Snohomish-area regional law enforcement academy opens; leaders say wait for training fell to "30 days or less"

At a press event in Snohomish County, officials celebrated the opening of a regional law-enforcement training academy that organizers say will shorten the time it takes recruits to enter basic training and help agencies hire more officers.

"Last year this time, we were at 8 to 12 month wait to get into the academy. Today, we're at 30 days or less," said Monica Alexander, executive director of the Criminal Justice Training Commission, announcing the local campus as part of a network of regional academies across the state.

The new Northwest campus joins regional sites that Alexander named earlier in the program — Vancouver, Pasco, Arlington, Spokane and Burien — a network officials said was intended to make training more convenient and to retain recruits who cannot leave their families for long periods. Governor Jay Inslee described the expansion as a bipartisan legislative success and urged further state funding to help local agencies hire the graduates.

"We need more law enforcement officers in the state of Washington," Inslee said, adding that local training makes it easier for people to enter the profession without long travel or extended separation from family. He also emphasized training goals such as de-escalation tactics that, he said, protect both officers and residents.

Regional leaders and lawmakers cited early outcomes. A regional speaker said 112 peace officers had graduated from the Southeast and Southwest campuses, 60 recruits were currently training in Pasco and Vancouver, and 71 corrections officers had graduated with 33 scheduled to graduate on Dec. 9. Senator June Robinson said the Northwest campus will serve Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties.

Sheriff Susie Johnson of the Snohomish County Sheriff's Department praised the local curriculum work and credited regional academies with improving recruitment—particularly among women—while urging continued attention to course content and community trust. "We expect compassion and patience, but we also demand courage and strength and tactics," Johnson said, framing the training as both technical and values-focused.

Officials stopped short of announcing new funding decisions at the event. Inslee urged the legislature to consider additional dollars in the coming year to help jurisdictions hire more officers. Organizers said classes are starting frequently across the state; Alexander noted a new class had begun in Burien the same day and that regional classes are being scheduled almost weekly.

The event concluded with acknowledgments of local partners and staff who converted existing facilities into training campuses and with organizers urging agencies to continue recruiting and hiring so the expanded training capacity can translate into more officers on local streets.