WSP Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

MMIWP: Comunidades indígenas siguen alzando sus voces en la búsqueda de sus seres queridos

By Johanna Bejarano May 5, 2023

Al comenzar el mes nacional de concientización sobre los casos de mujeres y personas indígenas desaparecidas y asesinadas (MMIW/P), las familias siguen llamando la atención sobre las barreras y los retos que experimentan al abordar la crisis en Washington.Read More

Slow down, people! Surge in traffic deaths continues in West Coast states

By Tom Banse December 7, 2022

Crash fatalities on the roads surged during the pandemic and have hardly slowed as traffic volumes and congestion returned.

While many of the disruptions of the pandemic have eased this year, the surge in traffic fatalities is showing few signs of abating. Policymakers are trying a number of tactics to respond.Read More

It’s Not Just Police Officers. 911 Dispatchers Are Also In Short Supply

By Austin Jenkins August 11, 2022

Kayla White, a Washington State Patrol dispatcher, sits at her console in the Tacoma communications office. Most weeks she works three 12-hour days, in addition to two other regular eight-hour days, to help cover ongoing staffing shortages. In addition, she and her colleagues now handle calls east of the Cascades after the Wenatchee communications center closed due to a lack of staffing.

Earlier this summer, the Washington State Patrol did something it’s never done before: close one of its eight regional communication centers used to answer 911 calls and dispatch troopers and other first responders to emergencies.Read More

Washington State Patrol, Criticized For Lack Of Diversity, Removes Psychologist From Hiring Decisions

By Austin Jenkins January 27, 2022

Daniel Clark, psychologist for the Washington State Patrol

The Washington State Patrol permanently stripped its staff psychologist of his power to approve or reject trooper candidates, a role that for nearly 30 years shaped the agency’s ranks.Read More

Washington Steps Up Patrols For Litter And Debris, After The Pandemic Year Left Roadsides Trashed

By Courtney Flatt June 18, 2021

Washington high school students won't get the chance to get job skills in outdoor litter crews this summer. But the Dept. of Ecology will hire adults for the crews. CREDIT: Washington DOE

We’ve all probably seen it: a vehicle driving down the highway with boxes and tools and furniture jammed into the back of bed. A chunk of something might fly out at any moment. It hasn’t been properly tied down. Washington State Patrol is conducting emphasis patrols to educate drivers on how to properly secure their loads.Read More

Former Washington State Patrol Trooper Stripped Of Badge Following On-Duty ‘Official Misconduct’

By NWPB News May 26, 2021

Former Sgt. Sean Carr resigned from the Washington State Patrol after admitting to on-duty sex. He has a hearing this week as the state tries to strip him of his law enforcement commission.

A former sergeant in the Washington State Patrol was stripped of his state peace officer certification on Wednesday over allegations he carried out a sexual affair with a woman while on duty, including two encounters a state hearings panel deemed nonconsensual.Read More

Killed In The Line Of Duty, Washington State Patrol Remembers Glenda Thomas 36 Years Later

By Austin Jenkins May 24, 2021

Washington State Patrol Trooper Glenda Thomas - 1985

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is remembering Thomas’ May 24, 1985 death this week as part of its Centennial Commemoration. Beginning last September, the agency launched a year-long effort to honor all 31 officers who have died in the line of duty since the agency was founded in 1921.Read More

A Washington State Patrol Trooper Accused Of Sexual Assault On Duty Is Fighting To Keep His Badge

By NWPB News April 12, 2021

The son-in-law of the Washington State Patrol chief resigned as a trooper after investigations into allegations of on-the-job sex and sexual assault. He is now fighting to keep his badge, testing the state's narrow law for decertifying police.Read More

Washington State Patrol Trooper Killed In Avalanche While Snowmobiling In Kittitas County

By Austin Jenkins February 9, 2021

Washington State Patrol trooper Steve Houle

The Washington State Patrol is mourning the loss of a trooper killed in an avalanche while off duty. Fifty-one year old Trooper Steve Houle died Monday while snowmobiling in Kittitas County. Read More

‘A Necessary Precaution.’ Washington’s Blind Lieutenant Governor Wants Security At Public Events

By Austin Jenkins November 20, 2018

Lt. Gov Cyrus Habib is requesting money in the next two year state budget to hire security. JEANIE LINDSAY / N3

Washington Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib, who is blind and has faced vitriol online, is requesting funding in the next two-year state budget to hire security when he attends large, public events. The request is contained in an agency "decision package" submitted by Habib's office to the Office of Financial Management as part of the lead-up to the budget writing process.Read More