WaSMAR6403_01.xml Guide to the Seattle Police Department Subject Files Seattle Police Department Subject Files Finding aid prepared by Julie Kerssen Seattle Municipal Archives 2026
PO Box 94728 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3 Seattle 98124-4728 archives@seattle.gov http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-06-24. Description is written in: English, Latin script. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition. Seattle Municipal Archives Police Department Subject Files Seattle (Wash.). Police Dept. 6403-01 4.8 cubic feet 12 boxes 1907-1998 Files collected on various topics by Police Department staff. English

The position of Marshall was created by the 1869 City Charter, a position with traditional policing duties. The first time the word "police" was used in legislative language may be Ordinance 66 ("In relation to Police powers"), passed between November 13th, 1874 and January 22nd, 1875. The 1875 amendments to the City Charter gave the city power "to establish and maintain a day and night police" and provided that the city could elect or appoint as many police officers as deemed necessary. Concurrently, however, the language about a City Marshall was maintained. Ordinance 97 ("An ordinance concerning offenses and disorderly conduct"), passed March 3rd, 1876, still referred to a City Marshall and a Deputy Marshall. The City Charter Amendments of 1883 included a house cleaning section, stating that any reference in the Charter to the Marshall should be construed to mean Chief of Police, who had the authority to hire police officers. This amendment was the first time the term Chief of Police appeared in the Charter:

"The Chief of Police shall be the peace officer of the city, and must execute all process issued by the police justice […]. He shall execute vigilant control over the peace and quiet of the city; shall be the keeper of the city prison, […]. Wherever the word marshal occurs in said act the same shall be taken to mean Chief of Police […]." Until 1890, the Chief of Police was elected by voters of the City for a one-year term. The Freeholders City Charter of 1890 created a five-member Board of Police Commissioners to oversee and administer the operations of the Police Department. The Commission, chaired by the Mayor, had the authority to appoint the Chief of Police and appoint officers:

"The Police Department shall be under the management of a Police Commission, to consist of the mayor, who shall be chairman of the commission, and four (4) police commissioners [… who] shall hold the office for four (4) years."

Following allegations of corruption, the Board of Police Commissioners was abolished by the new Freeholders City Charter of 1896. The Chief of Police, appointed by the mayor, served as administrator of the Department:

"There shall be a police department, which shall consist of a Chief of Police and as many subordinate officers, detective officers, and regular and special policemen as the city council shall from time to time by ordinance prescribe. […] The mayor shall appoint the Chief of Police […] and may remove him in his discretion […]. The mayor shall prescribe rules and regulations […] for the government and control of the police department."

A City Charter Amendment in 1936 provided for the Chief of Police to be appointed for a five year term of office. A new Freeholders City Charter was adopted March 12, 1946. Under its provisions, the term of the Chief of Police was not specified.

In 1962, the Department assumed authority for policing the harborfront, formerly a function of the Harbor Department.

Correspondence, reports, memoranda, ephemera, and other records on various topics related to the administration and work of the Seattle Police Department. The files cover a wide variety of subject matter, including DWI enforcement, precinct buildings, traffic management, drill teams, and the annual police ball. Special units and programs represented in the records include the mounted patrol, community service officers, the school safety patrol program, and the city's pioneering bicycle squad. Administrative files include organizational charts, discussions of new technology, and plans for department reorganizations. The series includes information about the George Jackson Brigade, a radical group that carried out bombings and bank robberies in the 1970s, as well as a series of research request files from the 1970s and 1980s that detail requests for data from outside entities conducting studies on law enforcement topics. Personnel lists and lists of badge and serial numbers may be useful for genealogy.

Records are open to the public.

[Item and date], Seattle Police Department Subject Files, Record Series 6403-01, Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Reports, studies, and other documents were separated and cataloged individually in Digital Collections. Newspaper clippings were added to Record Series 6404-02.

Some photographs are included in this series, but most Police Department photos are in Record Series 6401-05.

 Seattle (Wash.). Police Dept. George Jackson Brigade Law enforcement--Washington (State)--Seattle Mounted police--Washington (State)--Seattle Police-community relations--Washington (State)--Seattle Crime prevention--Washington (State)--Seattle Crime--Washington (State)--Seattle Drunkenness (Criminal law)--Washington (State)--Seattle Telephone--Emergency reporting systems--Washington (State)--Seattle Police patrol--Washington (State)--Seattle Public safety--Washington (State)--Seattle Traffic safety--Washington (State)--Seattle Accident and Injury Analysis 1996 1 1 Alki Cruiser's Guide 1988 1 2 Annual Ball 1909-1960 1 3 Arson 1987-1989 1 4 Asian Community / Police Relations Task Force 1978 1 5 Assaults on Officers (report) 1972 1 6 Automated Fingerprint ID System 1989 1 7 Awards - Best Dressed 1990 1 8 Awards - Officers 1990-1992 1 9 Bacon Bowl (includes photo) 1986-1989 1 10 Badges undated 1 11 Bail Schedule 1972 1 12 Band 1923 1 13 Beat Maps 1979-1981 1 14 Beat Maps 1986 1 15 Beat Maps 1990 1 16 Beat Maps 1992 1 17 Beat Maps 1997 1 18 Bicycle Safety 1972-1983 1 19 Bicycle Squad (includes photos) 1988-1991 1 20 Bomb Search Procedures ca. 1970s 1 21 Bomb Seminar 1970-1971 1 22 Budget 1978 1 23 Budget Report - Revelle 1980 1 24 Cartoons undated 1 25 Civilianization Study 1991 2 1 Commendations 1921-1988 2 2 Communications and 911 circa 1973 2 3 Community Police Teams (includes photos) 1992 2 4 Community Relations and DIversity Skills Training 1991 2 5 Community Service Officers 1972-1998 2 6 Computerized Information Systems 1970-1974 2 7 Concealed Weapons Permits 1920-1939 2 8 Correspondence with Other Jurisdictions 1914-1927 2 9 Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design 1988-1992 2 10 Crime Statistics 1987-1989 2 11 Crime Stoppers 1987-1992 2 12 Criminal Victimization 1990 2 13 DARE 1992 2 14 Domestic Violence Task Force circa 1993 2 15 Downtown 1981-1990 2 16 Drinking Drivers Countermeasures Project 1985 2 17 DWI 1979-1986 2 18 DWI Accident Data (1 of 2) 1980-1985 3 1 DWI Accident Data (1 of 2) 1983-1986 3 2 Emergency 911 Agreement with Port of Seattle 1983-1984 3 3 Empire/Rainier Development Project 1978-1979 3 4 Evaluation Reports 1976 3 5 Field Training Guide 1987 3 6 Filing and Disposition Standards 1975 3 7 Firearm Disposition (includes photos) circa 1990 3 8 Firearms 1977-1985 3 9 4-10 Plan 1971-1975 3 10 George Jackson Brigade (includes photo) 1975-1992 3 11 George Jackson Brigade Binder (1 of 2) - includes photos 1978 4 1 George Jackson Brigade Binder (2 of 2) - includes photos 1978 4 2 George Jackson Brigade Profile (1 of 4) 1978 4 3 George Jackson Brigade Profile (2 of 4) 1978 4 4 George Jackson Brigade Profile (3 of 4) 1978 4 5 George Jackson Brigade Profile (4 of 4) 1978 4 6 George Jackson Brigade - Bruce Seidel 1976-1981 5 1 Goodwill Games 1989-1990 5 2 Harbor Department 1961 5 3 History 1923-199 5 4 History Inquiries 1982-1986 5 5 History Book Project 1974 5 6 History of the Seattle Police Department 1923 5 7 Hollow Point Ammunition 1974-1976 5 8 Human Services Siting 1990 5 9 Humor 1987-1989 5 10 Inspectional Services Division 1991-1994 5 11 Internal Complaint Procedures 1989 5 12 Jail 1977-1980 5 13 Job Application 1991 5 14 K-9 Unit - Puppy Program 1992 5 15 Legislation 1970 5 16 Legislative Proposals 1966 6 1 Long Range Planning 1972-1975 6 2 Marching Drill Team 1982 6 3 Merger of Police and Fire Services 1956-1958 6 4 Metropolitan Division Annual Report 1974 6 5 Mission and Vision 1996 6 6 Mobile Precincts 1990-1991 6 7 Motorcycle Drill Team 1985 6 8 Mounted Patrol 1973-2006 6 9 Mounted Patrol - Facilities History 1972-1994 6 10 Movies / Television 1981-1987 6 11 Movies / Television - Seven Hours to Judgement 1987 6 12 Municipal Court 1990-1991 6 13 Murder Cases 1907-1961 6 14 National Crime Information Center 1970 6 15 National Law Enforcement Explorer Conference (Scouts) 1985-1986 6 16 Officer Badge Numbers 1918-1948 6 17 Officer Serial Numbers 1970s 7 1 Organization 1980-1987 7 2 Organization and Personnel Assigments 1944 7 3 Organization of Seattle Police Department 1946 7 4 Organization Charts 1957-1969 7 5 Organization Charts 1994 7 6 Organization Charts 1995 7 7 Organization Charts 1996 7 8 Organizational Study 1978 7 9 Patrol Deployment 1977-2008 7 10 Patrol Manpower and Allocation Project (PCAM) 1975-1983 7 11 Patrol Manpower and Allocation Project (PCAM) 1990-1997 7 12 Patrol Workload 1978-1984 7 13 Pedestrian Accidents 1978-1983 8 1 Personnel 1937-1989 8 2 Personnel List 1987 8 3 Personnel List 1988 8 4 Personnel List 1993 8 5 Personnel List 1994 8 6 Personnel and Management Positions 1970-1985 8 7 Personnel Misc. (includes photos) undated 8 8 Personnel Profile 1973 8 9 Pioneer Squad 1976-1996 8 10 Police Auditor 1993 8 11 Police Chief Candidates (includes photos) 1993 8 12 Precinct Studies 1970-1989 8 13 Precincts - East 1981-1983 8 14 Precincts - East 1982 8 15 Precincts - East 1983-1985 8 16 Precincts - East - Construction 1984-1985 9 1 Precincts - East - Construction 1984-1985 9 2 Precincts - North (includes plans) 1980-1982 9 3 Program Performance Measurement Systems 1978 9 4 Promotion Ceremony Procedures circa 1980 9 5 Public Safety Building Security 1979-1994 9 6 Purpose Statement 1979-1980 9 7 Records Retention Schedule 1966-1975 9 8 Records Retention Schedule 1976-1978 9 9 Reorganization Study (1 of 2) 1979-1980 9 10 Reorganization Study (2 of 2) 1979-1980 10 1 Reorganization - Criminal Investigation Division 1978-1980 10 2 Report System 1980 10 3 Research Request Procedures 1981-1992 10 4 Research Requests 1977 10 5 Research Requests 1978 10 6 Research Requests 1979 10 7 Research Requests 1980 10 8 Research Requests 1980 10 9 Research Requests 1981 10 10 Research Requests 1981 11 1 Research Requests 1982 11 2 Research Requests 1982 11 3 Research Requests 1984 11 4 Research Requests 1984 11 5 Research Requests 1985 11 6 Research Requests 1986-1987 11 7 Reserve Unit Annual Report 1974 11 8 Response Time circa 1991 11 9 Retired Officers 1950 11 10 Salaries 1986-1987 11 11 Scholarships for Police Dependents (PEMCO) - includes photos 1991-1992 11 12 School Safety Patrol 1928-1959 11 13 Seat Belt Law 1986-1987 11 14 Seattle Police Athletic Association Year Books 1945-1946 12 1 Seattle Police Relief Association Constitution and Bylaws 1945-1949 12 2 Sketch Sheet Forms undated 12 3 Slain Officers Biographical Sketches (1881-1994) 1995-2006 12 4 Specialized Units 1978 12 5 Success Stories 1992 12 6 Target 1938 12 7 Teddy Bears 1987-1989 12 8 Traffic Management Information System 1984 12 9 Traffic Tables 1979-1985 12 10 Uniforms and Equipment 1981 12 11 Unusual Occurrence Procedures 1970 12 12 Use of Deadly Force / Shooting Policy 1978-1982 12 13 Video Library Index 1993 12 14 Wage and Salary Report 1949 12 15 Wah Mee 1983 12 16 Water and Air Unit 1975-1978 12 17 Weed and Seed 1992 12 18 Women's Protective Division 1923 12 19 Word Processing Equipment 1979-1980 12 20 Work Release / Ballasiotes 1989 12 21 Precinct Beat Maps 1988 12-1 3