Yesterday, the Seattle Human Rights Commission weighed in on the recent protests, the non-indictment that followed Eric Garner's death, and police reform efforts here and around the country. It's worth a read:

The Seattle Human Rights Commission is saddened and outraged by the lack of accountability for police brutality demonstrated by the recent no-indictment verdict brought in the Eric Garner Case.

Human decency demands that we treat the lives of others as precious. One of the fundamental principles of human rights is that everyone, everywhere, has inalienable rights. Along with those rights, every individual has duties to others, and to the community. Each individual “is under a responsibility to strive for the promotion and recognition” of human rights. It is always a tragedy when that duty is abrogated. However, police officers have a special duty that accompanies their oath to serve and protect the public. As a community, we put our safety in the hands of police authorities. They wield great power, and they hold grave responsibilities. It is always tragic when a life is lost. It is especially so when a life is lost because a public servant has betrayed our special trust and abused his or her authority.

The recent deaths of unarmed black men killed by police have sparked a nationwide conversation on police accountability, violence, and racism. Homicides by local police forces seem to number in the hundreds per year. We do not know the actual number because deaths are not tracked. Even from the partial data available, it appears that young black men are 21 times more likely to be killed by police than are their white counterparts. The Seattle Human Rights Commissioners stand with community members who are insisting that Black Lives Matter. People of color must be safe, respected, and protected from violence in our communities. And this work must begin at home.

In April, the UN Human Rights Committee, reviewing U.S. compliance with the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, called on the US government to “step up its efforts to prevent the excessive use of force by law enforcement officers.” The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination raised concerns in August about the “brutality and excessive use of force by law enforcement officials against members of racial and ethnic minorities” in the United States. In November, the Committee Against Torture expressed “deep concern at the frequent and recurrent police shootings or fatal pursuits of unarmed black individuals.”

National events resonate with our local struggles for justice and human rights. Across the country, we must come together and insist that now is the time for meaningful reform of our local police departments. The Seattle Human Rights Commission pledges to continue our engagement with the ongoing efforts to reform the Seattle Police Department, and in the process, to demand an end to racial disparity and excessive force in policing. We call for an impartial, independent citizen oversight board that has the power to receive and investigate cases of police misconduct and submit cases for prosecution. The Seattle Human Rights Commission also affirms its support of First-Amendment protected speech and assembly, and we will continue to insist upon the rights of those who feel called to protest in expression of their beliefs.

We call upon lawmakers of Seattle, King County, Washington State, and the nation to work tirelessly for the end of institutionalized racism, militarized police equipment and tactics, and excessive force perpetrated by authorities. Further, we call upon all people in all of our communities to hold lawmakers, leaders, and police officers fully accountable to the ethical standards of our communities.