Police reform bill could bring Washington to forefront of accountability movement

As police reform advocates look to sustain this summer’s public outrage, the state Legislature is taking a second look at overhauling Washington’s peace officer decertification system. That certification is required to be an officer in Washington, and revoking it can permanently take away a cop’s badge and gun. But due to weaknesses in the process, the state rarely takes that action, decertifying an average of 13 per year of the about 11,000 officers statewide, according to a recent Seattle Times investigation. A proposal being circulated by a key lawmaker would give more power to civilian overseers than law enforcement representatives, and would expand the criteria for decertification to include the use of excessive force — which the state has never decertified an officer for. Under Washington’s current law, police can be decertified only for a narrow set of circumstances. Often, the process drags out for years after serious misconduct, and the majority of officers under review are able to keep their licenses , as The Times investigation found. Critics say the system is designed more to protect officers’ careers than to hold them accountable. “It is important that when we have officers who have abused the public trust that […]

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