SPD assistant chief agrees to demotion

SEATTLE -- One of Seattle's highest ranking police officers recently agreed to a voluntary demotion in the face of continued criticism of SPD's data collection work.

According to the Seattle Times, Assistant Chief Dick Reed has taken a voluntary demotion to captain. The voluntary demotion comes two weeks after federal monitors underseeing mandatory reforms of the embattled police department critiqued the department's data collection work that suggested the department's inability to collect reliable data. The report called the department's ability to track and analyze data "at best,weak."

Reed will be replaced by Capt. Mike Washburn, who has been with the department since 1986.

The move was suggested by Interim Police Chief Jim Pugel, the Times reported, indicating that Pugel could make further department changes before Mayor-elect Ed Murray takes office in January.

Reed was the head of the Field Support Bureu, whose duties included supervising information technology and predicting where crime could occur.

The Times reported police chiefs rarely -- if ever -- take a demotion to captain.