Small Crimes in Vancouver Will No Longer Result in Arrests
VANCOUVER, WA – Vancouver Police are being told to not arrest people suspected of lower level misdemeanors because of a lack of local defense attorneys.
A Washington State Supreme Court ruling caps case loads for local defense attorneys.
“The proposed standards would have the effect of effectively tripling the number of attorneys needed to handle public defense cases in Washington,” Deanna Dawson with the Association of Washington Cities said.
An internal memo from Vancouver Police Chief Troy Price obtained by The Columbian tells officers to refer suspected lower level crimes directly to the City Attorney.
If it’s some kind of exceptional circumstance, they’re supposed to get authorization from a supervisor. So, watch for far fewer arrests on lower level crimes like theft, traffic and drug use.