Community Safety

We can’t prevent catastrophes and disasters — natural or man-made — from sometimes disrupting our lives. By remaining attentive and actively striving to better protect our communities, Governor Gregoire continues to prioritize our common safety so Washington residents can continue to build a strong future.

Community Safety

Washington families should be safe and secure in their communities. Providing for public health and safety is one of Governor Chris Gregoire’s top responsibilities. She has initiated changes that keep dangerous criminals off the streets, help communities fight crime and improve our ability to respond to emergencies.

Strengthening Laws against Sex Offenders

Governor Gregoire in 2006, 2007 and 2008 signed into law a number of measures to protect the public, especially children, from sexual predators. New laws toughen sentences for sex offenders as well as protect children and teens from abuse by coaches, counselors and mentors. These measures also increase penalties for sex offenders who fail to register with the state. Law enforcement agencies now have more efficient access sex offender records, which improves the ability of police and schools to protect our children.

Governor Gregoire is dedicated to ensuring these tough sex offender laws are enforced. She signed a budget earmarking more than $50 million to expand prison capacity for the increase in inmates due to stricter laws and longer sentences for sexual predators.

Preventing and Solving Crimes

Governor Gregoire is committed to giving our State Patrol the tools it needs to prevent and solve crimes. New crime labs in Vancouver and Spokane enable state and local police to solve crimes faster by allowing DNA samples and other evidence from crime scenes and other crime scenes such as driving under the influence to be processed more efficiently. In 2008, she requested funding for the crime labs so that evidence could also be processed more quickly. In 2006, Governor Gregoire provided additional funding to the State Patrol and added 18 new troopers, replacing troopers taken off highway patrol duty to screen state ferry traffic for terrorism threats.

Governor Gregoire has garnered funding for programs that bring together neighborhoods, schools and police to steer children away from crime, prevent crime in neighborhoods and respond to crime as a community when it happens. Governor Gregoire also preserved the state’s crime victim compensation program by increasing funding to meet a rising number of claims for emergency and hospital services. Among this program’s most important services is funding forensic exams for sexual assault victims.

Preparing for Natural Disasters

Washington’s location and climate may be optimal for enjoying the great outdoors, but nature can also cause great devastation. We were again reminded of these harsh lessons in December 2007 when major flooding in southwest Washington closed a stretch of Interstate 5 and caused millions of dollars of damage to homes and businesses in Lewis County.

Governor Gregoire continues to lead the effort to address our state’s flood, earthquake, tsunami, volcano and wildfire hazards. She pioneered recovery for residents and businesses in Lewis County by calling for the issuance of bonds to help low-income homeowners recover from the floods.

To help protect our coastal areas against a tsunami, Governor Gregoire proactively initiated a six-point preparedness plan in 2005. Washington installed 20 All-Hazard Alert Broadcasting radios along the coast to warn population centers of the threat of a tsunami. New communication equipment was also installed so first responders can communicate more effectively.

Governor Gregoire has also provided funds to meet the costs of fighting wildfires and retrofitting 180 Washington bridges to withstand a strong earthquake.

Securing our Borders

In addition to prioritizing security for our ferry system, the largest passenger ferry system in the country, Governor Gregoire has focused on both border and port security efforts. Governor Gregoire has met several times with the prime minister of British Columbia to address the issue of border security issues and public health between the two countries.

Washington is the most trade dependent state in the nation, so ensuring efficient and safe ports protects our economy as well as our citizenry. As home to the third largest container shipping center in the United States, Washington has received nearly half of the federal funds available as part of the federal Operation Safe Commerce, championed by U.S. Senator Patty Murray. Governor Gregoire continues to work closely with Senator Murray and other members of our congressional delegation to pass legislation that provides adequate funding of our port security, Coast Guard and first responder programs.

To make it easier for Washingtonians to cross the border and preserve national security, the Governor led the way to create an enhanced driver’s license and identity card program. This program satisfies federal requirements for safety and costs less than obtaining a passport.

Targeting Meth

Under Governor Gregoire’s leadership, Washington has witnessed a dramatic decline in the number of clandestine meth labs. This success has occurred through the coordinated efforts of community activists, prevention specialists, treatment providers and law enforcement. Our success has also come from tough laws the Governor helped pass to regulate the chemicals used to produce meth.

In 2006, Governor Gregoire signed into law a comprehensive anti-meth bill. The new law increased the number of drug treatment beds in prison; funded studies to determine how our state can be more effective in combating meth use; and provided local health departments with the tools necessary to protect the public and clean up contaminated meth production sites. It also set aside $1.6 million in state funds to replace federal cuts. The law additionally recognized the traumatic and devastating impact that meth has had on our rural communities and created three new regional task forces in the southwest, southeast and northwest corners of our state to prevent meth trafficking. Washington has made remarkable inroads in fighting the battle against meth.

Safety for Washington Communities and Families

Keeping families and communities safe and secure is a top priority of Governor Gregoire. She has added nearly 4,000 prison beds in the largest prison building program in state history to keep dangerous felons out of our communities. The Governor has enacted policies to hold offenders accountable, reduce repeat criminal activity and help former offenders become law-abiding members of society. Everyone should feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods, schools and offices. Keeping our communities and streets safe from crime strengthens our society and helps us all build better, more productive lives.

Governor Gregoire is resolute in her commitments to protecting our children and communities from sex offenders. She has taken aggressive steps to increase community protection from sex offenders, but she knows that more needs to be done. The case of Tacoma’s Zina Linnik was a somber reminder of how one individual’s actions can have such a tragic impact not just on a family, but on communities across Washington. After Zina’s murder, Governor Gregoire asked Kitsap County Prosecutor Russ Hauge to chair a sex offender task force to recommend specific steps to help ensure no family endures the pain of losing a loved one in this way.

Governor Gregoire extended the progress made in the 2007 session by further strengthening a number of protections against sex offenders, boosting the capabilities of our crime and toxicology laboratories, improving how we investigate child sexual abuse charges and better assisting crime victims through measures she signed into law in 2008.