New restrictions on Washington state police may lead to spike in crime
Fox News
As the most sweeping police reform in the nation takes effect in Washington state over a year after the death of George Floyd, law enforcement agencies outside of Seattle are arguing new restrictions set on officers when interacting with the public may further incentivize criminal activity.
Perhaps the most concerning changes come under two new laws, H.B. 1310 and H.B. 1054, because they take away officers’ ability to pursue criminals or prevent crimes from occurring, Lewis County Sheriff Robert Snaza told Fox News. Under the first new law, officers now must have probable cause, a higher threshold, instead of traditionally just reasonable suspicion, before they can use force. That means, according to Snaza, if a property owner calls police to report a potential robbery taking place at their home, and deputies arrive but only witness individuals walking off the property, they no longer are able to use force to detain those individuals while they further investigate. And that’s even if those people match the description of the suspect.More Related News