Mayor’s photos to be included in book about Seattle Police Department

Published 5:45 pm Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum hopes to publish a 700-page book next year, with images from the 1920s through the 1960s, chronicling the life, culture and experiences of Seattle’s police force through the decades.

Included in the photography will be photos taken by Renton Mayor Denis Law.

About three months ago, Law donated more than 200 negatives to the museum. The photos captured hundreds of crime scenes and incidents, 20 years’ worth, from Law’s days as a co-publisher of seven Seattle community newspapers. What some may not know is that Law has won more than 250 state and national journalism awards, including for his news photography. Selected images from his donated collection will be used in the police museum’s book.

“I think he’s got a wonderful eye for capturing the details and human aspect and the police work that was done over the years,” said Officer James Ritter of the Seattle Police Department.

Ritter, who is also president and founder of the museum, has been collecting images for 20 years. Law’s photos are unique, Ritter said, because they speak to a reporter and police relationship not experienced by many in the press at the time.

“Denis provided a unique look at the police force between the mid- to late-’60s, all the way through the ‘90s,” Ritter said. “He was the only one doing it at the time.”

In the 1960s and prior, the press had a different relationship with police than they do now, Ritter said. Back in the day, it was not uncommon for radio and print reporters to have a press room right next to the police chief’s office. When something happened, reporters would be tipped off by police and go cover it.

In return for the tip, the reporters would take it easy on the cops, Ritter said.

He describes a temperamental relationship, where the police chief could “pull” or revoke a reporter’s press credentials or access whenever the chief didn’t like the coverage.

“Not saying that the chief did that, but during the Vietnam protests and racial issues, it wasn’t as cozy as it was prior to 1960,” Ritter said of reporters’ relationship to the police department.

Law credits the trust he built with police and firefighters during those years that granted him that access to crime and incident scenes.

“You know, normally, when you have something that is highly tense and actively going on . . . police get very concerned about who’s around,” Law said. “It was just developing a relationship with officers and they felt comfortable with me.”

Law captured many gruesome scenes that didn’t make the pages of his newspapers because of their graphic content. He covered fatal fires, drive-by shootings, homicides and other tragic events at a time when there was an average of two of three homicides a week, he said.

“They’d page me out on homicides,” he said. “We were averaging 50 to 60 a year in Seattle. The numbers have been much less than that in recent years – over the last 10 years.”

When asked if it was just his perception of a violent climate back then or statistically accurate to say violent crime was more prevalent then, Law said it’s a fact.

“No, that’s not perception,” he said. “I mean, I went (out) on a lot of homicides.”

Not only has Law’s photography won him praise from Seattle Police but also firefighters.

“I think he’s one of the best photographers in the Northwest,” said James Fossos, South King Fire and Rescue commissioner. “He was very crucial in taking live photos of fire and police officers in action.”

These days Law often takes pictures at the many events he attends as mayor of Renton. Whenever he sees something interesting, if he has his camera with him, he takes pictures. Now his subjects are Renton wildlife and events such as River Days and the annual car show. He’s taken his photography abroad and captured visits to sister city Nishiwaki, Japan, and other personal travels to Europe with his family.

Law enjoys self-publishing photo books through web sites like Shutterfly. He gives retiring city staff personalized photo books  as a gift.

“I’ve always enjoyed the photography aspect of publishing,” Law said. “To me, it’s always been really important because people really like it. They really enjoy seeing quality photography.”