Audit: Fraction of Wash. Police Officers Completed Required De‑Escalation Training

Only a fraction of Washington law enforcement officers have completed de-escalation and mental health training mandated by state law and intended to reduce the use of force and improve public interactions with police, according to a state performance audit.

The requirements were required by a sweeping citizens initiative, I-940, which took effect in 2018 and overhauled accountability requirements for the state's 11,000 sworn police officers. Among its provisions was the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act, which requires officers to receive 40 hours of training emphasizing de-escalation, mental health and cultural awareness.

However, the state audit, released Tuesday, shows that just 16% of veteran officers and 14% of new officers have completed the training. The audit states that, at the current rate of training, fewer than half of the state's officers will have completed the basic patrol tactics portion by 2028, a deadline set by the statute.

We found that, for the most part, officers in the state are not meeting the requirements established by state law and administered by the Criminal Justice Training Commission," the auditor reported.

The audit report lists several obstacles that stand in the way of compliance, including the commission's lack of a mechanism to enforce the law. Police agencies complain that the training pulls officers off the street and is expensive. The audit points out that some officers feel the training "is not relevant" or are "resistant to community and cultural awareness training for personal and political reasons."

"This is very concerning," said Debbie Novak, a spokesperson for the Coalition for Police Accountability in Spokane. "It doesn't matter whether these officers think this is relevant or not. It's state law. It's not optional."

One key aspect of the training was a program called "train the trainer," wherein officers undergo patrol tactics and other training at the state police academy and then return to their departments to pass it on. Participation has been low, the audit found, and "struggles in part due to low cooperation from police agencies."

Data collection on compliance has been sketchy, and the audit points out that the extensive list of topics to be addressed in 40 hours — the curriculum includes 46 subjects — "is overly ambitious."

The commission's "communication has also been inefficient, compounding barriers for police agency training managers and officers alike," the audit said.

The audit analyzed the compliance of the state's roughly 11,000 officers and found that many had completed some part of the training, but that overall compliance fell far short of the goals set when lawmakers passed the act in 2018. In addition, the agency's efforts at tracking compliance have been lax.

"Lack of necessary data about officers' progress with required training makes it difficult to see whether legal intent is being met, the audit said.

A key finding is that the training commission lacks effective mechanisms to ensure compliance. State law mandates participation in the training program; however, the commission tracks the results and has no mechanism to enforce failure to comply. The agency maintains data but does not provide feedback to the Legislature or make its findings public, according to the report.

This has led to confusion among agencies and undermined overall compliance, auditors said.

Among the solutions offered is the establishment of a legislative working group to include members from the Criminal Justice Training Commission, lawmakers and community stakeholders to ensure adequate funding and seek statutory changes to ensure compliance with training mandates and improve transparency.

In a written response, the Criminal Justice Training Commission said it generally agrees with the findings and has already begun addressing some issues, including updating rules and improving guidance for law enforcement agencies.

The agency noted that additional funding and staffing may be needed to fully implement the recommendations.

The audit spotlights the challenges of implementing one of the nation’s first and most comprehensive laws requiring police violence de-escalation, mental health and cultural sensitivity training for police officers.

The audit cites research showing that such training reduces the use of force and results in fewer injuries to the public and officers.

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