In the News

State lawmakers are wading decisively into the difficult but necessary challenge of addressing the injustices and abuses that drove this summer’s historic Black Lives Matter protests. Last week, the House Public Safety Committee passed three police-reform bills, which were the products of months of thoughtful research and robust discussion. They would ban certain police tactics, require independent audits of use-of-force investigations and create a public database of force and other incidents.

It’s crunchtime in Olympia for police accountability. Dueling Democratic bills have distinct differences. Sen. Jesse Salomon’s Senate Bill 5134 would cut negotiations around discipline and oversight out of police-contract negotiations, disallow arbitration for misconduct appeals and specify misconduct mandating officer discharges.

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Manny Ellis. These were the names being chanted in the streets of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and many other Washington cities in 2020, as the Black community had enough and demanded change and accountability during months of protests that still continue. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan committed to reforms, but also stressed it was not something the city could achieve on its own with some of the most important change needed at the state level, specifically regarding arbitration. “The system ...

This year the legislature is going hard on police reform. One bill calls for a ban on chokeholds, no-knock warrants, and tear gas. Other bills would establish a statewide body to review use-of-force cases. None of those bills would mean anything and officers could still get away with breaking those new rules, Sen. Jesse Salomon argued in a committee meeting yesterday, if "we don't change the accountability system." Click here to read more...

Labor leaders, police accountability activists and elected officials from across the state, including Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, testified Thursday in Olympia about two state senate bills intended to restructure or streamline the disciplinary process for police. The testimonies from the labor leadership revealed the sharp divide between Seattle’s labor movement, which distanced itself from police unions in June, and the statewide labor movement, which continues to defend police union membership—in their words, both out ...

Critics say it’s difficult to improve police accountability because it’s governed by collective bargaining in union agreements with Seattle police and many other police departments. Fred Thomas testified about the shooting of his unarmed son by Lakewood police. “As an example, the officer who shot our son was given over a week to write a statement with several texts between him and his acting chief, who was also the incident commander,” said Thomas. When a Seattle officer punched a handcuffed woman after ...

With the riots at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., and Olympia, as well as calls for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, dominating headlines, the Beacon reached to state representatives serving Edmonds for statements. Gov. Jay Inslee and U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray – all Democrats – have already condemned the president and have asked for his impeachment under the 25th Amendment. Their comments are included after statements from local officials. Click here to read more... Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images

EDMONDS — The city is changing how it treats people who drive with suspended licenses. In early November, Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson and interim Police Chief Jim Lawless announced officers would no longer file criminal cases for the sole offense of operating a vehicle with a suspended license. Previously, it could lead to time in jail. Later that month, the city council voted to make the change permanent. Instead, police will issue a civil infraction that comes with a $250 ticket. Paired ...