OLYMPIA — Whether law enforcement in Washington is where it should be, addressing juvenile crime and the role of the Washington Legislature in law enforcement were among the topics addressed by gubernatorial candidates Dave Reichert and Bob Ferguson in separate recorded interviews with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Reichert and Ferguson were asked the same questions by WASPC Executive Director Steve Strachan, who said the questions were sent to each candidate in advance. Both Ferguson and Reichert said they didn’t think public safety in Washington was where it should be.
“I’ve been saying throughout the campaign the answer is ‘no,’” Ferguson said. He would support increasing funding for law enforcement, Ferguson said, and has proposed allocating $100 million to pay for additional officers. He acknowledged that the Washington Legislature has been reluctant to add funding for law enforcement over the last couple of years.
But Ferguson said he would include the $100 million in his first budget request. Ferguson is Attorney General, and he said he has worked to establish divisions in the AG’s office to work on crimes like organized retail theft and look at cold cases. He cited that as evidence he could work with legislators to get more funding.
Reichert is a former King County Sheriff and said if he was still in law enforcement, he would apply for any money allocated, depending on the criteria. However, Reichert said, departments are of.
