and clearly defined, SPD said in a press release

    Yeah I mean this sounds pretty straightforward. At a minum we need clear definitions and expectations about what it is and what is allowed. Even if you think we shouldn’t let police do this at all