About LETCSA

How LETCSA Works 

What does LETCSA do?
LETCSA established statewide requirements related to violence de-escalation and mental-health training law enforcement training and independent investigations of officer-involved uses of deadly force.

What does WSCJTC do?
WSCJTC administers statewide standards established under LETCSA, including peace officer training requirements (WAC 139-11) and standards for Independent Investigation Teams (WAC 139-12). WSCJTC develops training in partnership with subject matter experts and provides resources and guidance to agencies and IITs across Washington.

Why does it matter?
The framework emphasizes accountability, transparency, community involvement and public trust. Those concepts already appear in the existing IIT explanation and are much more meaningful to a general reader than immediately introducing WAC numbers and procedural details.

Law Enforcement Training

New peace officers are required to take 200 hours of LETCSA courses during Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) training.

Incumbent peace officers are required to take 40 hours of training once every three years. This includes 24 hours focused on patrol tactics and de-escalation, plus 16 hours of community and cultural learning.

The themes cross several courses rather than appearing once. Recruits practice communication and de-escalation in patrol procedures, control and defensive tactics, use-of-force training, and community-engagement scenarios. Courses include but are not limited to:

• Historical intersection of race and policing
• Alternatives to booking
• Implicit and explicit bias
• Understanding local cultures

Training Requirements

Independent Investigation Teams

On December 5, 2019, the WSCJTC adopted rules for a completely independent investigation into officer-involved uses of deadly force. The main focuses of these rules, known as WAC 139-12, are independence, transparency, community, and credibility - principles that are key to enhancing public trust. Some highlights of the rules are:

• The addition of community representatives to the independent investigation team (IIT)
• Training and experience requirements for the law enforcement members of the IIT
• Certification of the IIT lead investigators
• Information about the role of the involved agency
• Details regarding how investigation information will be shared with the public

Please see the IIT Fact Sheet for a summary of the rules' contents. 

IIT Page

FAQs

Members of the public can learn more about answers to commonly asked LETCSA questions below. Law enforcement officials looking for information on mandated training should visit this page. Individuals looking for IIT rosters, applications, and resources should visit this page.

Who creates LETCSA trainings?

Per WAC 139-11-040 (4), continuing training will be developed by WSCJTC staff in partnership with subject matter experts from across the state and across various related disciplines.

I am not a law enforcement professional. How do I view the online LETCSA trainings?

Access to the WSCJTC database, Acadis, is limited to law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals. Acadis allows the public to view approved courses through FirstForward.com. You must create an account to view the course. To view complete instructions, please click here.

How many non-law enforcement community representatives must be assigned to an IIT during an investigation?

A minimum of two non-law enforcement community representatives from the impacted communities will be assigned to an IIT.

What is the role of the non-law enforcement community representative in an IIT investigation?

The role of the non-law enforcement community representative is as follows:

• Participate directly in the vetting, interviewing, and/or selection of IIT investigators.
• Review written conflict of interest statements submitted within 72 hours of the commencement of each investigation by the investigators
• Have access to the investigation file when it is completed
• Be provided a copy of all press releases and communication to the media prior to release
• Review notification of equipment use of the involved agency

The nonlaw enforcement community representatives must sign a binding confidentiality agreement at the beginning of each police use of deadly force investigation that remains in effect until the prosecutor of jurisdiction either declines to file charges or the criminal case is concluded.

I am a non-law enforcement community member and would like to participate on an IIT. How may I do that?

Please reach out to your local law enforcement agency. IITs operate at a regional level.

Is there statewide training available for IIT non-law enforcement community representatives?

WSCJTC LETCSA staff are developing standardized training required per WAC 139-12-030. We will notify the IITs as soon as it is available.

Legislative History

The Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (LETCSA) began with Initiative 940, which voters approved. The main goal of this initiative was to make communities safer by improving how law enforcement officers are trained and by increasing accountability. Initiative 940 requires officers to learn skills in violence de-escalation, mental health awareness, and first aid. It also changed the legal standard for deadly force, moving from a requirement of proving “malice” to a “good faith” standard.

The Washington Legislature later updated the initiative by passing Substitute House Bill 1064 (SHB 1064). This bill kept the main goals of Initiative 940 while providing clarification. These rules were added to the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 139 11, which describes the required training in violence de-escalation and mental health.

Officers are taught communication skills, how to manage pacing and distance, and shielding techniques to reduce the risk of harm in stressful situations. The training also emphasizes that law enforcement officers must provide or arrange first aid as soon as it is safe to do so at scenes controlled by police, focusing on critical life-saving skills and balancing officers’ duties with their responsibility to preserve the life of anyone they encounter.

To maintain these skills, officers must complete 40 hours of LETCSA training every three years. This includes 24 hours of Patrol Tactics In Service (PTIS) de-escalation training and 16 hours of community and cultural competency training. These courses help officers stay current, practice safe techniques, and build stronger relationships with the communities they serve.

LETCSA also improved the independent investigation process. Under WAC 139 12, any event involving deadly force must be examined by an independent investigation team instead of the agency involved in the incident. This system, which came from Initiative 940 and was reinforced by SHB 1064, helps ensure investigations are fair and transparent and strengthens community trust.

Following the passage of I-940 and SHB 1064, the legislation was renamed the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (LETCSA).

For more information about legislation and reports, visit our resources page.