Issue Position: Public Safety

Issue Position

Every person in every community has the right to feel safe in their homes and in their neighborhoods. But we see more and more people afraid. Afraid of going to school, the movies, church, or a concert. Afraid to call the police when they need them. Afraid to send their kids out into the world. We can and must do better across the board--from holding police accountable when they use excessive force to promoting common-sense gun safety legislation to keep weapons out of the hands of those who wish to do our communities harm.

Police Accountability
Our first responders must receive adequate training that focuses on de-escalation tactics when responding to people experiencing a crisis. We must improve our use of deadly force statute in a way that protect all people and provides recourse when necessary.

Criminal Justice Reform
For too long, our criminal justice system has been disproportionately incarcerating black and brown people, devastating generations of families by removing indefinitely the moms and dads that provide emotional and financial support to their children and extended families. Furthermore, our public policy has not supported successful re-entry. Even after one has served their time, policies that limit access to housing, education and jobs set these individuals up for failure, forcing them back to a life of crime to survive. These policies start in the juvenile justice system and continue into the adult incarceration system.

Gun Responsibility
The third leading cause of death for children in the United States is now gun violence. This is unacceptable, as well as preventable. The NRA may contribute millions to politicians, but they cannot stop the movement that is being built by young people across this country. I'm committed to continuing to promote common-sense gun safety legislation to reduce the fear of gun violence for all in our state. I also support passing evidence-based gun violence prevention policies that will make Washington safer and save lives.

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