SPOKANE, Wash. -- Police in Washington will soon have greater leeway when it comes to engaging in police chases after a law passed in the state legislature Monday.Â
Beginning June 6, the restrictions on police chases will relax, providing police with greater flexibility when deciding whether or not to pursue a suspect.Â
For three years, Washington law enforcement and legislators have argued over what criteria police should use to deem a situation worthy of a police pursuit.
Under current law, only suspected murder or assault of a child qualify as motives for a police pursuit. They must also establish probable cause before a pursuit, meaning police must collect evidence without a doubt.Â
Washington State Senator Mike Padden said the current law is a serious risk to public safety.Â
"Law enforcement couldn't go after the bad guys unless they almost saw a criminal act being committed in front of them," said Senator Padden. "If somebody told them, hey, this guy just stole stuff from the store, they couldn't go after them."Â
Nearly half a million Washingtonians joined Senator Padden in supporting the initiative.Â
Opponents of the law believe less criteria will cause more harm.Â
"We believe it will lead to more injuries, more deaths, and increased collateral damage, without any benefit to public safety such as solving crimes or reducing lawlessness," wrote The Washington Coalition for Police Accountability in a recent statement.Â
The law passed just before three Spokane teenagers involved in a deadly police chase appeared in court on Tuesday.Â
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