This is not an easy post for me to write, as I’ve enjoyed a cordial supportive relationship with Senator Bob Hasegawa for many, many years.  But I love and care about the City of Renton, and Renton residents have been suffering tremendously recently.  Wounds are still fresh on three victims of glass shards from a Sunday gunfire exchange in North Renton, and Monday our police department gave the most sobering report  I’ve seen in 30 years on the increase in violent crime and homicides in our city.  Armed robberies are up 50% year over year, carjackings are up 70%, and homicides reached an all-time high of 7 in 2022.

Statewide, motorists are getting killed at a 21 % faster rate than two years ago, as police must let speeding reckless drivers and likely DUIs that they can’t stop to interview go on their way.  This has resulted in an additional 200 families burying loved ones, lost needlessly to legislation preventing police officers from properly protecting our roads and highways.

Senator Hasegawa (D), who serves the 11th district (Renton, Tukwila, Kent) meanwhile released a letter praising himself for this police pursuit legislation, saying the number of people killed in statewide police chases dropped from 9 to 3 in the last 1.5 years (saving an estimated 4 fleeing suspects and 2 innocent bystanders).  As long as he ignores the collateral hundreds killed by reckless driving and hundreds more killed by criminal violence, I guess he can feel good about saving these six.

One of the worst things Senator Hasegawa does in his letter is essentially blame the very police officers he himself has incapacitated for the rise in crime. He even gives them illegal advice.  “Police can still give chase during instances of DUI” he writes, neglecting that police need “reasonable suspicion of DUI” to do this,  which they can’t get by just watching a driver weave his way down the road.  Reasonable suspicion of DUI comes from an interview after police have made a traffic stop for a driving infraction; and police can’t pursue for an infraction.  And he tells them they can chase in instances of violent crimes, without telling them their evidence must meet the standard of probable cause, the same standard needed for an arrest (which is usually not available until after questioning and investigation).  Fortunately, police officers know better than Senator Hasegawa what they are allowed to do under the law since attorneys have had to be in close contact with officers since this ill-conceived law was first rolled out.

Senator Hasegawa’s 11th district used to be mostly in Seattle, but the district boundaries were moved in 2020 and his district is now Renton, Tukwila and Kent.  His 11th district house colleagues, Steve Bergquist (D) and David Hackney (D) are demonstrating an understanding of the needs and desires of the new 11th district constituency, and they are working to restore police pursuits.  I’m sure it is harder for them when their senior colleague in the senate sends misleading letters to their constituency.  Senator Hasegawa should instead be leading as a mature, steady hand, helping his House colleagues protect their district and the state in this frightening time of rising crime.  If he can’t serve that role for the people of his district, he should plan for his retirement.

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Here are the words in Senator Hasegawa’s letter:

Addressing high-speed police chases

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