In 2021, Washington lawmakers expanded the state's power to strip cops of their certification. In an effort to keep officers fired for certain types of misconduct out of law enforcement, they passed a law requiring police agencies across the state to quickly report officer separations and misconduct to the state’s Criminal Justice Training Commission and strengthened the agency’s ability to investigate and revoke certifications.
But an InvestigateWest analysis of state employment records since 2000 raises questions about the law’s potency. Even since the 2021 law, Senate Bill 5051, took effect, law enforcement agencies in Washington — blaming unclear language in the law — have kept hiring cops accused of serious misconduct, who often manage to avoid a state investigation altogether.
One officer who was repeatedly accused of misconduct still earned a promotion to police chief, where he allegedly defrauded taxpayers. Another was charged with driving under the influence and fled the scene of a car accident but was never formally investigated by the state commission. A third remained certified in Washington years after another state revoked his certification amid a felony conviction.
“I’m surprised and uncomfortable that law enforcement executives accused of misconduct are staying in place despite the protections we put in place,” said Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland,...
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