Police Reform Bill in State Senate Gets Backing from Law Enforcement, Resistance from Public Interest Groups – NewsRadio 560 KPQ - KPQ
Lawmakers in Olympia are deciding whether to move forward on a proposal that’s getting strong support from police agencies.
The bipartisan bill from Democrat Kevin Van De Wege of Sequim loosens restrictions on officers after many departments complained that laws passed last year hindered them from going after suspects.
Pasco Police Chief Ken Roske says the current laws let suspects flee while officers are powerless to chase after them.
“Many time the officer does not have probable cause at that moment to engage in a vehicular pursuit,” said Roske. “The officer may very well have reasonable suspicion that the person is the vehicle has or is committing a violent offense. But because of the new legislation, they are left to let the suspect drive away.”
The bill replaces the phrase “probable cause” with the term “reasonable suspicion” in allowing police to chase suspects.
Opponents say the proposal gives officers too much leeway. Attorney Enoka Herat with the ACLU says officers already have probable cause to chase suspects when they flee from a traffic stop. She says the proposal is a step backward.
“It’s a dangerous and unnecessary bill,” said Herat. “It gives officers more leeway to harm people and will also make it harder for those hurt or killed by police to hold them accountable.”
The bill, SB 5919, received by far the most attention and public comment of any proposal heard during a meeting of the Senate Law and Justice Committee Tuesday.
Many police agencies, notably on the state’s eastside, have complained that the new policing laws have been far too restrictive on their ability to enforce laws.
Moses Lake Police openly lobbied residents and businesses on social media to testify at the hearing in favor of the bill.
The bill also defines the use of physical force, which some police agencies and lawmakers said was needed.
The proposal establishes physical force as “any technique or tactic used by a peace officer pursuant to enforcing the criminal laws of this state that is reasonably likely to cause physical injury or transient pain.”
The Senate Law and Justice Committee will vote on the bill Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Washington State House passed a pair of bills last Friday to clarify portions of the police reform package passed last year.
One clarifies that officers can use force, subject to the newly established reasonable care standard, in behavioral health circumstances, for involuntary treatment commitments, in instances of child welfare, and other related circumstances. The other bill approved in the House clarifies that the prohibition on .50 caliber weapons only applies to rifles and not beanbag rounds or less-lethal munitions launchers.
source: https://www.kpq.com/police-reform-bill-in-state-senate-gets-backing-from-law-enforcement-resistance-from-public-interest-groups/
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