SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane City Council voted 5-2 to approve a controversial Department of Justice (DOJ) grant for the Spokane Police Department to hire eight additional officers.
The council approved it despite more than an hour of public testimony Thursday afternoon from at least 20 people speaking out against it.
Critics argued accepting the money is a major risk and gets the city close to following the Trump administration’s agenda. They believed there are strings attached to the funds that would force SPD to have to cooperate with ICE.
Supporters contend these are federal tax dollars the city cannot pass up on, and there are ways around certain requirements the DOJ mandates by accepting the money.
SPD applied for the fund ‘to support crucial hiring needs for additional law enforcement officers to increase SPD’s community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts for their Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.’
“As a previous sponsor of resolutions supporting the Keep Washington Working Act, I stand with our immigrant neighbors and refuse to let SPD become an arm of ICE’s illegal attempts to strike fear in us,” said Council Member Zack Zappone in a press release. “We cannot capitulate to the will of an out-of-control Federal executive who thinks he can bully our community into complying with his cruel and unconstitutional actions. I trust our staff and Chief Hall when they say that accepting the DOJ COPS grant will not change their policies and practices, keep us within the Keep Washington Working Act, and protect our community. These are our tax dollars and should be used to help us locally; they do not belong to the President. We will be ready to stand up for our community in court if necessary.”
The city says the $1,000,000 grant with a 25% local match will allow SPD to hire eight new officers to focus on gun violence prevention and community policing strategies.
The city wrote in a press release that Police Chief Kevin Hall told the council accepting the grant does not require compliance with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents or any other federal enforcement operations.
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