Gino Betts named new civilian head of police accountability office

On Tuesday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced his pick for the new civilian head of the police accountability office.

Gino Betts will step into his new role on August first.

Betts will investigate cases of officer misconduct and recommend discipline to the police chief.

In a public forum in Seattle last month, Betts criticized police union contracts for shielding officers from discipline.

"Police accountability should not be negotiated in a labor negotiation agreement," Betts said at the time.

Seattle’s police union is currently negotiating a new contract with the city. Betts said he was unsure what role, if any, he’d play in these negotiations. But he said police unions across the country have used their labor contracts to undermine accountability measures.

Betts has previously been an attorney with Chicago’s police accountability agency. He currently serves as an assistant state’s attorney for Cook County.