Image from Wikipeida.
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A Center Square article explains that people in nearly a thousand vehicles have evaded capture in Washington State so far by simply refusing to stop when the police attempt to pull them over, after a new law was passed last year restricting police from engaging in pursuit of vehicles.
House Bill 1054 which was passed last year outlaws police from engaging in pursuit unless there is “probable cause” to arrest a person in the vehicle for committing a specific violent crime or sex offense, such as murder, kidnapping, a drive-by shooting, or rape.
A Spokane County Undersheriff John Nowels said that criminals are taking advantage of the law and refusing to pull over for police, and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) put out a statement saying that vehicle thefts have increased 93% since that law and other “police reform” laws went into effect at the end of July 2021.
WASPC Executive Director Steve Strachan said in the statement:
“The data shows what our law enforcement and communities are seeing out there every day – the word is out and criminals know what they can do under our current laws. … I have never seen criminals as emboldened as they are now. Our mayors, law enforcement, and the community asked for help, and the Legislature made the specific decision to continue to allow for brazen contempt for the law. No one wants more pursuits, which are inherently dangerous, but current law has created an atmosphere of flouting the law even on simple traffic stops. This is one example of a change in atmosphere that is, and will continue to be, unacceptable and dangerous to public safety. Fleeing in a vehicle should not be a get-out-of-jail-free card.”
Legislation that would have eased such restrictions on police pursuits failed to pass during this year’s legislative session.
Ridiculously, Democrat Senator Jesse Johnson who was a sponsor of the original Bill 1054 is still applauding the law despite its obvious consequences, saying in a March interview, “I just do not believe pursuits in a 21st century policing system are needed.” [Note: Don’t ever vote for a Democrat. Both parties are controlled by the same people and Republicans are bad too, but they are the lesser evil.]
A University of Washington study says that 30 people died in pursuits in Washington between 2015 and 2021, with “nearly half of them bystanders or passengers in the fleeing vehicle.” [Note: Why didn’t it occur to the makers of the study to distinguish between the number of bystanders and passengers?]