Sequim Police leaders say they’ll continue to adapt as some state laws were retooled by legislators and signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee in the latest legislative session.

“We are pleased with the efforts of the legislature to more evenly approach the police reform legal landscape,” said Sequim Police Chief Sheri Crain.

“This new legislation does not bring us back to what existed prior to 2021. Our staff have revised policy, conducted many hours of training, and routinely debriefed incident responses — all to more capably operate within the new legal parameters.”

Fourteen bills related to policing passed in the 2021 legislative session following community concerns, outcry and rallies about law enforcement injustices particularly related to people of color nationwide.

In 2022, two house bills have been signed into law, with a third awaiting Inslee’s signature.

HB 1719 clarifies that a previous limit on rifle size used doesn’t apply to shotgun beanbag rounds and other non-lethal munitions.

“Our agency followed legal recommendations that the 2021 legislation did not prohibit less lethal shotguns,” Crain said. “That means we did not remove our less lethal shotguns from operations, so we don’t have to re-deploy them as other agencies have done.”

HB 1735 clarifies how law enforcement can use physical force, and changes the threat standard for an officer from protection against an “imminent threat” to an “immediate threat” for the officer and/or civilian.

Crain said it defines “de-escalation tactics” for reasonable care purposes and clarifies when de-escalation and less lethal alternatives must be used before physical or deadly force.

Under the bill, law enforcement can detain or restrain juveniles and people with mental health problems.

Crain said some examples would include taking a person into custody for evaluation or treatment, taking a minor into protective custody, and executing a search warrant.

Substitute HB 2037 awaits Inslee’s signature as of Tuesday, March 29, to modify the standard use of force for law enforcement and allow limited Terry stops, a brief detainment of a suspect for reasonable suspicion of a crime, to prevent a person from fleeing detention.

Some opponents of the bill, statewide media report, say it reverses action on racial justice and equality.

Crain said the new bill appears to provide a “workable definition of force which helps us with our training.”

Going forward

Senate Bill 5919, co-sponsored by Kevin Van De Wege of Sequim, would have modified last year’s HB 1054 to allow police to chase suspects when they have “reasonable suspicion” rather than “probable cause” at a higher standard. But it did not pass in the Senate.

Crain and deputy police chief Mike Hill said there have been dozens of cases in Washington state since last summer of people working around state law, driving off without an arrest because they knew law enforcement’s limitations.

Sequim Police have had up to four vehicle pursuits in a year at their peak and they average two to three per year, officers reported.

“But what happens when the number of people fleeing us starts to increase because they know we can’t pursue them? Your statistics don’t change but actions in the community do change; ones we can’t do anything about,” Crain said.

Hill said while anecdotal, Sequim officers have reported seeing people flee crimes on foot or in stolen vehicles and not stopping.

Whether or not police pursued them depended on the time of day and number of people in the vicinity, Hill said.

“It doesn’t mean we’re not solving the crimes,” he said.

Crain said officers have “always exercised due care with public safety.”

“There seem to be numerous examples of people intentionally running,” she said. “The question becomes, does that continue to be a trend? Because the statistics may not show it.”

Being in a smaller, rural area has some advantages though, local police leaders said.

“We’re blessed to have an awesome small town with awesome people in it,” Crain said.

“And we’ve got a sufficiently staffed police department that is able to give the time and effort to do the follow up two days later on a case.

“In Seattle, how are they going to find that bad guy two days later? We’re blessed here, but it also shouldn’t overshadow that we have to live with those legislative impacts.”

Working with community partners, such as Peninsula Behavioral Health, to limit and safely mitigate potential issues is key, too, she said.

“We continue to work with regional partners to better address crisis response, which in many ways the new laws and recent court rulings have been focused on,” Crain said.

Last July, Crain spoke to the Sequim city council about the legislative changes at the time.

“Rules change and tools are taken away, and we adapt and overcome,” she said.

“Our officers find out good ways to do good investigations.”

She added that their philosophy was to not overreact, to continue to go to calls, and to be a good partner for behavioral health agencies acting as secondary responders, and not inserting themselves unless needed.

Her sentiment remained the same in a March interview, saying law enforcement practices change frequently.

“Only by being proactive and engaged on these topics or issues can we successfully live up to our mission — ‘To partner with our community in preserving the peace and reducing the incidence of crime for everyone who lives, works and visits in our city.’” Crain said.

For more about the Sequim Police Department, visit sequimwa.gov or call 360-683-7227.