Washington initiative regarding police force leading

The Washington ballot measure addressing police use of deadly force was leading Tuesday night.

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Some officers in Washington, including Seattle, already receive training for first aid and for dealing with mental illness, including de-escalation techniques, according to current and former Seattle officers. But that is not required for all officers statewide.

In Seattle, training for handling people in crisis is required annually, though that is separate from being a crisis intervention team officer in Seattle, which takes an additional week of training, according to officers who were part of the training.

Training requirements prior to I-940 require only eight hours of what's called “crisis intervention training," according to the campaign for I-940. An additional 40 hours training in mental health is optional, and receiving it is usually dependent on if you work in a jurisdiction that can afford to provide the training on its own, according to the campaign. Officers also said Wednesday that additional training before I-940 is dependent upon a jurisdiction’s budget.

Criminal Justice Training Commission Director Sue Rahr is speaking Wednesday about the passage of I-940 and the police training it requires.

Supporters say that since 1986, only Washington state law has shielded officers who unnecessarily kill people by requiring proof of “malice,” or evil intent, which they say is a subjective standard that’s virtually impossible to prove. Supporters are calling for an objective standard, independent investigations, and better training.

Opponents say the initiative would will fail to provide funding or resources to improve training, would erode public safety, and would not reduce violent interactions between the public and law enforcement. They also say it will be costly to implement and would force police to hesitate, putting lives at risk.

Supporters include King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht and Lauren Simonds of the Washington National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Opponents include Mike Solan of the Council of Metropolitan Police and Sheriffs and Teresa Taylor of the Washington Council of Police & Sheriff.

Washington initiative regarding police force leading

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