From Spokane to Seattle, not a day goes by without hearing about another violent crime or incident. And with so few police officers to protect our neighborhoods, our quality of life is being diminished at every turn.
Recently:
- The Emerald City, once lovely and livable, logged its 67th homicide.
- In the Normandy Park neighborhood, southwest of Seattle, Valor Soccer, a youth organization, cancelled its entire soccer season after vandals destroyed the field, leaving more than $100,000 in damages.
- In Silverdale on the pristine Kitsap Peninsula, a masked thief dressed in black ransacked a Ross store and assaulted a store clerk.
- It goes on and on.
As we’ve seen time and again, bad policies passed in Olympia by WA Democrats have led to devastating consequences for law enforcement officers—and for all of us.
“Now, Washington is paying the price: more homicides, more assaults, more car thefts, more home invasions, and more human trafficking,” says WAGOP Chairman Jim Walsh.
Today, the Evergreen State ranks the lowest for police officer staffing at 1.36 officers per 1,000. The national average stands at 2.31 officers per 1,000 people. What did “progressive” Democrats in Olympia anticipate was going to happen with their soft-on-crime policies and anti-cop rhetoric—beyond emboldening criminal suspects?
With crime exploding all around us, “A lower officers-to-people ratio means less ability to provide justice for victims, Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs Executive Director Steven Strachan told The Seattle Times recently
It’s time to stem the tide of widespread criminality across our state.
With elections tomorrow, “public safety” is also on the ballot.
Voters should be looking to support common-sense candidates, who champion law enforcement, like incumbents Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward and Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney.
In Whatcom County, which includes Bellingham and Ferndale, residents have an opportunity to support public safety by voting in favor of Proposition 4—a sales tax increase to fund a new jail facility and other diversion and behavioral health programs.
“Overcrowding means repeat offenders are often not held,” writes Peter Frazier in The Fourth Corner blog. “We’re experiencing significantly increased property crimes, overdose deaths, and havoc from a growing drug crisis. Our current jail doesn’t enable accountability, public safety, or deliver critical treatment.”
And to reiterate: WAGOP has a common-sense plan to fight crime and restore safe neighborhoods. It includes hiring more police officers and supporting I-2113, which allows reasonable police pursuit. For too long WA Democrat policies have handcuffed our cops. We need to champion law enforcement officers, not demonize them. Only then will we begin to feel safe again.
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