[Wsssc] FW: Status of SB 5150 re: police authority

[Robert Cox]

Please see the message below about Police Authority on campuses....

Robert Cox
Vice President of Student Services
Centralia College
600 Centralia College Blvd
Centralia, WA 98531
360-623-8385



From: Laura McDowell <lmcdowell at sbctc.edu<mailto:lmcdowell at sbctc.edu>>
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2019 8:23 PM
To: Charles Holden <cholden at columbiabasin.edu<mailto:cholden at columbiabasin.edu>>; Chrissy Davis <Chrissy.Davis at sfcc.spokane.edu<mailto:Chrissy.Davis at sfcc.spokane.edu>>; Christina Nelson <cnelson at bates.ctc.edu<mailto:cnelson at bates.ctc.edu>>; Deb Casey <dcasey at greenriver.edu<mailto:dcasey at greenriver.edu>>; Deena Forsythe (dforsythe at pierce.ctc.edu<mailto:dforsythe at pierce.ctc.edu>) <dforsythe at pierce.ctc.edu<mailto:dforsythe at pierce.ctc.edu>>; Eric Murray <emurray at cascadia.edu<mailto:emurray at cascadia.edu>>; Jade Jeter Hill <jade.jeter-hill at email.edcc.edu<mailto:jade.jeter-hill at email.edcc.edu>>; Jeff Schneider <JSchneider at pierce.ctc.edu<mailto:JSchneider at pierce.ctc.edu>>; Joe Holliday <jholliday at sbctc.edu<mailto:jholliday at sbctc.edu>>; Julie Huss <julie.huss at centralia.edu<mailto:julie.huss at centralia.edu>>; Ken DeMello <Kenneth.DeMello at ccs.spokane.edu<mailto:Kenneth.DeMello at ccs.spokane.edu>>; Lesley Hogan <lhogan at rtc.edu<mailto:lhogan at rtc.edu>>; Michele Johnson <mjohnson at pierce.ctc.edu<mailto:mjohnson at pierce.ctc.edu>>; My Tran <m.tran at bellevuecollege.edu<mailto:m.tran at bellevuecollege.edu>>; Pat Sisneros <psisneros at everettcc.edu<mailto:psisneros at everettcc.edu>>; Rebekah Woods <rwoods at columbiabasin.edu<mailto:rwoods at columbiabasin.edu>>; Robert Cox <rcox at centralia.edu<mailto:rcox at centralia.edu>>; Sheila Edwards Lange <Sheila.EdwardsLange at seattlecolleges.edu<mailto:Sheila.EdwardsLange at seattlecolleges.edu>>; Steve Ward <Steve.ward at centralia.edu<mailto:Steve.ward at centralia.edu>>; Teresa Holland Rich <THollandrich at yvcc.edu<mailto:THollandrich at yvcc.edu>>
Subject: Status of SB 5150 re: police authority

Good afternoon, members of the Police Force Advisory Committee:

I'm writing to give you a quick update on the status of SB 5150.

On January 31, the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee heard testimony on the original version of SB 5150, described in my Jan. 28 email (below). Among those testifying were representatives from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and the Washington Fraternal Order of Police. Pierce County College Chancellor Michele Johnson testified on behalf of this advisory committee and our system.

On February 14, the committee approved a substitute version of SB 5150<http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2019-20/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5150-S.pdf>. The substitute version provides clear legislative authority for community and technical colleges to:


*         Contract with law enforcement agencies for a police presence on campus.

*         Maintain campus safety and security departments whose personnel can carry weapons, except firearms.

*         Hire private security agencies.

*         Have our system and the WA Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs create a sample contract for colleges and law enforcement agencies to use when arranging for a police presence on campus. This provision would take effect only if funds were included in the state budget.

The bill makes it clear that commissioned police officers are the only people authorized to carry firearms for the purpose of maintaining campus safety and security (a provision requested by the Fraternal Order of Police).  It also does not grant authority for community and technical colleges to maintained commissioned police forces, as was proposed in the original version.

Also, on February 15, WACTC formally approved the report from this committee and the committee's majority opinion against police force authority. The vote was unanimous among those presidents attending.

You can track the bill's progress here:  https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5150&Year=2019&Initiative=false

Regards,
Laura
[Compass]Laura McDowell
Director of Communications
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
lmcdowell at sbctc.edu<mailto:lmcdowell at sbctc.edu> * o: 360-704-4310 * f: 360-704-4415 * c: 360-280-0670
sbctc.edu<https://www.sbctc.edu/> * Twitter: @SBCTCWashington<https://twitter.com/SBCTCWashington> * Facebook: @WASBCTC<https://www.facebook.com/wasbctc/>

From: Laura McDowell
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2019 7:45 AM
To: Charles Holden <cholden at columbiabasin.edu<mailto:cholden at columbiabasin.edu>>; Chrissy Davis <Chrissy.Davis at sfcc.spokane.edu<mailto:Chrissy.Davis at sfcc.spokane.edu>>; Christina Nelson <cnelson at bates.ctc.edu<mailto:cnelson at bates.ctc.edu>>; Deb Casey <dcasey at greenriver.edu<mailto:dcasey at greenriver.edu>>; Deena Forsythe (dforsythe at pierce.ctc.edu<mailto:dforsythe at pierce.ctc.edu>) <dforsythe at pierce.ctc.edu<mailto:dforsythe at pierce.ctc.edu>>; Eric Murray <emurray at cascadia.edu<mailto:emurray at cascadia.edu>>; Jade Jeter Hill <jade.jeter-hill at email.edcc.edu<mailto:jade.jeter-hill at email.edcc.edu>>; Jeff Schneider <JSchneider at pierce.ctc.edu<mailto:JSchneider at pierce.ctc.edu>>; Joe Holliday (jholliday at sbctc.edu<mailto:jholliday at sbctc.edu>) <jholliday at sbctc.edu<mailto:jholliday at sbctc.edu>>; Julie Huss <julie.huss at centralia.edu<mailto:julie.huss at centralia.edu>>; Ken DeMello <Kenneth.DeMello at ccs.spokane.edu<mailto:Kenneth.DeMello at ccs.spokane.edu>>; Lesley Hogan <lhogan at rtc.edu<mailto:lhogan at rtc.edu>>; Michele Johnson <mjohnson at pierce.ctc.edu<mailto:mjohnson at pierce.ctc.edu>>; My Tran <m.tran at bellevuecollege.edu<mailto:m.tran at bellevuecollege.edu>>; Pat Sisneros <psisneros at everettcc.edu<mailto:psisneros at everettcc.edu>>; Rebekah Woods <rwoods at columbiabasin.edu<mailto:rwoods at columbiabasin.edu>>; Robert Cox <rcox at centralia.edu<mailto:rcox at centralia.edu>>; Sheila Edwards Lange <Sheila.EdwardsLange at seattlecolleges.edu<mailto:Sheila.EdwardsLange at seattlecolleges.edu>>; Steve Ward <Steve.ward at centralia.edu<mailto:Steve.ward at centralia.edu>>; Teresa Holland Rich <THollandrich at yvcc.edu<mailto:THollandrich at yvcc.edu>>
Subject: System testimony will be in opposition to police authority, SB 5150

Good morning, members of the Police Force Advisory Committee:

Senator Wilson's proposed legislation, SB 5150<https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5150&Year=2019&Initiative=false>, is up for a public hearing before the House Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee this Thursday, January 31. Among other things, this proposal would:


*         Allow our safety officers to carry firearms as long as they take whatever level of training our system feels is appropriate.

*         Authorize our system to maintain fully commissioned police forces.

*         Clarify that it is the Legislature's intent for community and technical colleges to also have authority to contract with law enforcement agencies for a police presence on campus.

*         Have our system and the WA Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs create a sample contract for colleges and law enforcement agencies to use when arranging for a police presence on campus. (This provision would take effect only if funds were included in the state budget.)

In a system-wide legislative strategy call on Friday (Jan. 25), the decision was made to testify against the first two provisions listed above. Held every week, these calls include presidents along with leadership from the trustees association and the 9-member State Board. The participants in Friday's call based their decision on this committee's vote, results from the system survey, and a preliminary conversation among presidents at a Jan. 23 WACTC meeting.

It is clear that the majority of our system feels that police authority is not the right fit for our community and technical colleges overall. People do, however, support having colleges work with their local law enforcement agencies to have a police presence on campus if colleges feel it is appropriate.

This has been a hard conversation because everyone cares so passionately about the safety and security of our college communities. Thank you for sticking with it and listening to all sides so we could determine a way forward.

Sincerely,
Laura


[Compass]Laura McDowell
Director of Communications
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
lmcdowell at sbctc.edu<mailto:lmcdowell at sbctc.edu> * o: 360-704-4310 * f: 360-704-4415 * c: 360-280-0670
sbctc.edu<https://www.sbctc.edu/> * Twitter: @SBCTCWashington<https://twitter.com/SBCTCWashington> * Facebook: @WASBCTC<https://www.facebook.com/wasbctc/>

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