Law enforcement prioritizing safety after pursuit restrictions lift

EPHRATA — As of June 6, Initiative 2113 took effect and walked back restrictions on when law enforcement can pursue suspects that were set by legislation passed in Olympia in 2021. The initiative allows broader officer discretion and local and state authorities say they’ve updated policies to reflect the new law.

“Previously, police pursuits were limited to cases involving violent offenses, sex offenses, vehicular assault, domestic violence, escape, or DUI. I-2113 now expands these parameters, allowing police to pursue individuals based on reasonable suspicion of any crime,” said Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman. 

At the state, county and city level, updated policies are in place and training is provided to help officers make decisions that GCSO, the Washington State Patrol and the Moses Lake Police Department representatives said prioritize public safety. The decision, ultimately, is whether it is safer to let the suspect get away or whether the person being pursued presents a greater hazard to public safety if they are not captured. High-speed chases are generally dangerous to the public, the suspects and the officers involved. Choosing to prioritize human life over making an arrest is vital.

“If (an officer) decides to terminate (the pursuit, they’re) never going to be questioned about that, right? The question will always be why (they) didn’t terminate if (they) felt it was the appropriate thing to do,” MLPD Chief David Sands said.

Sands said his officers have very clear guidelines issued by MLPD that are stricter than the law requires. He wanted to ensure that officers place safety first and they have a solid picture of when to — and when not to — pursue a suspect. Generally, the rewards have to exceed the risks from a public safety standpoint and it isn’t always about catching the proverbial bad guy like police dramas on TV tend to show. 

“(Pursuits) aren’t great for the supervisor. They’re not great for the officer, because you have a lot of things going on while you’re pursuing, and, frankly, they’re not on the top of our list for things to do generally,” he said. 

Sands said MLPD did see an increase in fleeing suspects after laws in 2021 reduced officers’ ability to pursue suspects. 

GCSO and other agencies in Grant and Adams counties have consistently reported a similar trend in their jurisdictions since 2021, when pursuits were initially restricted.

WSP Communications Director Chris Loftis said troopers saw the same trend and the Patrol had to create a new code to identify situations wherein a suspect had fled and could not be chased. Prior to 2021, that situation had been so rare that no code had been needed.

Loftis said that in 2019, WSP troopers had participated in 1,300 pursuits annually. In 2020, with the onset of the pandemic and associated stressors, that increased to more than 1,600. However, when the pursuit restrictions went into effect in 2021, that number went down to 872 pursuits, with an additional 744 incidents recorded under the new code indicating the suspect had fled. As awareness of the pursuit restrictions increased, so did the number of fleeing suspects, he said. Fleeing suspects increased to 3,212 in 2022 and 3,337 in 2023.

“So, the pursuits in 2022 dropped down to 500 and they were at 584 in 2023, so the pursuits continued to drop and the fleds just continued to skyrocket,” Loftis said. 

While he understands that someone may avoid law enforcement because of prior experience, generally most who flee are trying to hide something that could see them jailed or fined. 

Foreman said there’s a way to manage that issue though. If someone has a reason to feel the officers asking them to pull over aren’t legitimate or have a reason to feel threatened by law enforcement, they have options. 

“Turn on your hazard lights, drive the speed limit, go to a populated area and then stop,” he said. “You can also call 911 to verify that that’s a law enforcement officer behind you.” 

Loftis said it’s important that the public understand that there are risks for officers, the general public and suspects when a pursuit occurs and that law enforcement is taking that into consideration. He said he and other law enforcement professionals want both themselves and their fellow officers held to the highest standards of professionalism and behavior and that has been a standard for 103 years with the WSP. 

“We’re accountable, and so hold us accountable,” he said.

R. Hans “Rob” Miller may be reached at editor@columbiabasinherald.com. 

WSP Pursuits by year

The Washington State Patrol saw a trend in increased flight from troopers as pursuit restrictions changed across the state. WSP Communications Director Chris Loftis said the department is hoping trends decline now that a new Washington law has gone into effect June 6. 

Prior to restrictions:

2019 — 1,306
2020 — 1,689

Restrictions implemented:

2021 — 872 pursuits & 744 fled
2022 — 501 pursuits & 3,212 fled
2023 — 584 pursuits & 3,337 fled