OLYMPIA, WA - So far, no police officers have been hired with Washington State's new $100 million grant program, an initiative that Governor Bob Ferguson pushed hard for to help boost police staffing.
The money from the program has yet to reach cities and counties around the state, and local officials have expressed their frustration with the rollout of the grants championed by the governor. The grant program was in response to the state's status as dead last in the nation in police staffing per capita, the Washington State Standard reported.
Officials have complained that the program rollout has been slow and rife with technical issues. "Is it concerning to cities across the state that nobody has received money from this new law yet?” said Derrick Nunnally, government relations advocate at the Association of Washington Cities. “Yes, absolutely.”
The first round of applications is open through the end of March. The Criminal Justice Training Commission expects to decide on awards within weeks of that deadline. So far, though, just six police departments have applied. The commission plans to host several rounds of grant applications.
Since its inception, there have been concerns about the program. Local governments argued it would be hard to bring on officers with temporary state dollars, leaving departments on the hook for salaries and benefits once the well runs dry. Agencies have to spend the money by mid-2028.
Lawmakers added a requirement for cities and counties to impose a new 0.1% sales tax, or have an existing sales tax focused on funding public safety. The idea was that they would have some long-term funding after the grant expires, but for many jurisdictions, that tax will not bring in enough.
The Seattle City Council, on the other hand, has approved the tax, and expects it to bring in $39 million this year. The money can be used for more than hiring officers. It can also go toward training and broader public safety efforts, like mental health crisis responders, emergency management planning, and community assistance programs.
Adding these other uses was key to winning over skeptical progressives who don't think more cops is the way to improve public safety. Democrats had to find some compromise, as Ferguson last year vowed to veto a state budget that didn't include the $100 million grant program.
To qualify for the grants, local governments have to meet a number of criteria, such as following state model policies on various subjects, training on crisis intervention and de-escalation, and collecting use of force data.
These requirements add a "tremendous amount of bureaucracy" before money can get to police departments, said Steve Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association for Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. These added steps often fall on city officials on top of their other responsibilities.
"Getting through the verification process is a very heavy lift,” acknowledged Gail Stone, project director working on the grant program at the state training commission.
So far, seven of the state's 30 counties have taken the first step to try to pass the new sales tax. All but one are in western Washington. About two dozen cities have started the process. Washington has roughly 280 cities. Most cities and counties already get money from one of the existing taxes that would qualify as a prerequisite for the grants.
The money included for this program likely won't turn the tide on the state's police staffing issues, said Derek Young, executive director of the Washington State Association of Counties. "It’s somewhere between a drop in a bucket and a ripple,” he said. “It’s really not that significant.”
Lynden was one of the first cities to pursue the new state funding. City Administrator John Williams said there was a "lack of rulemaking to guide us through it." It took months to get answers to the city's questions. In January, the Criminal Justice Training Commission rolled out a new online portal for potential grant applicants. It has gotten better reviews from local officials.
Ferguson said he's "not totally worried about" the initial issues. "This is the first time we’ve set up something like this,” the governor told the Standard last month. “It’s fair to say that, hey, we heard feedback saying, ‘Hey, this is too cumbersome. This is too complex.’”
The money from the program has yet to reach cities and counties around the state, and local officials have expressed their frustration with the rollout of the grants championed by the governor. The grant program was in response to the state's status as dead last in the nation in police staffing per capita, the Washington State Standard reported.
Officials have complained that the program rollout has been slow and rife with technical issues. "Is it concerning to cities across the state that nobody has received money from this new law yet?” said Derrick Nunnally, government relations advocate at the Association of Washington Cities. “Yes, absolutely.”
The first round of applications is open through the end of March. The Criminal Justice Training Commission expects to decide on awards within weeks of that deadline. So far, though, just six police departments have applied. The commission plans to host several rounds of grant applications.
Since its inception, there have been concerns about the program. Local governments argued it would be hard to bring on officers with temporary state dollars, leaving departments on the hook for salaries and benefits once the well runs dry. Agencies have to spend the money by mid-2028.
Lawmakers added a requirement for cities and counties to impose a new 0.1% sales tax, or have an existing sales tax focused on funding public safety. The idea was that they would have some long-term funding after the grant expires, but for many jurisdictions, that tax will not bring in enough.
The Seattle City Council, on the other hand, has approved the tax, and expects it to bring in $39 million this year. The money can be used for more than hiring officers. It can also go toward training and broader public safety efforts, like mental health crisis responders, emergency management planning, and community assistance programs.
Adding these other uses was key to winning over skeptical progressives who don't think more cops is the way to improve public safety. Democrats had to find some compromise, as Ferguson last year vowed to veto a state budget that didn't include the $100 million grant program.
To qualify for the grants, local governments have to meet a number of criteria, such as following state model policies on various subjects, training on crisis intervention and de-escalation, and collecting use of force data.
These requirements add a "tremendous amount of bureaucracy" before money can get to police departments, said Steve Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association for Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. These added steps often fall on city officials on top of their other responsibilities.
"Getting through the verification process is a very heavy lift,” acknowledged Gail Stone, project director working on the grant program at the state training commission.
So far, seven of the state's 30 counties have taken the first step to try to pass the new sales tax. All but one are in western Washington. About two dozen cities have started the process. Washington has roughly 280 cities. Most cities and counties already get money from one of the existing taxes that would qualify as a prerequisite for the grants.
The money included for this program likely won't turn the tide on the state's police staffing issues, said Derek Young, executive director of the Washington State Association of Counties. "It’s somewhere between a drop in a bucket and a ripple,” he said. “It’s really not that significant.”
Lynden was one of the first cities to pursue the new state funding. City Administrator John Williams said there was a "lack of rulemaking to guide us through it." It took months to get answers to the city's questions. In January, the Criminal Justice Training Commission rolled out a new online portal for potential grant applicants. It has gotten better reviews from local officials.
Ferguson said he's "not totally worried about" the initial issues. "This is the first time we’ve set up something like this,” the governor told the Standard last month. “It’s fair to say that, hey, we heard feedback saying, ‘Hey, this is too cumbersome. This is too complex.’”
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