Washington Sheriff’s Association Sends Letter to Gov Inslee Asking for Special Session on Policing Laws

The Washington State Sheriff's Association is formally asking Governor Jay Inslee to call a special session of the state legislature to address new policing laws.

A letter sent to Inslee by the association says the laws are confusing, hard to interpret and hinder officers from responding to emergency calls from the public.

The letter dated this past Monday was signed by Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones, who is the association's president.

Chelan County Sheriff Brian Burnett says all 39 sheriffs statewide want a special session because the laws need immediate attention.

"You have dangerous situations where people are potentially going to put the community at risk, but yet the police are now restricted in multiple ways on how they can or can't use force and stop and detain people to do their investigation," said Burnett.

A number of Republican state lawmakers have come out in the last several days calling for a special session, mostly focused on COVID-19 restrictions put in place by Governor Inslee, although some GOP members have also voiced a need to deal with the policing laws.

The Democratic state legislators behind the laws want to make some clarifications, but say the sheriffs are complaining about philosophical differences.

The new laws went into effect in late July. They establish new use-of-force standards for police, limit the use of certain police tactics, such as vehicle pursuits and neck restraints, and limit the situations in which officers can use physical force.

Chelan County Sheriff Burnett says the laws need the immediate attention of the legislature, calling them "horrible policy.".

Governor Inslee, a Democrat, has not publicly commented on the letter from the Sheriff's Association.