All general authority peace officers must be certified by the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) as a condition of employment. Once a person is conditionally offered employment with a law enforcement agency, the person must undergo a background investigation to determine the applicant's suitability for employment. After the background check is complete, the person may complete the certification process with the CJTC, including undergoing basic law enforcement training.
The Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) must convene a work group to study and make recommendations regarding establishing a program to recruit, and issue certifications to, a pool of candidates who may be hired as peace officers by city and county law enforcement agencies. The work group must consist of representatives of:
The study must include the following:
The CJTC must report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature by November 15, 2024, which must include draft legislation implementing the recommendations. The CJTC may contract with a consultant to implement the study and may hire an employee to oversee the contracting process and manage the implementation of the contract.
The substitute bill:
(In support) Every law enforcement agency in the state is currently understaffed. Local governments have ongoing hiring problems. This will only get worse as demographics lead to more retirements. The Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) is at capacity. The state is currently trying to expand the CJTC's capacity through regional centers. This bill will help the state figure out how to expand recruitment and outreach to outstanding and diverse candidates. A statewide approach will help us solve this problem in a comprehensive manner. Candidates will still go through the same background checks and training. This bill will merely speed up the process. The bill will not create competition for law enforcement agencies, but rather will support them and get people into the right agencies.
Theft is the number one issue for retailers. Police need resources and training to do their jobs. This bill is a step in the right direction to increase public safety for customers and employees.
There are still some things to work out with this idea. We should bring law enforcement and stakeholders to the table to work things out. A study is the best way to tackle this issue.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) Law enforcement is having a tough time due to issues like COVID-19 and law enforcement reform. Staffing has been a problem. Studying this issue will help law enforcement. The CJTC is stretched thin. Their work is not as good as it could be. The Washington Coalition for Police Accountability should be part of the work group in order to bring communities and stakeholders together.