Inslee: Public safety a priority

OLYMPIA – Public safety should be a top priority for this year's legislative session, Gov. Jay Inslee and bipartisan state legislators said on the eve of the 2024 legislative session.

"We need additional officers on the street," Inslee told reporters last week. "And to help local police forces find their additional officers, I'm proposing a $10 million grant program."

Washington ranks 50th in the nation for the number of law enforcement officers per capita, Inslee said.

At the annual legislative preview with reporters, Republican and Democratic lawmakers and Inslee agreed they must work togeth...