Tag Archives: police officers

Senate panel passes Holy bill to help hire more law-enforcement officers

A bipartisan bill prime-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Holy to increase public safety by boosting the number of law-enforcement officers in Washington communities was approved by the Senate Law and Justice Committee today.

Senate Bill 5060 would have the state Criminal Justice Training Commission develop and implement a grant program to help local and tribal governments hire law-enforcement officers. A $100 million appropriation from the state general fund would support the grant program.

“It’s good to see this bill move forward because crime is a growing problem in our state,” said Holy, R-Cheney. “Washington ranks among the worst states in several categories, including murders, auto theft and retail theft. A key reason is that we also rank 51st nationally for the number of law-enforcement officers per capita. As a retired police officer, I know we need more officers in our communities and on our roads.”

Holy, the Republican leader on the Law and Justice Committee, said he appreciates recent public comments by Gov. Bob Ferguson in support of the measure.

“During his inaugural address to legislators last week, Governor Ferguson said he would not sign a new operating budget if it did not provide the $100 million in funding for this program. It’s a clear signal that he not only understands the need to increase the number of law-enforcement officers in our state but also believes the best route is through this proposed grant program. It’s all about making our communities safer,” said Holy, who represents the 6th Legislative District.

SB 5060 also would require the CJTC to establish policies for grant applications from local agencies, including review criteria and reporting requirements from local governments, and annually report on the grant program’s utilization, application and hiring data.

Before approving the measure, the committee adopted an amendment offered by Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, chair of the Law and Justice Committee.

Several people testified in support of SB 5060 during the Law and Justice Committee’s public hearing on the proposal Tuesday morning, including officials from the governor’s office, city of Tacoma, Washington Retail Association, and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Mercer Island Mayor Salim Nice also testified in favor of the bill.

The measure is co-sponsored by Dhingra and 11 other senators, Republicans and Democrats alike.

TVW’s coverage of the public hearing on SB 5060 may be viewed here.

 

Holy bill seeks $100 million to help hire more law-enforcement officers

Sen. Jeff Holy, the new Republican leader on the Senate Law and Justice Committee, has introduced a bipartisan bill ahead of the 2025 legislative session that aims to increase public safety by boosting the number of law-enforcement officers in Washington communities.

Holy’s proposal, Senate Bill 5060, would have the state Criminal Justice Training Commission develop and implement a grant program to help local and tribal governments hire law-enforcement officers. A $100 million appropriation from the state general fund would support the grant program.

“Crime is a growing problem in our state,” said Holy, R-Cheney. “Washington ranks among the worst states in several categories, including murders, auto theft and retail theft. A key reason is that we also rank 51st nationally for the number of law-enforcement officers per capita.

“As a retired police officer, I know we need more officers in our communities and on our roads,” said Holy, who serves the 6th Legislative District. “One of Governor-elect Ferguson’s campaign pledges this year was to increase the number of law-enforcement officers in our state – via a statewide grant program. I strongly agree with him on this issue, which is why I’m again sponsoring a bill that would add more officers throughout Washington. This could really help make our communities safer.”

SB 5060 also would require the CJTC to establish policies for applications from local agencies, including review criteria and reporting requirements from local governments, and annually report on the grant program’s utilization, application and hiring data.

The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra, chair of the Law and Justice Committee. The measure is expected to be sent to that committee for consideration.

The 105-day legislative session is scheduled to start Jan. 13 and end April 27.

Holy proposes bill to restore public safety by helping communities hire officers

An exodus of law-enforcement officers has weakened public safety across Washington. Legislation introduced this week by 6th District Sen. Jeff Holy aims to reverse this dangerous and disturbing trend. His Senate Bill 5841 would provide cities and counties with more funding to hire more law enforcement officers.

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen a large number of police officers and deputy sheriffs leave their jobs, whether it’s caused by strong opposition to law enforcement by some groups or laws passed by Democrat legislators that make it harder to apprehend criminals,” said Holy, a retired Spokane police officer and the Washington senator with the most experience in law enforcement.

“Washington now has fewer law-enforcement officers per capita than any state, and the decrease in officers, combined with the sharp increase in crime, is making communities less safe. Restoring public safety is one of the main priorities for our Senate Republican Caucus this session. This bill would help cities and counties hire more officers and reduce crime.”

Holy’s proposal has two components. First, it would direct 0.1% of the current state sales tax to local governments to let them hire more law-enforcement personnel. The bill is expected to produce about $250 million a year to help cities and counties hire more officers. The revenues would be used by local governments to hire law-enforcement officers up to at least the national average per capita (2.4 per 1,000). Once that threshold is reached, local governments could use the funds in ways they consider best to reduce crime.

SB 5841 also would increase the number of training classes at the state’s basic law enforcement academy to a minimum of 25 per year. “There is a long backlog that is causing hired officers to have to wait several months to get the training they need to be on patrol. More training slots mean more hired officers can get to work in their communities sooner,” said Holy.

The bill has been referred to the Senate Law and Justice Committee for consideration.