Ep. 30 WA State police reform update with Teresa Taylor, WACOPS

On Being a Police Officer

Ep. 30 Teresa Taylor, executive director of WACOPS, the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs, shares an update on the wide-ranging police reform legislation that went into law in Washington State in July 2021. Now almost a year later, we look at the impact of the legislation on law enforcement and the community, the revisions that have been made and why, and what still needs to be changed. We also look at some concerning new developments including legislation that would make deadly use of force justified only if the threat is “immediate” as opposed to “imminent,” a potentially dangerous distinction. And we talk about the concept of “compliant handcuffing.”

Our conversation is relevant not only to police departments in WA State, but also to law enforcement agencies around the country. It reflects the impact of the national negative narrative on policing and how it plays out in our communities, and how it impacts individual departments and officers. If you live in Washington, you’ll be pleased to know how much Teresa and WACOPS do for officers and for the community.

Teresa, like me, is a civilian. We share the goal of supporting law enforcement and helping people understand what it really means to be a police officer.

WACOPS is recognized as the largest, oldest and most influential trade organization representing law enforcement professionals in Washington state. Here is a link to their website.

https://www.wacops.org/

For those who want to know more about WACOPS, please contact Teresa at [e-mail]

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©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org