Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Higher Education Committee

SB 6628

Brief Description:  Establishing the probationary period for campus police officer appointees.

Sponsors:  Senators Kohl‑Welles, Sheahan and Jacobsen; by request of University of Washington.

Brief Summary of Bill

$The probationary period is extended for officer appointees who are required to attend the basic law enforcement training academy.

Hearing Date:  2/22/02

Staff:  Antonio Sanchez (786‑7383).

Background:

The Washington Personnel Resources Board (WPRB) adopts rules regarding the procedures pertaining to state personnel, including the probationary period required for newly appointed permanent employees. Currently, the probationary period for all newly appointed campus police is set at 12 months from the date of their appointment.

The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission provides programs and standards for the training of criminal justice personnel.  All law enforcement personnel, except volunteers and reserve officers, employed on or after January 1, 1978, are required to have basic law enforcement training that complies with the standards set out by the commission. 

Under the current system where newly appointed officers have a probation period of 12 months from the time of hire, it is often almost 12 months before a police officer gets into the academy, graduates and goes to work.  As a result of this time line, officers spend only a short amount of time actually on the job before they must have a job performance evaluation.  Some of the universities have expressed concern about the time line for evaluation and feel that officers cannot be given proper evaluation of their on-the-job work performance under the current system.

Summary of Bill:

New officer appointees who are required to attend the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission basic law enforcement academy, will have their 12-month probationary period set at the date when the officer successfully completes the academy.  If academy training is not required, the 12-month probationary period begins at the date the officer is appointed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 21, 2002.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.