Lawmakers move new bill forward that will slightly loosen police chase restrictions
OLYMPIA, Wash. - On Thursday, a proposal to let officers chase suspects with fewer restrictions moved forward in the State Capitol.
For the last two years, police could only chase suspects in cars if they had probable cause or evidence that someone committed a crime.
The goal was to keep people safe from high-speed chases. However, hundreds of lawmakers say the change is having negative impacts on their communities.
About 200 leaders from approximately 100 Washington cities signed a letter to lawmakers urging them to take action and to "revise the restrictions of police vehicle pursuits."
House Bill 1363 looks to reinstate reasonable suspicion for police chases. Reasonable suspicion is when an officer believes someone committed a crime.
Members of the House Committee on Community Safety, Justice, and Reentry pushed the proposal forward during a session on Thursday.
"All one has to do is see with your eyes and look around at what’s going on," said Rep. Jenny Graham (R-6th District). "My fear is we are creating a double standard right now."
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It was the last day the bill could move in this legislative session. Gov. Jay Inslee said he hopes lawmakers can work together to get the bill to his desk.
"I think that is the right approach. We’ve learned some things since the bill originally passed. So, I’m open to those ideas," he said.
The proposed bill would loosen the current rules that restrict pursuits to crimes involving violence, sex, or drunk drivers—and only when police have proof a crime has occurred.
House Bill 1363 would not be a return to the old rules entirely. It calls for extra training to qualify officers to initiate pursuits, extra communication with local law enforcement during the chase to keep bystanders out of harm's way, and extra emphasis on ending the pursuit by stopping the suspect as soon as possible.
While the changes to the law are moving forward, some of the members of the committee still had concerns for people’s safety.
Rep. Darya Farivar (D-46th District) outright voted against the proposal, saying it the legislation was more about public pressure than doing the right thing.
"I worry that they are going to be lives lost over this, even in just this two-year period, and I really urge folks to vote no," she said.
As the bill moves forward, lawmakers included one caveat: there is a two-year sunset on the bill, which would allow lawmakers to revisit the topic with data, and possibly make new changes.