Bill > SB5361

This bill aims to incentivize cities and counties in Washington to increase employment of commissioned law enforcement officers. It allows local governments to impose a 0.10% sales and use tax, with the revenue dedicated to hiring additional police officers. The bill also requires the state's Criminal Justice Training Commission to provide an increasing number of basic law enforcement training classes each fiscal year, starting with 25 in 2024 and increasing to 27 in 2025, with the legislature appropriating sufficient funding. The goal is to address the state's low rate of law enforcement officers per capita and help reduce violent and property crime rates.