Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) has amended the contract for the state certification of all law enforcement.
To renew their certification, which must be done by October 31st, officers must agree to facilitate a CJTC review of their social media accounts at any time.
“consent to, and agree to facilitate, a review of any of my social media accounts immediately upon a request by a representative of the Commission. I understand that failure to facilitate such a review when requested may result in a decertification action.”
Washington State began requiring all police officers to have state certification in 2001. The Washington state government recently passed SB 5051 which expanded this certification process to corrections officers beginning on July 25th, 2021. SB 5051 also says that officers must divulge all their social media accounts to CJTC upon request.
From SB 5051…
The peace officer or corrections officer must also consent to and facilitate a review of the officer’s social media accounts, however, consistent with RCW 49.44.200, the officer is not required to provide login information. The release of information may not be delayed, limited, or precluded by any agreement or contract between the officer, or the officer’s union, and the entity responsible for the records or information.
Existing state law says employees can not be compelled to provide an employer with their login and password information.
Violent crime is exploding in Washington State as many in the State government and various local governments wage war to neutralize law enforcement efforts. Washington has their highest number of murders in state history in 2020 and maybe on track for its highest murder rate in 2021.
The Seattle police department had 219 officers resign or retire in 2020, compared to only 77 in 2019. Another 66 officers left in the first three months of 2021. The department is struggling to find new officers willing to join the force and is currently at historical lows for the percentage of officers compared to the city’s population.
