SEATTLE—Washington Association of Sheriff’s and Police Chiefs (WASPC) Executive Director Steve Strachan sat down with gubernatorial candidates Bob Ferguson and Dave Reichert on October 16 where they addressed questions on public safety, juvenile crime, juvenile access to legal counsel, DCYF intake freeze, legislative relations, jails, federal partners, collaboration, and state oversight.
The interview was not intended to be a debate or forum but more so a resource the public could refer back on in order to make informed decisions leading up into the November 5 general elections.
For the first question, each candidate was asked if public safety is where it should be across the state or if it is being used as a “political football” — a phrase intended to refer to political candidates exaggerating issues for their own advantage.
Ferguson’s answer was that public safety is not where it should be in the state, adding that there is a reason why he chose public safety as his number one priority throughout his campaign. Ferguson continued that the state simply needs to hire more officers and incentivize law enforcement hiring through higher pay and signing bonuses.
Ferguson has promised to allocate $100 million out of the state budget for additional police staffing if elected Governor, he said.
Richert agreed with Ferguson on the point of public safety not being where it should be in the state adding that he believes the subject has indeed been used as a political football. Reichert emphasized rebuilding the trust between the community and law enforcement professionals which he said will be difficult because it’s been “eroded to the point of non-existence.”
Reichert criticized Ferguson’s $100 million pledge for additional law enforcement as having “strings attached,” while adding that he would emphasize investing in new technologies to help law enforcement officers do their job more efficiently.
“The real problem, in my opinion, is that the cops are not supported,” said Reichert. “They’re not supported by their elected officials, the public needs to rise up and wake up and elect people who support police officers in their efforts to support the law.”
Strachan then asked both candidates about juvenile crime, which has risen 24% from last year according to the latest WASPC annual crime report.
Ferguson said there must be tighter consequences for juvenile criminals as well as justice for their victims. He also added that the state needs to make investments to prevent the crime from happening in the first place by partnering with organizations that can help young people get off the streets and refocus their attention on being productive members of society.
“The state is not doing a good enough job on too many issues,” said Ferguson. “We want someone who’s going to be a change agent to address the problems we have as a state while defending what I consider to be core freedoms.”
Reichert echoed Ferguson’s response about cracking down on juvenile crime with tighter consequences adding that juveniles commit crimes knowing there will be little-to-no consequence nor is there room in juvenile detention centers. The first thing that needs to happen, according to Reichert, is to relocate adults from juvenile detention centers to adult prisons to make room for juveniles. The second is home detention and equipping law enforcement officers with ankle monitors so that juveniles can be escorted home, affixed with an ankle monitor there and then, and attend their arraignment virtually the next day.
Steering into the topic of legislative relations Strachan asked both candidates about laws that have “reduced law enforcement effectiveness,” according to him, particularly how they would act on the legislature to ensure there would be no unintended consequences on local law enforcement’s ability to uphold the law.
Ferguson referenced the 49 bills he has personally led “through the finish line,” most of which with bipartisan support. He highlighted this, he added, because he believes legislation is better when worked across the aisles.
Reichert returned to his point earlier about bridging the gap between the community’s trust of law enforcement officers while adding it starts with providing officers proper training and tools. He mentioned that, while serving as Sheriff, he encouraged county executives to attend law enforcement training academies to better understand shoot-don’t shoot scenarios, and the curriculum being taught at large.
Reichert also proposed having meetings with local sheriffs and the legislature and reinvesting in school resource officers.
Next question concerned jails and how each candidate would work with the state’s 59 jail systems to increase efficiency and reduce recidivism.
Reichert’s answer resembled his previous answers regarding law enforcement in that it starts with a jail system that is fully staffed and properly equipped to do its job the most effectively. This includes access to behavioral health services.
“Our entire criminal justice system to me is entirely broken,” said Reichert. “To expect that it’s going to be fixed in a year, or even two, is unrealistic. This is gonna take time to rebuild the entire system, this is going to take years, but we have to start.”
Ferguson acknowledged that the state’s jail infrastructure is outdated — as many of the jails were built in the 1980’s — and are in dire need of renovation. He added that this is the case with schools, transportation, roads and infrastructure in the state.
Ferguson, like Reichert, said the jail systems won’t be fixed in a day but added that he believes in programs that work.
“There are programs out there that have proven to be effective – let’s invest in those,” said Ferguson. “If it’s proven not to be effective, let’s not invest in those.”
Strachan’s next question related to federal partners and how each candidate will unite the community from some of the stark criticism they’ve had against the FBI and Border Control, for example.
Ferguson’s answer was short and to the point; “lead well and be good at what you do.” He added that political divisiveness is at an all-time-high from his tenure in politics but “nobody is going to solve that problem.” What matters, according to Ferguson, is focusing on ensuring the state has the best criminal justice system it can.
Reichert had a different approach noting that he would lead a narrative to steer away from politicizing law enforcement. He would further utilize his connections in Washington D.C. to stir a conversation.
The final questions for both candidates had to do with collaboration and state oversight.
Ferguson referenced his time as Attorney General and King County Councilman to say that he has done exactly that – collaborating with bipartisan peers to draft a budget that works, or working with retailers on development of a Retail Theft Task Force as Attorney General.
Reichert said collaboration starts with people sharing different opinions sitting at a table and discussing those different opinions. He also referenced his experience, as King County Sheriff, when he brought the NRA and Ceasefire into a room to discuss the region’s rising gang violence. From that conversation came the King County Firearms Coalition which morphed into the Safe Cities initiative.
As for state oversight, specifically what each candidate would do to ensure law enforcement professionals feel supported, Ferguson noted that it starts with just thanking every officer he comes across for their service. Second, he said he tries not to questions motives although he may have a differing political opinion, which he shared has worked for him in his run in politics thus far.
Reichert had a different take mentioning that there is too much state oversight because local law enforcement, city councils, local communities should be involved in “controlling their own destiny”.
“My effort would be to limit the authority of the lieutenant governor and the state training commission on their ability to control what a police chief, and a city council, and a mayor can do,” said Reichert.
Interviews with each candidate
