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Initiative 940—providing for policy accountability and restoration of trust

De-Escalate Washington has launched a signature gathering campaign for Initiative 940, which would strengthen training requirements for local law enforcement in Washington State in order to resolve conflicts without resorting to deadly force.

Statement from OneAmerica Executive Director Rich Stolz:
“OneAmerica joins the De-Escalate Washington Campaign, which will work to gather signatures to take Initiative 940 to the legislature in 2018, and potentially to the ballot. I-940, if enacted, would establish new training requirements for law enforcement, a requirement to render first aid, and common sense standards to ensure accountability in circumstances when law enforcement officials use excessive, lethal force.

Following the death of Charleena Lyles and too many people of color at the hands of the police, it’s clear that Washington State needs to de-escalate interactions between the police and community residents.  We stand and mourn with the families who have lost loved ones and are ready to fight to ensure that more lives will not be lost. We must come together as a community—police, community residents, organizations and elected officials – to build trust between law enforcement and the communities they are charged with protecting, and I-940 would be an important step in the right direction.
We join with the De-Escalate Washington Campaign, and with immigrant and refugee communities throughout Washington State, to call for an approach that embraces the principle that Black lives matter and that protecting the lives of people of color and other community members is not in conflict with protecting the lives of our police.”

Pavan Vangipuram, OneAmerica Communications Manager, pavan@weare-oneamerica.org

 

One Comment

  1. Margaret T Swartzman September 25, 2017

    We respect you and your job. We want you to be the best you can be at your job. We want you to ave information and training that teaches you to de-escalate explosive situations. Show compassionate, creative ways to stabilize situations.

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