RCW 43.101.240: Community-police partnership.

(1) The criminal justice training commission in cooperation with the United States department of justice department of community relations (region X) shall conduct an assessment of successful community-police partnerships throughout the United States. The commission shall develop training for local law enforcement agencies targeted toward those communities where there has been a substantial increase in drug crimes. The purpose of the training is to facilitate cooperative community-police efforts and enhanced community protection to reduce drug abuse and related crimes. The training shall include but not be limited to conflict management, ethnic sensitivity, cultural awareness, and effective community policing.

(2) Local law enforcement agencies are encouraged to form community-police partnerships in all neighborhoods and particularly areas with high rates of criminal activity. These partnerships are encouraged to organize citizen-police task forces which meet on a regular basis to promote greater citizen involvement in combatting drug abuse and to reduce tension between police and citizens. Partnerships that are formed are encouraged to report to the criminal justice training commission of their formation and progress.