Murray makes a move on police accountability

Mayor Ed Murray is holding a press conference this afternoon where he's expected to endorse changes to the Seattle Police Department's accountability system. According to people familiar with the announcement, the mayor plans to bless a set of 55 recommendations that the city's Community Police Commission made earlier this year.The recommendations, designed to improve the department's accountability practices and policies, are sweeping in scope. One urges the department to show a hiring preference for recruits who are multi-lingual, or those who have experience working in diverse communities. Other recommendations propose changes to the process used to handle misconduct complaints against police officers. That process came under fire earlier this year, when former interim chief of police, Harry C. Bailey, reversed disciplinary findings in seven misconduct cases.Although the Commission presented the recommendations in April, the city has not yet begun to aggressively carry them out. Doing so could involve substantial effort: Some of the recommendations would require legislative action or changes to the city's police union contract.The 15-member Community Police Commission provides civilian input on Seattle's ongoing police reform process. The group began its work in March of 2013. Mayor Murray is also expected to announce that the Commission will remain in place permanently, even after the reform process is complete. — B.L.