2024 police audit: Use-of-force incidents up 46%

The Olympia Police Department reported a 46% increase in use-of-force incidents in 2024, with most incidents involving individuals experiencing mental health issues or substance abuse.  

At a meeting held on Tuesday, June 3, Tara Parker, the city's independent police auditor from Clarity Investigations and Consulting, said the department recorded 76 use-of-force incidents in 2024, an increase from 2023 with 52 incidents.

Of those incidents, 56, or 74%, involved individuals in crisis, either due to mental illness, substance abuse, or both.  

"I also want to point out that 56 of the 76 use-of-force incidents in 2024 involved individuals experiencing crisis conditions — either mental health issues or substance use," Parker said.

"That number alone exceeds the total number of use-of-force incidents in 2023, so I think it's worth considering that the overall increase in force may be driven by a rise in the number of community members in crisis and the complex factors surrounding those conditions." 

In each case, body-worn camera footage showed subjects who did not respond to de-escalation attempts.  

Other types of force used included controlled holds while hand-cuffing (3), defensive knee strikes (4), conducive energy weapon (7), lift subject by arm (1), drawing serving weapon (1) and less lethal munition (1).   

There were 14 misconduct complaints in 2024. Only one resulted in a finding of a very low-level type of misconduct, which is inadequate performance due to lack of training or experience. It was addressed by providing additional training.  

Parker also noted the number of juveniles involved declined to three in 2024 from nine in the previous year. She described it as an encouraging number after a sharp uptick in 2023.  

Recommendations 

The auditor reiterated two recommendations in her report, which she has put forward in the past. 

Enhance de-escalation training: Parker emphasized the importance of focusing on de-escalation training, noting 74% of use-of-force cases in 2024 involved individuals experiencing a mental health crisis or under the influence of substances who did not respond to de-escalation efforts.

She also underscored the need for specialized training when interacting with juveniles, whose reasoning may be impaired in ways similar to substance use.

"Scientists seem to be in consensus that juveniles are oftentimes not operating with the same forms of reasoning that can be comparable to being impaired by drug and alcohol issues," Parker said.

She said the police department has been committed to scheduling continuous training in those areas.  

Track coordination with crisis responders: Parker urged the department to strengthen its tracking of how officers coordinate with crisis response teams.

She explained that in many cases, it was difficult to determine the extent of a crisis responder's involvement because the department had no formal system for documenting information. In response, the department is developing a new records management system to ensure the information is consistently recorded.  

"I believe that you can't do much with information that you're not tracking. I think tracking these items will hopefully provide great opportunities for both teams — both the police department and the crisis responders — to learn from and get a better understanding of what has been most effective and where there's room for improvement," she added. 

Crime trends 

In her presentation, Olympia Police Department (OPD) Deputy Chief Shelby Parker provided an overview of the OPD's 2024 operations. The department ended the year with 106 staff members, including 71 commissioned officers, and responded to 54,923 calls for service.  

Crime statistics showed mixed trends, with notable decreases in robberies from 92 cases in 2023 to 61 in 2024, and auto theft with 215 cases in 2024, compared with 303 cases in 2023.

The OPD saw 183 cases of felony assault in 2024. In 2023, 170 cases were recorded. Commercial burglaries were down by 169.  

The department processed more than 4,000 public disclosure requests, and conducted more than 200 community engagement activities.  

Out of nearly 55,000 calls for service, 2,950 of the calls resulted in arrest, and 76 of the incidents resulted in an officer using force. Thirteen incidents resulted in minor injuries, such as abrasions. Those individuals received medical care. No incidents resulted in serious or life-threatening injuries.  

The deputy chief reported sexual assaults increased by 8.4% compared with the five-year average, and a 41% clearance rate.  

Understanding the "why?" 

Mayor Dontae Payne asked for a deeper examination of the root causes behind police use-of-force incidents. He emphasized the need to separate data on mental health and substance use to better understand and address community challenges.  

He also asked if law enforcement tracks interactions with people with disabilities and how officers are trained to respond. 

"In order to fulfill our goals in the Reimagining Public Safety Plan, we have to start knowing the 'why,'" Payne said.

He called for more data on how officers are trained to interact with community members with varying needs.  

Parker, the police auditor, admitted there were limitations in data collection. She explained that the current use-of-force files do not provide an opportunity to get that information.  

Regarding the tracking of mental health and substance abuse incidents, she explained that officers make quick determinations in intense situations.

"These are no clinical diagnoses," she said.

Both the police auditor and the deputy police chief agreed that the new records management system could be an opportunity to enhance data gathering and tracking that could help capture more detailed information in the future.