What authority do WA police officers have outside their assigned jurisdictions?
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Police can operate outside their assigned jurisdiction if needed, one expert told The News Tribune on Wednesday after a Seattle police officer shot someone in Puyallup while serving a search warrant.
David Sweeney from DT Sweeney Consulting, LLC said police periodically go outside their assigned jurisdiction although it is not extremely common. Officers are authorized to take action anywhere in the state when there is a “need” to take some type of action.
Actions can include things like issuing a warrant, Sweeney said.
“When a police department has a search warrant to serve, it’s customary to contact the jurisdiction where the warrant is being served … sometimes they ask for assistance and sometimes they don’t,” Sweeney said.
Police may also ask for assistance from other jurisdictions depending on the size of the mission and the number of people available, Sweeney said. All police agencies generally operate under a police manual, which specifies guidelines on what officers can and cannot do.
DT Sweeney Consulting, LLC is a consulting service based in Seattle. Sweeney previously worked at the Seattle Police Department as a lieutenant and SWAT sergeant.
