The Washington House of Representatives is taking a second try at a bill that would set up an “independent” prosecutor’s office within the State Attorney General’s Office to handle criminal cases concerning police use of deadly force. The bill passed the chamber in a 53-44 vote after some contentious pushback from opponents who say the policy will only exacerbate the state’s law enforcement staffing crisis.
Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, R-Republic, said prior to Tuesday’s vote that the state’s lack of police staffing is “not a workforce issue anymore.”
“This is a crisis in the workforce,” the lawmaker and former police officer said. “This isn’t just a training issue. This is an issue that it takes a small few people, a handful of people that have the courage to do this job, and we’ve just put another thing in front of them.”
Currently, county prosecutors hold jurisdiction over whether to pursue criminal charges against a law enforcement officer accused of misuse of force. House Bill 1579 would change that by allowing a new statewide prosecutor operating within the AGO to prosecute officers involving in a deadly use of force incident. The existing state Office of Independent Investigation is intended to conduct investigations, but does not have the authority to prosecute.