Change to Washington’s police pursuits law one step closer to reality with House approval

OLYMPIA – Police chases may again become more common in Washington if a controversial bill that passed the state House of Representatives early Tuesday morning becomes law.

The bill, which passed the House 57-40, would allow officers to pursue a vehicle if they have reasonable suspicion that someone in the car has committed or is committing a violent crime, escaping or driving under the influence.

The current policy on police pursuits has been a point of contention since it become law in 2021. Law enforcement leaders including Spokane police Chief Craig Meidl say it severely limits their officers’ ability to pursue criminals. Supporters of the policy say the higher standard has resulted in fewer deaths, especially of pedestrians and bystanders.

Both Democrats and Republicans remain split on the bill to loosen the requirements for police to give chase. In the Senate, 16 Democrats and 10 Republicans voted in favor of it. In the House, 38 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted in favor it. The bill must receive a final approval from the Senate before going to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature.

“This is not, in my opinion, an unreasonable policy,” House Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee Chair Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland, said in the floor debate.

Goodman added that it follows policies in a number of other states.

A number of mayors, sheriffs and police chiefs, including in Spokane, have pushed the Legislature to make changes to the pursuit laws this year, citing instances where law enforcement has been unable to pursue criminals.

In December, Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward, along with other Eastern Washington mayors, sent a letter to legislators urging them to update the pursuit policy because it has created an environment “where criminals simply speed away from police when officers attempt to pull them over,” according to the letter.

“The reality is law-abiding citizens that do the right thing by pulling over are the only ones stopping,” the letter read.

The city of Spokane already had a number of restrictions for pursuing criminals, Meidl told the Spokesman-Review earlier this year.

Meidl said criminals have begun blatantly fleeing from police.

If the bill becomes law, there would still be some stipulations for when officers can pursue.

The pursuit could not be more dangerous than the risk of not apprehending the individual, according to the proposal.

The officer would have to notify a supervising officer immediately when they start pursuing, and alternatives must be considered. The pursuing agency would have to notify surrounding agencies and jurisdictions of the chase.

The bill would require officers to develop a plan to end the pursuit “as soon as practicable.”

The officer who is pursuing would also have completed an emergency vehicle operator’s course and training within two years. The training would have to include risk assessment analysis, according to the bill.

Republicans had made changing the pursuits policy a top priority but received pushback from some Democrats. The proposal that passed the state House on Tuesday was not one that all Republicans supported, though many said it was a step in the right direction.

Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, R-Republic, said Washington has “single-handedly destroyed” the ability of law enforcement officers to protect citizens with recent legislation, and the policy passed on Tuesday would not help.

“We are not safer with this policy,” she said. “We need to go back to the way it was.”

Rep. Debra Entenman, D-Covington, was among the Democrats who voted against the bill. She said the policy that passed in 2021 put the state on a path toward a more accountable police force.

“I do believe that we need community policing, and that starts with building trust and relationships,” she said.

Some Democrats on the other end said the bill struck the proper balance.

“We need to give police the opportunity to make decisions to pursue criminal activity based on reasonable suspicion to make sure that they have an opportunity to address the rising crime rates that we see every day,” said David Hackney, D-Tukwila.

The passage of the bill on Tuesday was supported by some law enforcement organizations, though they acknowledged there was still more work to be done.

Steven Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, said in a statement they were committed to advocating for a more balanced approach.

“This important legislation will make incremental improvements to the 2021 law that severely restricts the possibility of suspects being pursued by law enforcement,” he said.

Republican leaders said Tuesday that they continue to push for changes to the pursuits law, even if the current proposal in the Legislature becomes law. Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, told reporters the public is going to continue to demand more action on public safety.

“Maybe things will work out. Maybe we’ll pass this bill and all of a sudden crime will begin to decline in our state,” Braun said. “I significantly doubt it.”