Serving Skagit,
Island, and
Whatcom Counties
Island, and
Whatcom Counties
Navigating the New Washington State Police Pursuit Law: What You Need to Know
Washington state has recently introduced a pivotal change in its police pursuit regulations. The new law, which took effect in June 2024, brings with it significant adjustments designed to balance the need for public safety with the rights of individuals during police chases. Let’s explore how this legislative shift might impact law enforcement practices and everyday citizens.
A Washington law increased the threshold for evidence required for a police pursuit in 2021 in an attempt to negate the risks to the public resulting from high-speed chases. The 2021 law required police officers to have probable cause to engage in a vehicle pursuit with individuals suspected of a violent offense, a sex offense, an escape, or a DUI. Officers could not pursue individuals suspected of other crimes under the 2021 law.
This law has been blamed for an increase in crimes such as car thefts, because law enforcement did not have the ability to engage in a pursuit to apprehend the suspect. Additionally, Washington State Patrol logged more than 8,000 incidents of drivers refusing to stop for troopers since that law took effect in 2021.
The 2024 initiative, called Initiative 2113, allows law enforcement to pursue a driver if the officer has reasonable suspicion the driver has committed a crime. Reasonable suspicion is a lower threshold of evidence than probable cause. Additionally, the 2024 initiative changed the requirement to pursue from “the person poses a serious risk of harm to others” to “the person poses a threat to the safety of others.”
Pursuit policies will still vary across the state from agency to agency. Some may not change at all, while others may allow pursuits for any suspected crime without permission from a supervisor. You can find more information about Initiative 2113 here.
Call Powers Law Group at 360-419-0809 if you need a criminal defense attorney. Our office has decades of experience and can help you get the best result possible.