Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey
Police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in Washington
| Police hiring, training, and discipline |
|---|
|
| • Police collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) • Ballotpedia CBA dashboard •Reform proposals •CBA areas of inquiry and disagreement •Arguments about police collective bargaining • Index of articles about criminal justice policy |
| Click here for more analysis of police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements by state and city on Ballotpedia |
This page provides an overview of policies related to the hiring, training, and discipline of police officers in Washington. It is part of an analysis of police union collective bargaining agreements and related arrangements with police unions concerning hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in the 50 states and top 100 cities by population.
Background
Ballotpedia in 2023 examined the collective bargaining agreements, statutes, and regulatory codes governing the 50 states and the top 100 US cities by population through the lens of a series of research questions related to police hiring, training, and discipline.
Some of the hiring, training, and discipline standards for police officers not established by statutes or regulations arise from negotiations with police unions. Those negotiations are often codified in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Those agreements are the contracts that states and cities sign following negotiations with police unions. Some states and cities restrict collective bargaining, but may still negotiate with police unions using other methods. After negotiating with the unions, those jurisdictions sometimes establish police standards through documents including memoranda of understanding or meet and confer agreements.
Results
The tables below link to each question Ballotpedia used to analyze the states and cities and indicates how Washington handles police hiring, training, and discipline. To see the provisions Ballotpedia used to support these results, click here.
CBA basics
| CBA basics | Results |
|---|---|
| Is the current CBA publicly available online? | YES |
| Is there a CBA with the police union? | YES |
Discipline and accountability
| Discipline and accountability | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA forbid the transfer or reassignment of an officer as a form of discipline? | NO |
| Do officers have a right to request third-party arbitration for grievances, including over disciplinary actions? | YES |
Condition: Discipline can only be appealed to a disciplinary arbitrator if the employee has waived their rights to elect a trial board; Selection: An arbitrator is appointed from the Public Employment Relations Commission's Law Enforcement Roster; Provider: Public Employment Relations Commission; Arbitrator authority: The arbitrator's decision is final and bindingAppeals to disciplinary arbitration must be filed within 10 days of the disciplinary charge. | |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to discipline for misconduct? | YES |
Primary discipline authority: State of Washington, Police Department; Types: Suspension, discharge, demotion, written reprimand; Restricted aspects: N/A; Challenge/appeal process: Union grievance procedure, counseling and oral reprimands may not use this procedure.Discipline shall follow progressive standard, using lowest possible level of correction possible. Suspension and demotion of probationary employee may not be appealed. In lieu of suspension, employees may choose to substitute accrued vacation/compensatory time up to 15 days in 3 year period OR substitute a reduction in pay equal to amount the suspension would incur. Employee has minimum 10 days to review case for a major complaint, minimum 7 for a minor complaint. Employee may request union representation at disciplinary conference. | |
| Does the CBA explicitly allow for a state ombudsman outside particular police departments to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct? | NO |
Legal limitations or provisions
Training and counseling
Community relations and oversight
| Community relations and oversight | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA reference citizen review boards? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to community policing? | NO |
Investigations
| Investigations | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to misconduct investigations? | YES |
Investigation procedures and timeline; disciplinary procedures | |
| Does the CBA require notice to officers of investigations? | YES |
Conditions: N/A; Timeline: Must be given within 5 days of accepting complaint; Content: Must include the complaint and any attachments | |
| Does the CBA determine a timeline for investigations? | YES |
Timeline to launch: N/A; Timeline to conclude: 45 days for minor complaints, 90 days for moderate complaints, and 120 days for major complaints | |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to compensation during misconduct investigations? | NO |
Evidence and records
| Evidence and records | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA have provisions related to the use of body-worn cameras or body-worn camera video evidence? | NO |
| Does the CBA regulate processes for retaining officer disciplinary records? | YES |
Record storage: State-run database; Storage authority: Human Resource Division; Types of records: Reprimands and disciplinary actions; Timeline: Reprimands for 4 years, disciplinary actions for the length of the employee's career plus 10 years; Access and use: Employees have access to their personnel file; Use in decisions: Reprimands can be used for 1 year prior and discipline for 5 years prior to new discipline; | |
Qualifications and evaluation
| Qualifications and evaluation | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require performance evaluations? | YES |
Job Performance Appraisal (JPA) process provides an opportunity for employees and supervisors to discuss performance goals and expectations | |
| Does the CBA restrict licensing procedures for law enforcement officers or departments? | NO |
| Evaluations | Results |
|---|
Union authority
| Union authority | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA limit union authority to pay and benefits issues? | NO |
| Does the CBA give the union the power to approve or disapprove new training programs for law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions involving the union in the process for promotions, unit assignments, and transfers? | YES |
Employer retains sole right to hire, transfer, assign, promote; Chief notifies union before exempting candidate for promotion consideration | |
See also
Footnotes
| |||||||||||||||||
