Frequently Asked Questions

No.

"Chokeholds" and strangleholds" are, by their very definition, designed to restrict airflow. Due to the obvious danger, these types of holds were eliminated from our use of force policy years ago.

No, it does not outright ban shooting at vehicles. We have a very detailed policy regarding shooting both at or from a moving vehicle.

Policy 300.3.7(f)(b) Discharging a Firearm at or from a Moving Vehicle states, “(a) Officers may not fire a weapon upon a moving vehicle unless necessary to protect against an imminent threat of serious physical harm resulting from the operator's or a passenger's use of a deadly weapon. A vehicle is not considered a deadly weapon unless the operator is using the vehicle as a deadly weapon and no other reasonable means to avoid potential serious harm are immediately available to the officer. (RCW 10.116.060). (b) When feasible, officers shall attempt to move out of the path of a moving vehicle rather than discharge their weapon at the operator. (c) Officers shall not shoot at any part of a vehicle in an attempt to disable the vehicle. (d) Officers shall not discharge a firearm from a moving vehicle, unless the person is immediately threatening the officer or another person with deadly force."

Yes.  The Monroe Police Department’s use of force policy requires that officers intercede when they observe another officer using unreasonable force.

Policy 300.2.1 Action in Response to Wrongdoing states, 1. “Any identifiable on-duty peace officer who witnesses another peace officer engaging or attempting to engage in the use of excessive force against another person shall intervene when in a position to do so to end the use of excessive force or attempted use of excessive force, or to prevent the further use of excessive force. A peace officer shall also render aid at the earliest safe opportunity in accordance with RCW 36.28A.445, to any person injured as a result of the use of force.” 2. "Any identifiable on-duty officer who witnesses any wrongdoing committed by another peace officer, or has a good faith reasonable belief that another peace officer committed wrongdoing, shall report such wrongdoing to the witnessing officer's supervisor or other supervisory peace officer in accordance with the witnessing peace officer's employing agency's policies and procedures for reporting such acts committed by a peace officer."

The specific term "use of force continuum" refers to an outdated use of force model. Our use of force policy is grounded in the fundamental concepts of de-escalation and reasonableness. If force is necessary, then the officer uses only that amount of force that is reasonable given the facts and circumstances at the time of the event – and only for a legitimate law enforcement purpose. This is inline with current best practices in the policing profession.

Policy 300.3.6 (c) addresses verbal warnings with respect to all use of force encounters:

“When safe, feasible, and appropriate, prior to the use of force, officers should...(c) Provide clear instructions and warnings."

Policy 300.3.7(d) addresses verbal warnings with respect to firearms:

"When feasible, officers should attempt to give a verbal warning that a firearm will be discharged."

Yes.

Our policy provides clear guidance to our officers to utilize de-escalation tactics when practical.

The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) possesses a piece of curriculum called CIT, Crisis Intervention Team Training. Dating back to 2014, our Police Officers have logged hundreds of hours in various CIT coursework, considered the best practice in the State of Washington. RCW 43.101.427 spells out specific statutory requirements for law enforcement training standards in this area. The Monroe Police Department is fully in compliance with this statute.

Since 2014, the Monroe Police Department has received over 1,000 training hours devoted to topics of Crisis Intervention, De-Escalation, Bias, or Cultural Awareness trainings. After the passage of I-940 in 2018, WSCJTC began creating and adopting rules for new training requirements for officers. As this coursework comes into focus, the Monroe Police Department will remain dedicated to the learning and growth opportunities that lie ahead.

Information on the WSCJTC CIT Program can be found here: https://cjtc.wa.gov/training-education/crisis-intervention-training

Information on the I-940, LETCSA Program can be found here: https://cjtc.wa.gov/letcsa/about-letcsa

Our entire use of force policy is based on the concept that force, when applied by an officer, must be reasonable and necessary. Our policy specifically states the ultimate objective of every law enforcement encounter is to avoid or minimize injury. You might ask, how does an officer determine what is reasonable? Our policy lists several different factors for officers to consider when determining if force is necessary. For example, what is the subject’s mental state or capacity?, what is the subject’s age or size?, are there other options available? All of these factors are detailed in policy section 300.3.2, 300.3.3, and 300.3.4 and are used by the officer(s) to determine if force is necessary and reasonable.

Chief Jolley’s Message to the Community Regarding Death of George Floyd

Published on June 1, 2020

This past week’s events have been sobering for our nation. The horrific act of a group of officers through their actions and inactions that killed George Floyd has left us all in disbelief and outrage. The video, while hard to watch, was viewed by all of our officers with good discussions on not only the actions of one officer but also for those officers that could have stepped in and stopped the tragedy.

On Friday, our department was notified of a peaceful demonstration that would occur in Monroe on Saturday and we are thankful that that was exactly what happened. Saturday night, we had Monroe Police Officers respond to Seattle as a part of the North Metro Sound Swat Team. This same team responded Sunday night to Bellevue. I am very grateful those officers made it home and back to their families safely.

We continue to support our law enforcement partners, working as a team, to keep peace in our communities. The men and women of the Monroe Police Department are committed to protecting the constitutional rights of all those we serve, equally, fairly, and without bias. I am extremely proud of our officers and the professional manner in which they conduct themselves. Our officers train to the highest standards and best practices in Crisis Intervention Training, de-escalation, use of force, ethics and are fully partnered with and part of the community.

On a personal note, as the father of a young black man, I worry daily for his safety and am angered by the unnecessary death of George Floyd, it did not have to happen. As a Police Chief, I am saddened that the actions by a few officers in Minneapolis have caused suffering across our nation, and sullied this profession. At this critical time, we should all stand together, reach out with support for each other, and collectively denounce the actions that led to / caused this horrible death.

I welcome the dialog that sheds light on police interactions and ways to improve our relations with our diverse community. As your Police Chief, I commit to continuing a police department that is professional, ethical, and strives to serve and protect our community.

This is a joint letter from the Snohomish County Sheriff and Police Chief’s Association Regarding George Floyd.

SCSPCA Message Regarding George Floyd(PDF, 246KB)