Dow Constantine needs to save money on jails and justice. So he wants to quickly release those arrested for felonies. !?
Even Mayor Ed Murray opposes.
Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas is among those opposed to the book-and-release plan.
“Washington state has the highest property-crime rate in the United States of America,” Thomas said. “The way to deal with that is not less accountability by letting people out of jail but is looking for ways to effectively address the issue.”
Thomas cited an analysis by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs indicating that there were over 12,000 auto thefts in King County.
“That’s more than Snohomish, Pierce, Clark, Spokane and Thurston counties combined,” Thomas said. “The majority of the property crime is happening in King County, and we need to address that.”
Property-crime suspects, Thomas said, “need to be held in custody until they see a judge, even if it’s just a few days.”
Thomas said he and other law-enforcement leaders need to “get to work to come up with solutions to address the issue.”
“We can’t have this happen,” he added.
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