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Gov. Gregoire's Budget for Community Safety

Funds sex offender address verification/DNA collection. For the first time, funding will be provided for statewide in-person address verification by local law enforcement of all registered sex offenders. Each registered sex offender in the state will be regularly contacted by local law enforcement to verify the offender’s whereabouts. During these visits, law enforcement will also confirm that every registered sex offender has a DNA sample on file in the state DNA database. ($5.0 million Public Safety and Education Account)

Uses electronic monitoring of sex offenders. The Department of Corrections (DOC), in partnership with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, will expand the use of electronic monitoring as a tool for monitoring sex offenders under community supervision by the DOC. ($923,000 GF-State)

Creates a unified electronic sex offender registry. A new sex offender registry Web site will be put in place to link all county Web sites and the state Web site. Information on all Web sites will be updated immediately when information is entered into the system. This will ensure uniformity of information across the state and provide residents with more accurate and timely information about registered sex offenders. The system also will automatically send notices to victims and others in the community through mail and e-mail when an offender moves into the community. ($321,000 Public Safety and Education Account)

Extends Operation Crackdown. The Governor recently took steps to ensure sex offenders cannot hide when she announced Operation Crackdown, which sent law enforcement units across the state to apprehend offenders who were violating the terms of their release. This crackdown sent a strong message to sex offenders who violate the terms of community supervision that law enforcement agencies will find them and hold them accountable to the full extent of the law. In the first phase of this operation, 48 sex offenders were arrested in King, Yakima, Spokane, Chelan and Douglas counties. This successful program will be repeated and become an ongoing program through additional funding provided in the Governor’s proposed budget. ($200,000 Public Safety and Education Account)

Creates a pilot program for the enhanced supervision of sex offenders. The Department of Corrections now has five units (in Seattle, Spokane, West Vancouver and two in Pierce County) dedicated to the supervision of sex offenders. Funding will be provided to implement the Sex Offender Assessment Pilot at these specialized sex offender units. Its key component is the Community Correction Officers (CCO) tool that will provide a relative risk measure to articulate the risk of recidivism within 45 days. The pilot adds one CCO to each unit to specialize in intake and risk assessment. This will allow current CCOs to focus more on field visits and spend less time on paperwork. An additional risk assessment tool is expected to improve performance and help ensure the offender receives the appropriate service at the right time, which will lead to increased community safety and less recidivism. ($465,000 GF-State)

Funds the sex offender civil commitment workload. In keeping with the long history of supporting the civil commitment of sexually violent predators, the Governor’s budget will provide additional funding to hire more staff in the Attorney General’s Office. ($732,000 GF-State)

Provides crime victim’s court advocates. Additional funding for sexual assault victim advocates in county superior courts will be provided. The advocate will assist victims through the court proceedings and will work with the victim and prosecutors in obtaining convictions in child sex abuse cases. ($750,000 Public Safety and Education Account)

Updates sexual assault protocols. Protocols for investigating child sexual abuse will be updated to meet best practices. The Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs will work with local communities to develop the updated protocols. ($75,000 Public Safety and Education Account)

Mobilizes Neighborhood Corrections Partnerships. Additional community corrections officers will be on the streets working in partnerships with local law enforcement officers in Tacoma, Yakima, the Tri-Cities and Clark County to hold offenders on community supervision accountable. These specially trained community corrections officers will work with local law enforcement agencies to track down gang members, sex offenders and other dangerous felons. ($496,000 GF-State)

Boosts funds for the Basic Law Enforcement Academy. To meet the demands of local police and sheriffs departments statewide, 182 additional law enforcement officers will be trained at the Criminal Justice Training Commission facility in Burien. ($960,000 Public Safety and Education Account)

Staffs the Toxicology Laboratory. A full-time state toxicologist will be hired to manage the Toxicology Lab. The position is now filled part time by the Forensic Laboratory Services bureau director. An additional evidence custodian will be provided to ensure adherence to quality control protocols. ($267,000 Death Investigation Account, $71,000 State Patrol Highway Account)

Expands the Crime Laboratory/Toxicology Laboratory. The Crime Lab in Seattle will be expanded to make more room for the Toxicology Lab and add space for the Crime Lab. The Toxicology Lab serves the state of Washington and the Crime Lab serves King County. ($258,000 GF-State, $170,000 Death Investigation Account, $45,000 State Patrol Highway Account, $5.4 million Capital)

Implements enhanced driver license program — border crossing. To maintain the level of free trade and tourism between Washington and British Columbia, Canada, the implementation of an optional enhanced drivers license program is accelerated from May 2008 to January 2008. ($3.0 million Highway Safety Fund)

Provides for all-risk fire mobilization. We will provide funding to respond to fires and natural disasters. ($1.4 million GF-State, $4.5 million Disaster Response Account)

Increases firefighter training. One hundred members of the National Guard will be trained for immediate deployment to fight wildfires. ($284,000 GF-State)

Protects citizens’ identities. It is critical that whenever citizens transact business with the state, their financial and personal information is protected. We will invest in additional data security at state liquor stores to prevent identity theft and fraud. Compliance with these security requirements is required in order for the Washington State Liquor Control Board to continue accepting credit card payments at state liquor stores. ($704,000 Liquor Revolving Account-State)