Latino Advisory Council, Seattle, Washington

This initiative has been identified as a good immigrant integration practice by the NLC. Click here to find all about the other programs!

The largest city in Washington state, Seattle has a population of 617,334 people with 17.7% foreign born individuals.

Created in 2003, the Latino Advisory Council to the Seattle Police Department has the objective of building a partnership between the Latino community and the city’s police department. This particular council is assigned a deputy-chief of police, one officer liaison and support staff. The Latino Advisory Council focuses on four key areas:

• Advising the police department on public safety issues and challenges affecting local Latinos
• Promoting dialogue that builds trust and confidence between the Latino community and the police
• Educating and training police officers to be culturally competent
• Encouraging Latino community engagement in the Advisory Council and other city programs promoting public safety

In addition to the Latino Advisory Council, the Seattle Police Department also supports the African American; Muslim; Sikh & Arab; East African; Filipino; Korean; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ); Native American; Southeast Asian; and Youth Advisory Councils. All ten demographic advisory councils connect marginalized minority communities to the police department to ensure that the enforcement of law is just, fair, and informed. These councils allow minority communities to understand and trust the police, create a space for dialogue about challenging issues, such as racial profiling, and give police an understanding of the challenges encountered by these communities.

For more information about the Latino Advisory Council, please contact Maggie Olsen, community-outreach program manager, at (206) 684-8672 or Margaret.olsen@seattle.gov.