A New Agency Seeks to Hold Washington's Killer Cops Accountable [View all]

Advocates Hope Statewide Oversight Can Succeed Where Local Reforms Have Failed

[link:https://www.thestranger.com/cops/2022/08/11/77673402/a-new-agency-seeks-to-hold-washingtons-killer-cops-accountable|

Last week, the skeleton crew of employees staffing Washington’s new Office of Independent Investigations (OII) finally moved into their offices. The agency, while off to a slower start than initially projected, represents a first-in-the-nation victory for survivors of police violence. Once the department hires its remaining key staff members and finalizes its operating protocols, it will stand as the only statewide agency in America that investigates cops when they use deadly force, rather than allowing local departments to investigate their own.