task0778
Diamond Member
SEATTLEāDemocrats in Washington state rode the wave of anti-police sentiment after the death of Serial Criminal George Floyd in Minneapolis. Their goal was to āreimagine policing,ā and itās exactly what they did.
Consequently, Washington experienced a surge of violent crime. Now Republicans, and even some Democrats, are rushing to fix as much as possible.
With total control of the state Legislature, Democrats used the 2021 legislative session to rush through sweeping āreformsā that dramatically changed policing in the state. These passed bills clamped down on police use of force and detainment, banned departments from deploying large-caliber weapons, and even prohibited most high-speed chases.
Prior to the changes, police officers could use reasonable suspicion as a reason to detain a suspect. But thanks to a bill designated as HB 1310, an officer may use force only when making an arrest.
To make an arrest, though, an officer must have probable causeāa much higher standard than reasonable suspicion. If an officer detains someone or uses force under the reasonable-suspicion standard, thanks to the passage of SB 5051, he or she may lose police certification.
In the real world, this means if an officer sees someone acting suspiciously around an abandoned building in the middle of the night, in a neighborhood that is experiencing a rash of arson, the officer cannot detain that person.
The officer merely may ask the suspect to submit voluntarily to questioning. If the person suddenly flees, the officer may not pursue, because he didnāt witness a crime.
This issue has had the biggest impact on our communities that are overwhelmed by homelessness, where itās common to see someone experiencing a public episode related to mental health or drugs.
Democrat politicians long have complained that armed police officers should not respond to calls involving citizens in crisis. Theyāre getting that wish now, and living with the consequences.
ussanews.com
Consider: Since law enforcement officers in Washington state are restricted to using force only when making an arrest unless a crime is committed, officers are not allowed to touch the person in crisis, even if itās to get him into a patrol car for transport to a mental health evaluation.
Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney recalled dispatching deputies and medics to a family dispute involving an adult in the middle of a mental health crisis. These first responders found the man lying down in the back of a pickup truck. āWeāre talking to him, you know, weāre keeping distance,ā Fortney recalled. āWe and the medic determined that he needs help ā¦ but this is the crux of the issue: Unless that person in crisis is willing to walk on his own accord into the back of the aid unit and go to the hospital and get the help, we cannot use force because of this new legislation.ā
The man in this example ended up running away, the sheriff said, and there was nothing authorities could do since he had not committed a crime. But he would end up doing just that. āWe watched him run away,ā Fortney said. āHe jumped fences. He entered someone elseās home unlawfully after he shed his clothing. And that homeowner had to hold that person in crisis at knifepoint until we were re-dispatched and had to go deal with, now, the new issue that came up."
People that should be detained will not be and as a result people are gonna die because of these new laws.
Consequently, Washington experienced a surge of violent crime. Now Republicans, and even some Democrats, are rushing to fix as much as possible.
With total control of the state Legislature, Democrats used the 2021 legislative session to rush through sweeping āreformsā that dramatically changed policing in the state. These passed bills clamped down on police use of force and detainment, banned departments from deploying large-caliber weapons, and even prohibited most high-speed chases.
Prior to the changes, police officers could use reasonable suspicion as a reason to detain a suspect. But thanks to a bill designated as HB 1310, an officer may use force only when making an arrest.
To make an arrest, though, an officer must have probable causeāa much higher standard than reasonable suspicion. If an officer detains someone or uses force under the reasonable-suspicion standard, thanks to the passage of SB 5051, he or she may lose police certification.
In the real world, this means if an officer sees someone acting suspiciously around an abandoned building in the middle of the night, in a neighborhood that is experiencing a rash of arson, the officer cannot detain that person.
The officer merely may ask the suspect to submit voluntarily to questioning. If the person suddenly flees, the officer may not pursue, because he didnāt witness a crime.
This issue has had the biggest impact on our communities that are overwhelmed by homelessness, where itās common to see someone experiencing a public episode related to mental health or drugs.
Democrat politicians long have complained that armed police officers should not respond to calls involving citizens in crisis. Theyāre getting that wish now, and living with the consequences.
Democrats Rushed to āReimagineā Policing in Washington State. Now Itās Unsafe. | SEATTLEāDemocrats in Washington state rode the wave of anti-police sentiment after the death of Serial Criminal George Floyd in Minneapolis. Their goal was to āreimagine
SEATTLEāDemocrats in Washington state rode the wave of anti-police sentiment after the death of Serial Criminal George Floyd in Minneapolis. Their goal was to āreimagine policing,ā and itās exactly what they did. Consequently, Washington experienced a surge of violent crime. Now Republicans, and...
Consider: Since law enforcement officers in Washington state are restricted to using force only when making an arrest unless a crime is committed, officers are not allowed to touch the person in crisis, even if itās to get him into a patrol car for transport to a mental health evaluation.
Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney recalled dispatching deputies and medics to a family dispute involving an adult in the middle of a mental health crisis. These first responders found the man lying down in the back of a pickup truck. āWeāre talking to him, you know, weāre keeping distance,ā Fortney recalled. āWe and the medic determined that he needs help ā¦ but this is the crux of the issue: Unless that person in crisis is willing to walk on his own accord into the back of the aid unit and go to the hospital and get the help, we cannot use force because of this new legislation.ā
The man in this example ended up running away, the sheriff said, and there was nothing authorities could do since he had not committed a crime. But he would end up doing just that. āWe watched him run away,ā Fortney said. āHe jumped fences. He entered someone elseās home unlawfully after he shed his clothing. And that homeowner had to hold that person in crisis at knifepoint until we were re-dispatched and had to go deal with, now, the new issue that came up."
People that should be detained will not be and as a result people are gonna die because of these new laws.
