This policy platform sets out the principles that guide the Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs (WACOPS) advocacy and the direction our state must take on the issues facing law enforcement to create a healthy, safe state for all. It is written for lawmakers, community leaders, and partners and informed by firsthand, on-the-ground experience of active-duty peace officers and law enforcement experts who serve their communities every day.
WACOPS is the state’s largest and most influential organization representing law enforcement professionals. Since 1962, we have advocated in Olympia, and more recently in Washington D.C., on behalf of our 6,000-plus active-duty peace officer members represented by over 100 labor organizations. We are peace officer labor unified and magnified – the credible, firsthand voice on the issues that define our profession: staffing and training, pension and benefits, collective bargaining rights, and officer safety.
Public safety is the foundation of a healthy society. Families have to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods. When public safety is strong, everything else a community wants to build becomes possible – and when it fails, everyone pays the price.
Today, Washington faces the most severe law enforcement staffing crisis in the nation, ranking 51st in officers per capita for fifteen consecutive years. Fewer officers are being asked to shoulder more, while the consequences of recent reforms continue to drive experienced officers away and discourage new recruits. That puts the public at risk and exposes officers to more calls per shift, greater trauma and personal risk, and less time to recover.
Solving this staffing crisis will require sustained support and collaboration from elected officials, community groups, and the partnership of law enforcement labor and management.
WACOPS has a proven record of being part of that broader conversation – supporting appropriate reform where it improves the profession and opposing proposals that weaken it. We are ready to collaborate with anyone serious about strengthening the profession and improving outcomes for Washington’s communities.
WACOPS Supports
- A collaborative, bipartisan approach that treats officers as critical partners and subject-matter experts in shaping public safety policy.
- Evidence-based policymaking that draws on data and the on-the-ground perspective of those who do the work.
- Protect and improve labor rights, transparent and fair due process rights, and top-notch benefits for Washington law enforcement.
- Respect for local control, recognizing that what works in one Washington community may fall short in another.
Washington’s public safety challenges took years to develop and will not be solved overnight. But they are solvable – if we work together.
WACOPS makes this commitment: regardless of party, position, or organization, if you have a genuine interest in improving the law enforcement profession and public safety outcomes for everyone, our door is open and we want to work with you.
The path forward runs through the priorities set out in this platform: rebuilding the workforce through sustained investment and a renewed commitment to the profession; protecting the collective bargaining and labor rights that officers deserve; supporting transparency and accountability through fair and objective practices grounded in evidence; equipping and training officers to meet Washington's high standards; safeguarding the pensions, benefits, and wellness that let officers serve and retire with dignity; and recognizing the everyday role officers play in the life of their communities. Progress on each depends on the same thing: partners willing to treat officers as part of the solution.
Our members are on the front line every day, giving them a firsthand understanding of what it takes to keep Washington safe – an understanding we are ready and willing to share. With practical solutions, sustained investment, and honest collaboration, we can rebuild the workforce, strengthen trust, and ensure every community has the support it needs. WACOPS will continue to be a credible, collaborative, and steadfast partner in that work, for every officer, every day.