Seattle Police Foundation

Teamwork makes the dream work! ?????? Last week (Monday, October 14, 2024), we celebrated Faith & Blue by partnering with the Seattle Police Department Community Outreach Unit and our besties at Blue Hero Project to deliver snacks & drinks to all five SPD precincts!! It was such a fun day, and we loved the opportunity to tell so many of SPD’s law enforcement professionals that they're seen, valued, and appreciated.? Seattle Police Foundation funds were used to help pay for a generous stockpile of fan favorites, including Chomps, granola bars, sweets, protein bars, Sun Chips, and more. Huge thanks to SPD’s awesome Community Outreach Unit for handling the shopping, and to our good friends in SPD Fleets for arranging and managing transportation. ?????? Blue Hero Project rounded out the deliveries with an excellent selection of beverages (including Boaz Coffee), Bibles for LEO outreach kids, and one of Founder Diane’s hand-written thank you cards for each precinct. ??? We began our mission at South Precinct (and of course stopped to visit Det. Antonio Terry’s memorial while we were there) and headed to Southwest. From there we visited North, East (where we checked on our roses – photo included for proof of life), and last but definitely not least, West Precinct. ?? This was such an incredible, joy-filled day. We love any opportunity to visit our friends at SPD, and collaborating with Blue Hero Project is always so much fun. We loved seeing folks we already knew and were thrilled to make so many new connections with SPD employees that we’d not yet had the chance to meet. ???? All in all, we give Faith and Blue 2024 a 10 out of 10. Huge thanks to all the wonderful donors who make this work possible! ?? Here are a few pics from our adventures! ??

Today we want to wish Seattle Police Department Comfort Dog Ryan a happy belated birthday! ?????????? Comfort Dog Ryan, who began his career at SPD in July of 2022, has continued to shine in his role as a comfort dog with the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit (SAU).??Paired with an SAU detective, his primary role is to sit with adult and juvenile survivors of sexual assault and abuse during the interview process, offering love and comfort as they navigate the system in pursuit of justice. He is a gentle, sweet-natured boy who excels at his job. He loves making friends with Seattle community members and has blossomed in his role as SPD’s first ever comfort dog. ?????? Here are some highlights that Ryan’s handler shared with us about Ryan’s work: ?He recently met with a young survivor at the courthouse to support her during her courtroom tour, and then stayed with her as she practiced giving testimony on the witness stand. This brave young survivor will be testifying against her caregivers in an upcoming child abuse/neglect case and will be able to have Ryan with her throughout the entirety of the trial. ?He sat with a 16-year-old survivor for five hours during their courtroom testimony in a trial against a parent in a domestic violence assault case. This was Ryan’s first time sitting with a witness during their testimony in court and he once again proved how well-suited he is to this important work.? ?In a full circle moment, Ryan spent time with a juvenile survivor as she faced her abuser in the courtroom. Not only did Ryan stay by the survivor’s side before and during the defendant’s sentencing hearing, but he also walked with her to the witness stand and stayed with her as she read her survivor impact statement to the judge. Ryan was already a familiar, safe space for this survivor, who was comforted by the sweet lab during her interview in 2023. ?In September, Ryan and his handler joined the Community Service Officer Unit and the Mounted Patrol Unit for an outreach event at Seattle’s Ronald McDonald House (RMH). Ryan patiently greeted and spent time with many kids and families during the two-hour event, providing comfort and love to children facing unimaginable medical conditions. The value of Ryan’s service in our community is priceless and his ability to help survivors navigate trauma is singular. Ryan turned four years old on Thursday, October 17. Please join us in wishing him the happiest of birthdays! ??????????

?? SPF has a new leader! We are beyond excited for this new season of change and growth. ?? ??

Today (Wednesday, September 18, 2024) is fallen Seattle Police Department Officer Alexandra “Lexi” Brenneman Harris’s birthday. She would have been 42 years old. ?? Please join us in honoring Lexi’s memory by spending some time in reflection of who she was as a person and remembering her positive impact on those whose lives she touched. #neverforgotten While today is all about Lexi, we cannot let the day go by without saying a few words about her incredible momma, Rebecca Brenneman. Rest assured, we care deeply about both Lexi’s parents, Rebecca and Laird, but for this short note we want to focus on our friend Rebecca.? We don’t think Laird will mind. ?? Tragedy brings people together in many different ways, and while we wish Lexi was still here, earning awards, achieving excellence, and maybe even applying for Seattle Police Foundation grants, we at least have the honor and pleasure of spending time with Rebecca. Rebecca is a loyal, steadfast supporter of the men and women of the Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Police Foundation, and we thank our lucky stars every day for her friendship. ?? She’s a remarkable human and we’re blessed to know her. In case you've never met her, here are a few of our favorite things about her... ??? Rebecca is kind and authentic with a quiet, thoughtful presence that emanates serenity. We enjoy every moment we spend with her…. Whether in laughter or in tears. She is an inspiring blend of fierce, steely strength and gentle kindness, splashed with a great sense of humor. We love learning more about Lexi from her, and love that we get the privilege of seeing Lexi through her sharp eyes. She’s also smart as a whip and an elegant, talented wordsmith. Thank you, Rebecca, for being such a wonderful friend to all of us at SPF. We love you and are very grateful for you. We’re remembering Lexi with you today.? Last year, Rebecca and Laird, along with Jay and Joelle Fathi, partnered with the Seattle Colleges Foundation to establish the Lexi Harris Memorial Endowment. If you would like to make a gift in honor of Lexi’s birthday, visit: https://lnkd.in/geCTnPcs

Huge thanks to the John Carlson show on 570 KVI Talk Radio for promoting our fundraiser for fallen Seattle Police Department Officer Lito Barber's new public memorial! And even more importantly, thanks to all the wonderful 570 KVI listeners who have donated. ???? ??We are rounding the corner and can see the finish line just a short distance ahead. If you would like to help us cross it, make a gift at: https://lnkd.in/gFKqm2kd Thank you all for helping us honor Officer Barber, EOW August 13, 2006, serial number 6897. He is never forgotten.

A little birdie (or maybe it was a barn cat) told us that Councilmember Rob Saka would be visiting the Seattle Police Department Mounted Patrol Unit over the weekend (Saturday, September 6, 2024), so of course we asked if we could tag long! ?? We’ll take any excuse to spend time with the officers, staff, and the Police Horses of the MPU. ?????? We really appreciate Councilmember Saka bringing his family and staff out to learn more about the Mounted Patrol Unit and its vital role in helping to build priceless bridges between Seattle Police Department officers and the community members they serve. SPD’s Mounted Patrol Unit is one of few (if not the only) remaining mounted units in the Pacific Northwest and is a treasured part of Seattle’s history and community. There is nothing more rewarding than witnessing the meaningful connections that occur when the horses and community meet. They are extraordinary creatures that bring so much joy to everyone they encounter. ???? We love watching those connections come to life!??? And while all the horses loved meeting Saka and his family, Police Horse Doobie was particularly enamored with the group. Doobie is the Curious George of the Mounted Unit, so it was no surprise that he very intentionally spent as much time with them as he possibly could. ???? This was such a fun visit! Both Saka’s family and staff got to spend some time in the saddle, and everyone enjoyed taking a (safe) spin or two around the arena. We were super excited to pass along plenty of Mounted Patrol Unit trading cards and MPU calendars to the group, so that everyone went home with some cool mementos from the visit.????? Huge thanks to Councilmember Saka, his family and staff, for being such awesome guests. And more thanks to the Mounted Patrol Unit for always ensuring that everyone who visits the MPU has an exceptional experience at the barn! ??

Huge thanks to the Seattle Police Department Harbor Patrol Unit for hosting last week’s appreciation lunch for SPD’s civilian and support services employees and their families. ?????? This event took place Thursday, August 29 and truly exemplified the theme, “One Team One Mission,” as SPD employees gathered dockside for a delicious barbecue lunch plus tours of Lake Union on different Harbor Patrol Unit vessels. ????? Harbor Patrol Unit Lt. Marc Garth Green earned tremendous accolades for his skill behind the grill, as he served up hamburgers and bratwurst cooked to perfection. They even had the ice cream machine running, which was put to good use throughout the duration of the two-hour event. ?????? The Seattle Police Foundation was honored to pick up the tab for the food at this event. SPD’s amazing civilian and support staff are the backbone of SPD, supporting the department’s different precincts and operational units reliably and with incredible efficiency. ?? Without them, the world of SPD would stand still! They are the department’s ROCK and we’re thankful for all that they do to support public safety in Seattle. ?? There is nothing we love more than helping to facilitate meaningful camaraderie and fellowship among the men and women of SPD. Thanks to the amazing Quartermaster Unit for dropping off the ice cream machine and other equipment needed to make this event a huge success, and thanks to everyone at the Harbor Patrol Unit for being such excellent hosts. We love our SPD community! ????

We have incredible news to share about fallen Seattle Police Department Officer Joselito “Lito” Barber’s memorial. The Filipino Community of Seattle (FCS) will provide space for Officer Barber’s mourning badge memorial at the Filipino Community Center (FCC) in south Seattle. Owned and operated by the FCS, the FCC is a beautiful, publicly accessible facility with a deep connection to Officer Barber and his family, and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect location. Finding the right location for an officer’s permanent memorial can be a challenging endeavor, and we’re so grateful that this came together so smoothly. We want to extend a very gracious thank you to FCS Executive Director Agnes Navarro and the entire FCS Board of Directors for their incredible partnership. We’d also like to thank Seattle Police Department Det. Kelly for her work to facilitate this wonderful outcome and to Gina Israel for everything she did to pave the way. Lastly, we want to thank the amazing staff at FCS for welcoming us and making as feel so at home. We are so very grateful to all of you for your kindness. ???? We are nearly 3/4s of the way to our $16,000 goal for Officer Lito Barber's memorial stone. Please help us get across the finish line by donating today. Visit:?https://lnkd.in/gFKqm2kd

We want to extend a huge thank you to National Police Association writer Stephen Owsinski for his phenomenal piece about our Seattle Police Fallen Officer Memorial Project and our efforts to raise $16,000 to purchase a brand-new memorial stone for Officer Joselito “Lito” Barber, who was killed in the line of duty August 13, 2006. ?? Find ‘The Brave… Engraved’ at: https://lnkd.in/eiA8iSYd Thanks to everyone who has donated so far, we are nearly 3/4s of the way to our goal! ??????This is incredible news and we’re so grateful to have such a generous community of supporters. We’re honored to do everything we can to help preserve Lito’s memory and we’re so thankful for all the wonderful support. He will never be forgotten. If you’d like to make a gift, please visit:?https://lnkd.in/gFKqm2kd