WACOPS Applauds the Inaugural Publication of the Washington State Data Exchange for Public Safety Washington's largest law enforcement organization looks forward to reviewing the new portal and collaborating with stakeholders to continue to improve community policing & trust Olympia, WA – The Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs (WACOPS) applauds the Washington State Data Exchange for Public Safety (WADEPS) for publishing its first publicly accessible police use of force database on Friday.
“WACOPS is proud to have collaborated with the state on the creation of WADEPS, and we appreciate the incredible amount of effort that went into building such a thoughtful, first-of-its-kind portal,” said Teresa Taylor, Executive Director of WACOPS. “This in-depth look into policing data from across the state will help inform data-driven decisions, while also increasing transparency and bolstering trust. As we all dive into this data for the first time, we want to caution against drawing hasty conclusions – the experts at WADEPS deserve time to analyze this information before releasing their official report later this year. Only once the data has been appropriately analyzed by the experts will we be able to create real, actionable policy solutions that bolster community policing and trust across Washington.”
As the largest, oldest, and most influential organization representing peace officers in Washington state, WACOPS has a long history of collaboration and problem solving. We look forward to reviewing this data more closely and working with our state’s elected leaders, community advocates, law enforcement partners, and the public to continue to improve the law enforcement profession, community trust, and public safety for all Washingtonians. ###
About the Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs: The Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs (WACOPS) is a 501 c(6) non-profit organization and Washington’s largest, oldest, and most influential organization representing active-duty rank-and-file law enforcement professionals since 1962. Today, WACOPS represents more than 100 member organizations and over 6,000 public safety professionals. As a trade association, WACOPS is focused on our members – working directly with legislators and stakeholders on policy proposals that impact pensions, collective bargaining rights, and safety. |