Nina Shapiro at the Seattle Weekly has a great Q&A with Jim Pugel on harm reduction, his international travels, and his time at SPD. It's worth a read.
Two questions/answers to note:
And:Why did you decide to step down?
I just didn’t think from what I was hearing and seeing that there would be much of a chance to contribute as much as possible within the present environment.
What do you make of the discipline brouhaha that has gotten the mayor and your replacement in deep water? The mayor is still saying your administration approved a half-dozen discipline reversals. You said that never happened. Is somebody lying?
The mayor wasn’t there. So he can only rely on what he’s being told. I did not approve them. You would have my signature if I approved them. Someone is not giving him the facts.
Read the rest here. And, if you haven't already, you should go read Dominic's piece on backsliding police reform in Seattle.
