Public safety must be a priority, legislators say

OLYMPIA — Public safety should be a top priority for this year's legislative session, Gov. Jay Inslee and bipartisan state legislators said on the eve of the 2024 legislative session. "We need additional officers on the street," Inslee told reporters. “And to help local police forces find their additional officers, I’m proposing a $10 million grant program.” Washington state ranks 50th in the nation for the number of law enforcement officers per capita, Inslee and legislators acknowledged.