The Washington State Patrol permanently stripped its staff psychologist of his power to approve or reject trooper candidates, a role that for nearly 30 years shaped the agency’s ranks.

Under criticism for a lack of progress to diversify the force, WSP Chief John Batiste recently made the long-term shift to an outside contractor for psychological evaluations of candidates.

Lawmakers, frustrated at the lack of progress, are considering legislation, released last week, that would step up oversight of the WSP’s diversity efforts. Today, 86% of troopers are white, a number that has barely budged in two decades even as the state has become more diverse.

In early November, the WSP temporarily removed its longtime staff psychologist, Daniel Clark, from the evaluations following an investigation by The Seattle Times and public radio Northwest News Network. The reporting revealed the psychological exam administered by Clark disproportionately rejected candidates of color in recent years, and that people inside and outside the department had repeatedly warned about his process.

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