OLYMPIA, Wash. — Restrictions on police pursuits in Washington will be lifted in early June after the Washington State Legislature passed Initiative 2113.
The initiative passed with a vote of 36-13 from the Senate and 77-20 in the House.
I-2113 states officers may pursue a suspect if there is reasonable suspicion that the suspect violated the law, the pursuit is necessary to apprehend the suspect and if the suspect poses a threat to public safety.
The initiative comes after the passage of House Bill 1054 in 2021 which declared law enforcement must have reasonable suspicion a suspect committed a violent offence.
Under I-2113, the pursuing officer must notify their supervisor immediately, and there must be supervisory oversight of the pursuit.
“The overwhelming majority of people who signed up in favor of I-2113 is a very clear sign that Washingtonians want to see police pursuits restored. They want safer communities instead of rising crime and lawlessness,” said District Four Senator Mike Padden.
The Washington Coalition for Police Accountability (WCPA) opposed the passage of I-2113, saying there needs to be evidence-based approaches to the policy setting.
“All Washingtonians deserve and should experience quality policing, at the agency level down to the use of specific tactics and protocols,” Interim Executive Director Dr. Gary Damon, Jr. said.
“According to the Washington State Patrol, between 2014 and 2020 an average of 1,200 suspects per year fled from police. In 2022, after the pursuit standard was changed to probable cause, 3,100 suspects fled — an increase of more than 150%. Before the change in the pursuit law, the statewide record for stolen cars in a single year was 30,000. That record increased to nearly 47,000 stolen vehicles in 2022. Washington is now fourth in the U.S. for auto thefts per capita,” said Padden.
I-2113 will go into effect on June 6. For more information on I-2113, visit the Washington State Legislature website.
