The House Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry Committee heard HB 1363, sponsored by Rep. Alicia Rule (D–Blaine), last week and 11 mayors, deputy mayors, and city councilmembers signed up to testify in support. Many more signed in in support of the bill. Thank you to all of those who participated in the hearing. You can watch the hearing on TVW. HB 1363 revises statute to include a ‘reasonable suspicion’ standard and strikes an appropriate balance between providing law enforcement with the tools needed to pursue dangerous suspects while focusing on appropriate and necessary safety standards.

The Senate Law & Justice Committee also heard SB 5533, sponsored by Sen. John Lovick (D–Mill Creek), which creates a model vehicle pursuit policy work group within the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) as well as a law enforcement technology grant program that allows agencies to purchase modern vehicle pursuit management technology.

AWC supports both bills – Washingtonians need a reasonable suspicion standard fix now to the vehicular pursuit law and more funding and best practices for law enforcement departments to use.

Now is a crucial time for city leaders to act. Please sign on to this letter outlining the need to revise the restrictions of police vehicle pursuits. If you would like to add your name as an individual city leader, please follow this link and complete the form. No need to send an electronic signature: by filling out the form, you give us permission to add your name to the letter. The deadline to sign on is 5pm on Thursday, February 9.

If you have questions or comments to share with AWC, please contact Candice Bock directly at candiceb@awcnet.org.

Need a refresher?

Check out last week’s article that goes into more depth on both bills.