State troopers shouldn't be above the law.

 Olympia, WA. - House Bill 2228 would require that an outside agency at least supervise the investigation of any serious crash in which any law enforcement officer is involved. The idea is to let the public see that police officers are not above the law and that agencies are not covering up for their officers' mistakes.

The bill would also require that law enforcement officers determined to be at fault in four accidents in any three-year period be suspended from driving on duty for at least a year. It would also require drug and alcohol tests of all parties in any fatal auto accident.

The onslaught of e-mails to Rep. Toby Nixon ran from the personal to the political.

"Shame on you, Mr. Nixon," read one. "And hope one day you and your family need the help of a trooper or a police officer to save one of you, and that those officers would not respond on time."
Another referred to the legislation as the "Crock" rather than "Brock" bill and threatened Nixon's political future. "It is simple math ... 1,100 troopers (times) 1,100 spouses/partners (times) all of their family members/friends/co-workers ... ." The missive also credited the WSP with defeating the election bid of veteran Mercer Island Republican Sen. Jim Horn last November.

An e-mail sent to senator Jim Horn said, Horn "lost his (seat) thanks to the WSPTA (Washington State Patrol Troopers Association). I hope you are next!"

That was news to Horn, who told me he had no knowledge of the agency or the troopers' association having any role in his defeat, which he links to how poorly the Bush/Cheney national ticket fared among voters in his district.

 Coming from the father of a son who's honorably worn a badge, here's the bottom line on this bill: Serious accidents involving police officers should get extraordinary and thoroughly transparent attention and investigation. They're driving the taxpayers' rigs, at taxpayers' expense, acting in the public interest. Law enforcement management should have a mechanism to take demonstrably unsafe drivers out from behind the wheel of police vehicles.
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