Most Washington police officers lag on required training
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Most Washington police officers have yet to complete required deescalation and cultural awareness training, according to a new state audit.
Why it matters: The training is required by Initiative 940, a police accountability law Washington voters approved in 2018.
- The law's stated intent is to reduce officer uses of force and improve trust between police and communities.
By the numbers: Only 14% of new officers and 16% of veteran officers had finished the mandatory 40 hours of continuing training as of last May, the most recent data analyzed by the State Auditor's Office shows.
- New officers must complete the training within three years of graduating from the police academy, while officers who graduated before May 2020 have until 2028 to comply.
What they're saying: "We found that, for the most part, officers in the state are not meeting the requirements established in state law," according to the audit, which was released last month.
- At the current rate, about half of all officers will not complete the required patrol tactics training by 2028, the audit states.
Catch up quick: The training includes 24 hours of patrol tactics lessons, plus 16 hours of cultural awareness courses.
- The cultural courses are mostly online and self-guided, covering topics such as mass incarceration and the intersection of race and policing.
Zoom in: Seattle's completion rates are stronger than the statewide average, though the department still has gaps.
- About 93% of Seattle police officers had completed the required patrol tactics training as of last year, department spokesperson Patrick Michaud told Axios. SPD offered the three-day course through its own training division.
- But only 534 of the department's 969 sworn officers — about 55% — had completed one or more cultural awareness courses, Michaud said. He did not specify how many officers had fully completed that requirement.
The other side: Steve Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, told Axios that smaller agencies struggle to send officers to training without compromising local police staffing.
- A chief or sheriff "is not going to be able to say, 'I'm sorry no one can come to your 911 call because they are at state-mandated training,'" he said.
- Strachan said he also thinks the audit may undercount actual training completion rates, and that some agencies may not be accurately reporting training to the state.
Yes, but: David Quinlan, a spokesperson for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, said any unreported training would not "materially change" the overall results.
- Quinlan said the agency, which develops the required officer training, "generally agrees" with the audit's findings and recommendations.
What's next: The audit recommends the Legislature convene a working group to address compliance and clarify consequences for agencies and officers that don't meet the requirements.
- The group should also explore funding options to help agencies send officers to training, the audit says.