The Vancouver Police Department has created a web page that outlines how recent changes in state law will affect its policies and training.
The site, 2021 Legislative Impacts on Policing, summarizes several bills that take effect Sunday, particularly House Bill 1054 on tactics and equipment, House Bill 1310 on use of force and Senate Bill 5066 on duty to intervene.
According to the page, the department is already in the process of updating its policies and protocols related to these areas following a June 2020 report by the Police Executive Research Forum that reviewed its policies, training, documentation, data on use of force and police shootings.
Under the new legislation, police are required to have probable cause that a crime occurred before using any type of force on potential suspects and people in crisis or conducting a vehicle pursuit in some situations. This means police may no longer respond to certain calls for service, such as suspicious activity or people experiencing a mental health crisis, according to the page.
To read the full summary, visit www.cityofvancouver.us/police/page/2021-legislative-impacts-policing.
