I don’t know about you. But I’ve never felt like we’ve had a shortage of police officers in Washington state. That’s easy for me to say. I have very seldom had a need for a police officer in Washington state. It certainly didn’t feel like there was a shortage of police officers when I would get pulled over for speeding.
Confused young man
But the statistics don’t lie. The state has the fewest number of police officers per capita in the entire United States. That number is almost half of the national average.
According to cascadepbs.org,
‘Governor-elect Bob Ferguson wants an extra $100 million in the state’s upcoming biennial 2025-2027 budget to hire more local police officers throughout a state that has the lowest cop-to-citizen ratio in the nation. “We rank last per capita in the United States. Unacceptable,” Ferguson said at a Thursday press conference.’
I guess the big question is, is this a problem? And if it is, how do we fix it?
ISIL Releases Video Threatening Attack On Washington DC
In Washington we’ve added over 100 officers in this last year, but our population has grown much faster so, we’re not keeping up, we are losing ground.
Right now, Washington state is looking at a $12 billion budget shortfall. Where are we going to find another $100 million for more police officers? You guessed it, taxes.
So, the question is, are the majority of Washingtonians ready to pay more taxes for more law enforcement? I can’t answer that question, even for myself.
Protests Break Out Across U.S. After Police Shooting Death Of Daunte Wright
Even as we have a shortfall of police officers in Washington state, some current officers are dropping out of the job. Experts say that making up the shortfall is more than a one- or two-year job. Also, with each local law enforcement agency handling their own staffing, no one really knows how many law officers we really need in Washington state right now. We’re kind of making it up as we go along.
Then on top of that, how do we train all these officers in a timely manner? Do we have the infrastructure to make that happen? (Yep, more money there).
Like Many U.S. Cities, Seattle Struggles With Crime And Homelessness During Pandemic Era
To say that this is not an easy problem is an understatement, but it has to be addressed.
The longer we wait to fix this, the more expensive it’s going to be.
WA cop shortage persists statewide as lawmakers gear up in Olympia | Cascade PBS
Washington State Legislature
Washington State Legislature
Why Nampa Police Need Your Help… And Your Doorbell Camera
Here’s everything you need to know about Nampa PD’s City Protect Camera Registry Program. Would you sign up?
Gallery Credit: Chris Cardenas
Seattle Police Rescue Man From Train At Last Second
Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton
Washington Police Air Support Uses
These are a few of the main tasks Washington State Police use air support for.