Legislative District 47

Public safety means that everyone enjoys the human right to be safe in their homes and community. Police accountability is crucial for this. Law enforcement must be accountable to all citizens so that there is a transparent but fair process for investigations and discipline of law enforcement officers. Policing must be carried out on a constitutional and non-biased basis, and I fully support initiatives to promote de-escalation and non-violent methods.

Tangible ways to measure progress towards this goal are metrics of community satisfaction with law enforcement performance, sense of safety, and the strength of the relationship between law enforcement and the community.

As a state legislator I will further my idea of public safety by supporting legislation that has the safety of all Washingtonians at heart. As a Native American, I have seen firsthand the impact of systemic police violence against communities of color. I believe that it is critical to hold law enforcement accountable to protect communities of color. I will support policies that ensure this process of accountability is just and fair. I also support policies that increase training for local and state law enforcement. To me, well trained officers are wanted by law enforcement themselves and the communities they serve.

I have worked directly with Native American tribes for a number of years. During that time I was charged with the responsibility of representing our interests, fighting for fairer treatment and self-determination. That experience really opened my eyes to the realities of the social injustice crisis we are currently facing in Washington, and how easy it is for so many people to be taken advantage of by the system. If I win my election, I will fight for investments that lift up every community in Washington, including investments in housing, healthcare, and education as essential infrastructure for combatting inequities in our state. These investments along with increased police accountability measures will help to combat the systematic oppression of communities of color. I also believe that some crime can be traced to behavorial health issues and that our state can do more to provide treatment and services to those who suffer from disorders, and are in stress, without routing them through the criminal justice system. I would like to see the legislature take an informed and helpful response to the Blake decision in 2023 prior to the current law expiring.

I am committed to innovation in our approach to public safety, to addressing the biases that have endangered BIPOC communities, and to keeping our youth out of prison. To me, pursuing public safety means solving these problems at their root by investing in our communities through housing, education, and health care. Crimes of poverty cannot be solved by throwing our youth in overstuffed prisons; they must be solved by giving them the tools they need to thrive. To that end, I measure progress by seeing a decrease in those who commit crimes in the first place, through the successes of diversion programs, and the reintegration of formerly incarcerated people into society.

My campaign is deeply opposed to the imprisonment of our youth, and we are committed to building no new youth prisons while I am serving in Olympia. I believe we need long-term solutions to criminality, and the evidence has shown that prison is a short-term solution. The incarceration of youth only serves to trap them in a cycle of poverty and criminality, whereas diversion, education, and mental health services can create healthy, productive habits that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

Our police force is simply not trained or equipped to deal with the challenges posed by many emergency situations. I have been heartened by the successes of programs in places such as Denver that allow mental health specialists and social workers to assist people in crisis, and look forward to legislating a more holistic, civilian-centered approach to crisis response in our state.