Low-risk traffic stops are ineffective at keeping people safe. They waste resources, and harm members of the community. Years of data have shown that low-risk traffic stops and searches disproportionately target Black drivers and other people of color.

In 2021, the Washington State Legislature adopted a balanced statewide standard for police vehicular pursuits to address the growing risk that pursuits posed to the general public. At that time, pursuits were responsible for 10-20% of the fatalities from police activities each year. Half of those killed were uninvolved bystanders or passengers.

The 2023 state Legislative Session begins today and the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability is back for our third year of advocacy. This is the first time since 2020 that the session will be held in person.

Getting legislation enacted to establish an independent state-wide prosecutor is a top priority for the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability (WCPA) for the 2023 legislative session.

Recently there has been an increase of disinformation connecting crime rates to police reforms and it is now more important than ever to publicly reiterate the values driving the work of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability.

For the 2023 Legislative Session, three of WCPA’s priority bills will address accountability. The fourth bill is about violence prevention. Our friends at ACLU-WA have suggested the following analysis - Four Paths of Accountability:

Civil Rights – A survivor or a family member sues the officer, city, and/or department for violating their rights.

When you read headlines like, ‘Police Kill Suspect” or ‘Prosecutor Finds Officers Justified in Fatal Shooting” does it light a fire in your belly? Washington Coalition for Police Accountability strongly encourages people who want police violence reduced and their accountability increased to write letters to the editor (LTE) of newspapers in their area. LTEs are an effective way to reach a wide audience

For WCPA, reducing police violence and increasing police accountability is the heart and soul of our mission and we are centered on families who have lost loved ones to police violence. One of the ways we support families across the state is to show up for them during difficult times. This month we are organizing court support for the family of David Novak in Spokane.

Imagine a person in a mental health crisis on the street. Somebody calls the police, and when they arrive the person is brandishing a sword, threatening people. His coworkers say he has been despondent lately. Or imagine a perpetrator of domestic violence, intoxicated and yelling “Go ahead. Kill me!”

Since the Charleena Lyles Inquest, we have been asked, “Will the state legislative changes from 2021 requiring de-escalation make a difference?”