Police reform bill passes Senate

When Sen. Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma, asked to meet with her district’s chief of police to discuss the death of Jacqueline “Jackie” Salyers and her unborn child, the chief told Darneille she did not need to worry about it.

“I did worry about it, and I do worry about it,” Darneille said during the virtual floor debate Thursday.

Salyers, 32, was a member of the Puyallup tribe. She was shot by a Tacoma police officer while she was sitting in the driver’s seat of a parked car Jan. 28, 2016, according to In These Times.

The police saw Salyers’ boyfriend, Kenneth Wright, 36, who had “multiple outstanding warrants,” sitting in the passenger seat, according to In These Times. She was shot in the head; Wright escaped.

Salyers’ family is not the only one seeking to confront issues with police. Legislation like Senate Bill 5051 may not be perfect, Darneille said, but it needed to pass the Senate.

SB 5051 is one of the many police reform bills introduced at the beginning of Washington’s legislative session. The bill passed in a 26-19 vote after three hours of debate and will move to the respective House committee for further deliberation.

SB 5051 would, among other things, overhaul the state Criminal Justice Training Commission by adjusting its priorities and membership requirements, according to the bill’s text.

Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, is SB 5051’s primary sponsor. Pedersen said during the virtual floor debate 2020 was “an emotional experience” that presented an economic and racial justice crisis.

“This is an important accountability measure that will help to animate all of the other bills in this area that we’re going to be debating over the course of this session,” Pedersen said. “It’s an important step forward toward rebuilding trust for our entire community.”

SB 5051 would also add steps for employing agencies when they conduct background investigations on applicants looking to become a peace, reserve or corrections officer, according to the bill’s text.

The list of reasons for revoking an officer’s certification would also expand. One of the reasons is if an officer engaged in excessive use of force or if an officer failed to intervene or report a fellow officer’s use of excessive force.

SB 5051 would require employers to report all separation and disciplinary actions of a certified officer to the CJTC, according to the bill’s text. All complaints, investigations and disciplinary actions against an officer would be maintained on a public database.

Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, said during a virtual floor debate there are some bad officers, but a vast majority of them are “respectable friends and neighbors.” If legislators keep drafting bills on law enforcement officers, not many may want to become one.

“How many of us know what it’s like to go out there and put your life on the line every day? Not many of us,” King said. “But here we are. We’re making decisions left and right.”

Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, said during the virtual floor debate data says shootings have been going down consistently year after year.

“We’ve been stampeded into action by social media — by problems that happened thousands of miles away from Washington state,” Wagoner said. “We’re reacting like those are our problems.”

Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, said during the virtual floor debate SB 5051 is not an anti-law enforcement bill; it is not OK to make small attempts to reform the police because legislators had decades to do so.

“This bill is here because we have had, and continue to have, a problem that those of us with privilege close our eyes to. A problem that us, who have lighter skin, don’t see on a daily basis,” Dhingra said.

Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, voted against SB 5051. One of Warnick’s amendments, which would clarify who can submit a written complaint against an officer to the CJTC, was not adopted.

Warnick said during the floor debate her amendment would allow CJTC staff — not just any individual — to submit a complaint. There have been instances when the public has submitted numerous complaints, which may overwhelm the CJTC staff.

“I am not trying to restrict the individual’s rights to submit complaints,” Warnick said.

Pedersen said the public should be able to raise complaints about officers, as it will help restore public confidence in the disciplinary process for officers. The CJTC would only investigate complaints that may have violated ethical standards.

Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, had an amendment that would include a referendum clause in SB 5051 — it was not adopted. Brown said during the virtual floor debate her amendment would ensure people’s voices were heard.

“This bill really goes above and beyond what the people are looking for when it comes to reform,” Brown said.

Pedersen said SB 5051 does not have an emergency clause, so if the public wants to put the bill on the ballot, it may, but at the end of the day, it is the legislators’ job to make the law.

“We have been engaged in a large public conversation … about the issues covered by this bill,” Pedersen said. “We’re now doing what we’re supposed to do, which is to be responsive to those public concerns that have been raised.”

SB 5051 drew 39 proposed amendments, many from Republican legislators: 31 were rejected, four were adopted and four were withdrawn.

During the evening session, the Senate also approved SB 5190 (in a 34-15 vote), SB 5267 (29-19) and SB 5251 (49-0). The bills will move to the respective House committees.