According to a new survey presented at yesterday's city council public safety committee hearing, a majority of Seattle residents—60 percent—believe the Seattle Police Department is doing an "excellent" or "good" job. (Thirty-four percent said they weren't doing a good job). Meanwhile, 74 percent agreed that SPD "keeps people safe."

However, only 35 percent of Seattle residents contacted in the phone survey thought that the police "treat people of all races and groups equally," particularly African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, homeless people, and young people. 

Additionally, Latinos and African Americans themselves were more likely than white residents or Asian Americans to say they'd had negative interactions with Seattle police, including racial discrimination, excessive force, and verbal abuse. (Sixty-seven percent of Asian Americans and 60 percent who identified as white said they approved of the job SPD is doing, compared to 54 percent of Latinos and just 49 percent of African Americans).