Fathers Canada

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) will no longer release the names of officers who have engaged in misconduct.

The decision comes as the department is under federal investigation for use of excessive force and after a two year contract dispute between the department and the Seattle Police Union.

An arbiter sided with the Seattle Police Union in the dispute, ruling the public will no longer know the identity of police officers involved in misconduct.

Rich O’Neill, President of the Seattle Police Officers Guild said, "I think the arbitrator sent a very clear message to the city; you don't sign a contract in July where you agree on certain language and then in just a matter of months decide you're arbitrarily going to change that and ignore the contract and that's what happened here."

The City of Seattle agreed in 2008 to withhold identities of officers, even if complaints against them were justified. In 2009, the city reversed itself presumably in the interest of transparency and to comply with state law.

Wednesday afternoon, the City Attorney’s Office said, “The City is evaluating all its options in response to the arbitrator’s decision, including appeal. We are reviewing our ability and legal obligation under the state’s Public Records Act to continue releasing the names of officers subject to sustained complaints pending appeal.”

On the street where confidence in SPD has been shaken, some people told Q13 FOX, keeping those names secret is a bad idea.

Melody Wooding said, "They're policing themselves so they still have the discretion about what information we're going to get. I think an outside objective person wouldn't be bias in other words. It's like protecting your own."

The union says if the City wants to make changes in their contract; the time is now while both sides are hammering out a new deal.