Chief's Corner: New Laws On Police Response In University Place City

Press release from the City of University Place:

July 27, 2021

Beginning this Sunday, July 25, several new State laws around police reform take effect. These laws reflect a national trend following the murder of George Floyd. Some of these laws place significant limitations on police actions/authority and will require police departments to make operational changes.

The City is working with our contracting partner, Pierce County, other cities and policing organizations to evaluate strategies to address these new requirements. In the next few weeks, UPPD hopes to provide additional information on how these laws will affect police operations in our community.

In University Place, our crime rate has fared well during the pandemic. We have not experienced the increase in violent crimes that major urban areas have experienced. We are evaluating, however, allocation of our public safety resources, including ideas related to staffing and alternative policing strategies. I look forward to discussing these needs and ideas with the community in the near future.

In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or ideas.

This press release was produced by the City of University Place. The views expressed here are the author’s own.