Jay Fleming: Support Initiative 940 to better train police and save lives

Recently, in an editorial on Initiative 940 (“Vote no on the gun initiatives,” Oct. 17, 2018), this newspaper made the case that our men and women in blue put their lives on the line every day. As a former Lincoln County deputy sheriff and Spokane Police Department undercover narcotics operative, I agree.

Unfortunately, that’s about the only thing in the editorial I agree with. As a career law enforcement officer, I’m asking you to dismiss the scare tactics and vote “Yes” on Initiative 940. It will improve training for all officers in Washington and help save lives.

I grew up in Spokane and served as an undercover operative for a decade with the Spokane Police Department. During my career, I also worked as a deputy sheriff in Lincoln County and on patrol and investigations for the Cheney Police Department. I know the law enforcement profession, and I know the difference that better training and tools can make in protecting the lives of both officers and members of the community.

When we as officers find ourselves in a potentially dangerous encounter, we rely on our instincts to make the right decision, secure the situation, and prevent loss of life on all sides. The most effective instincts aren’t innate – they’re based on training. When we don’t receive adequate training in de-escalation tactics and encounters with people experiencing a mental health crisis, the outcomes can be tragic.

Right now, departments in Washington are only required to provide officers with a minimum of eight hours of “crisis intervention training” when they go through the academy. Extended training is optional. Some jurisdictions, such as Seattle, can afford to provide extended training, but unless you’re an officer in a jurisdiction that can afford it, the statewide minimum training is all you’ll receive, and it’s not enough.

That’s not a matter of opinion. Last year, more people in Washington died in encounters with law enforcement than in 45 other states, and almost a third of those killed were experiencing a mental health crisis. The current training isn’t doing enough to keep civilians safe, especially those most in need of assistance.

Initiative 940 will help by providing every officer in Washington with expanded de-escalation, first aid and mental health crisis training. It will give law enforcement officers more tools to deal with challenging situations without having to use deadly force, and it will save lives.

If passed, the initiative will also strengthen police-community relations in times of crisis. It is essential for communities to trust and share information with police to prevent and solve crimes. So when an officer-involved tragedy does occur, the community must feel confident there will be a fair and independent investigation process. That’s why Initiative 940 lays out a process to ensure fairness and independence in such investigations, ensuring that we can build trust instead of continuing to destroy it.

For the same reason, Initiative 940 would replace our outdated legal standard for use of deadly force with a fair standard used in 27 other states. This standard asks if an officer feared for his or her life, and if another reasonable officer would have acted the same way. This standard still protects officers – in the 27 other states where these standards already exist, officers aren’t prosecuted unjustly, nor will they be here. Instead, these commonsense changes will help improve trust and strengthen relationships between police and the communities we serve.

Don’t believe misinformation like the S-R editorial, which was meant to divide us and pit community members against police. Take it from a former officer who endorses Initiative 940: You can both support police and support better training and better policing. That’s why Initiative 940 is endorsed by many in the law enforcement community, including current and retired sheriffs, deputies, police chiefs, and officers like myself, as well as organizations like the Law Enforcement Action Partnership and the Black Law Enforcement Association of Washington.

As any officer knows, de-escalation won’t work in every encounter. Sometimes, use of deadly force will still be used as a last resort. No officer I’ve ever known wanted to take a life.

At the end of the day, better training allows us to save lives, avoid preventable tragedies, and make our families, communities, and officers safer.

Vote ‘Yes’ on Initiative 940 this November.

Jay Fleming served as a deputy sheriff in Lincoln County, as an undercover narcotics operative with the Spokane Police Department, and as a member of the Washington Narcotics Investigators Association. He is a speaker for the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), a nonprofit group of police, sheriffs, judges and prosecutors who support criminal justice solutions that will improve public safety.