OLYMPIA, February 26, 2021 — Representatives from the Washington Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) are urging lawmakers to adopt Substitute House Bill 1054, which would establish new rules governing law enforcement tactics within the state. “We recognize the need to change law enforcement procedures to meet our communities’ expectations and strengthen trust with those we serve,” said WAFOP President Marco Monteblanco. “The amended version of House Bill 1054 would take important...

OLYMPIA, February 26, 2021- The Washington Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) today urged the Legislature to immediately amend Washington’s Uniform Controlled Substances Act (found in RCW 69.50) in response to the Washington Supreme Court recent decision in State vs. Blake. Contrary to the decisions in countless cases before Courts of Appeals and prior State Supreme Court rulings, the Court yesterday concluded that the current definition (RCW 69.50.4013) of the crime of Possession of a Contr...

February 17, 2021 OLYMPIA — The Washington Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) issued the following statement today by President Marco Monteblanco: “The Washington Fraternal Order of Police has worked closely with Rep. My-Linh Thai to ensure House Bill 1202 includes sufficient legal protection for peace officers. If approved, House Bill 1202 would establish a new state standard for qualified immunity to replace the current federal regulations. Rep. Thai has been responsive to the conce...

OLYMPIA, February 4, 2021— The Washington Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) issued the following statement today by President Marco Monteblanco: “The Washington Fraternal Order of Police has serious concerns with the decision of Pierce County Superior Court Judge Stanley Rumbaug to ignore the prosecutor’s recommendation and instead rule that a suspect in a drive-by shooting should be released from custody without bail. Releasing a dangerous suspect accused of firing 23 shots sends a ch...

TACOMA — The Washington Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) released the following statement regarding destructive protests over a Jan. 23 incident in which a Tacoma police officer drove through a crowd gathered for illegal street racing: “It is important that we allow the Pierce County Force Investigation Team to conduct a thorough review of this incident. As officers dedicated to rebuilding the trust and bonds between law enforcement and the communities we serve, members of the Washingto...

OLYMPIA — The Washington Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) announced today its support for the placement of Benton County Sheriff Jerry Hatcher on the county’s Brady list. This decision comes on the heels of the Washington State Supreme Court opinion allowing the recall petition to remove him from office. The Brady list includes the names of law enforcement officers whose credibility could be impeached at trial based on information about their truthfulness, honesty, or bias in a case. Ear...

The Washington Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) issued the following statement strongly supporting today’s Washington State Supreme Court decision regarding the petition to recall Benton County Sheriff Jerry Hatcher. In a unanimous opinion, the Court summarized its decision that all eight charges in the recall petition are legally and factually sufficient and may proceed to be put before the voters. “As dedicated law enforcement officers, we are never happy to see one of our own ...