I am still hearing about “reimagining law enforcement” from various politicians and advocates around the country. The Washington state legislature is still doing what it can to reimagine law enforcement.
Where are the laws in Washington kept? The website dealing with Washington laws states “The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is the compilation of all permanent laws now in force.” RCWs are created by both legislature and initiatives. In Washington, laws are kept in the RCW and that RCW is cited when you are accused of a crime.
What are Washington state law enforcement officers? Let’s break down the term. An officer is a person who is certified by the state of Washington to enforce the RCW. I would argue that having a law with no enforcement makes the law worthless.
How are things going right now?
Some cities have found that throwing garbage on cops, reducing law enforcement budgets and scrutinizing everything a cop does has caused a reduction in the number of cops in their city. At the same time, there are leftist prosecutors who have announced their unwillingness to prosecute certain crimes. These things together have allowed crime to increase in those cities.
Some of these cities are now behind the 8-ball trying to get a handle on crime. Isn’t that weird? No prosecution of alleged law breakers and getting rid of cops has led to an increase in crime rates. Who would have thought that?
In Washington, the legislature has worked hard to make it easier to get away breaking the RCW. They do not want cops to be able to enforce the RCW. They have made laws that criminals now utilize to help continue to commit crimes with impunity.
There are multiple examples of people who were being chased by the cops who then called 911 to report the cop chasing them. They demanded the cops stop the pursuit as those are now illegal under nearly every circumstance.
This is a crazy world that we live in where the cops are not allowed to enforce the law in which they are sworn to uphold.
This year, the Washington state legislature has a plan to stop the cops from stopping cars for a large number of law violations. If you listen to the morning news with our friends Bill and Evan you will hear news stories about cars being stopped in Colfax for certain traffic violations that lead to large drug busts.
I have heard others talk about how the enforcement of minor laws will lead to more serious crime discoveries. Might this mean a larger number of serious crimes will go unsolved?
Remember the Oklahoma City bomber? Do you know how he was caught? A cop saw his car without a license plate. The cop stopped him and discovered he had a gun. He was arrested on a gun-related charge. He was kept in jail and soon the FBI was able to catch up to him. They also found evidence on him during the arrest that was very damaging. All of this because of a minor violation.
If the state legislature has its way, this stop wouldn’t have happened had it been in Washington. There are many other examples of minor traffic law violations that have led to a more serious crime. But the Washington state legislature is more interested in enabling law breakers and not holding them accountable.
How would I reimagine law enforcement? Simple, I would allow the cops to do their job and enforce laws. Secondly, I would have the legislature repeal laws they no longer want enforced. It makes no sense to have laws that you do not want enforced. My fellow residents of Washington, the crime rate in our state is going to rise because the state of Washington hasn’t learned from the cities around the country who have seen an increase in crime due to reduction in law enforcement.
Anderson was the co-host and producer of a conservative talk radio show before hanging up the headphones. He has a degree in philosophy and enjoys photography, woodworking, and sports. When not computer programming, he volunteers in the community.
