Legislators hearing from cities that passing pursuits bill is a priority this session

Last week, AWC sent legislative leadership a letter signed by over 150 city leaders from nearly 100 Washington cities urging the passage of SB 5352. Thank you to everyone who added your names to the letter! If you did not get a chance to add your name to the letter and you want to show support for the passage of pursuits legislation this session, it is not too late to reach out to your legislators. Your House of Representative legislators will be key in whether the legislature will revise the restrictions of police vehicle pursuits.

SB 5352 revises the police pursuits statute to include a “reasonable suspicion” standard for certain enumerated crimes. The bill seeks to strike a balance between providing law enforcement with the tools needed to pursue dangerous suspects while emphasizing appropriate and necessary safety standards to protect from public safety hazards of police pursuits.

Under SB 5352 a law enforcement officer would be authorized to engage in a vehicular pursuit if all the following conditions are met:

• The officer has ‘reasonable suspicion’ that the driver or a passenger:
  • Has committed or is committing a violent offense, sex offense, or an escape; or
  • Is driving under the influence.
• The pursuit is necessary to identify or apprehend the person.
• The person poses an imminent threat to the safety of others.
• The safety risks of failing to apprehend or identify the person are considered greater than the safety risks associated with engaging in a pursuit.

The bill also modifies the procedures for supervisor involvement, including requiring the officer to receive authorization and oversight from a supervisor (or on-call supervisor in jurisdictions with fewer than fifteen commissioned officers) to engage in a vehicular pursuit.

Passing SB 5352 as it is currently drafted is a worthwhile and important step for improving public safety. SB 5352 will allow law enforcement to engage in police pursuits with a “reasonable suspicion” standard in certain crucial situations while still seeking to balance public safety and the inherent risk of police pursuits.