Surrounded by what his office called "families of those affected" and the ever-present community leaders at the East Side Community Center in Tacoma, Gov. Inslee signed off on a dozen bills that he claims will give Washington state the toughest accountability laws for law enforcement.

What exactly is in Inslee's "Accountability Package?"  See below:

  • HB 1267,will create a new office to conduct competent, unbiased investigations of police use of excessive force. These investigations will be required to be truly independent of the involved law enforcement agency. Releasing such investigations from any hint of conflicts of interest will improve accountability, transparency and the public’s confidence."
  • Senate Bill SB 5051 will require changes in certification and background checks for officers; requires more internal reviews if allegations of misconduct by an officer; and requires more "consistent reporting" of such allegations. The bill will also the public to see results of internal investigations, and if an officer previously had other such issues.
  • House Bill 1054 (the George Floyd bill, as called by some) does the following:
  • "The bill prohibits chokeholds and neck restraints, restricts vehicular pursuits, and limits the use of tear gas. It creates a consistent statewide standard for these tactics, and provides greater oversight when they are employed by officers."
  • Other bills concern themselves with permissible force usage, a peace officer's duty to intervene, defenses in personal injury and wrongful death actions, and other means of restricting police operations.

Inslee said this as part of his remarks:

“The crises of the past year have unmasked long-standing inequities in our society. The consciousness of our state and nation has been raised against inequity in many forms."

He also said:

“I would remind people where all of this effort has brought us. It has brought us not to the end of something, but to a new beginning, all of our work remains ahead of us. Today we celebrate the blueprint this legislation codifies for the people of justice, and now it’s up to us to effectuate it.”

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No mention or remarks were made in any form of support for Washington state law enforcement.

It will come as no surprise to see an increasing 'drain' of officers leaving departments across the state, as these laws are put into practice.

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