(Olympia, WA) A bipartisan bill prime-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Holy to increase the number of law-enforcement officers in Washington communities was approved by the Washington State Senate Law and Justice Committee on Thursday.
Senate Bill 5060 would require the state Criminal Justice Training Commission develop and implement a grant program to help local and tribal governments hire law-enforcement officers. A $100 million appropriation from the state general fund would support the grant program.
“It’s good to see this bill move forward because crime is a growing problem in our state,” said Holy, R-Cheney. “Washington ranks among the worst states in several categories, including murders, auto theft and retail theft. A key reason is that we also rank 51st nationally for the number of law-enforcement officers per capita. As a retired police officer, I know we need more officers in our communities and on our roads.”
Holy, the Republican leader on the Law and Justice Committee, said he appreciates recent public comments by Gov. Bob Ferguson in support of the measure.
“During his inaugural address to legislators last week, Governor Ferguson said he would not sign a new operating budget if it did not provide the $100 million in funding for this program. It’s a clear signal that he not only understands the need to increase the number of law-enforcement officers in our state but also believes the best route is through this proposed grant program. It’s all about making our communities safer,” said Holy, who represents the 6th Legislative District.
SB 5060 also would require the CJTC to establish policies for grant applications from local agencies, including review criteria and reporting requirements from local governments, and annually report on the grant program’s utilization, application and hiring data.
Before approving the measure, the committee adopted an amendment offered by Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, chair of the Law and Justice Committee.
Several people testified in support of SB 5060 during the Law and Justice Committee’s public hearing on the proposal Tuesday morning, including officials from the governor’s office, city of Tacoma, Washington Retail Association, and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Mercer Island Mayor Salim Nice also testified in favor of the bill.
The measure is co-sponsored by Dhingra and 11 other senators, Republicans and Democrats alike.
