SUBJECTS PUBLIC SAFETY POLICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT
Police & Law Enforcement Authority and Requirements
Updated 08/06
Police & Law Enforcement Authority and Requirements
Contents
Constitutional and Statutory Authority
- Constitutional Authority
- Article XI, §11, Washington State Constitution - General police power of cities.
Statutory Authority and Requirements
- Counties
- Chapter 36.28 RCW - County Sheriff
- First Class Cities
- RCW 35.22.280(34) and RCW 35.22.280(35) - Specific powers to enact and enforce criminal ordinances of the city.
- Second Class Cities
- RCW 35.23.021 - City officers enumerated, including police chief.
- RCW 35.23.161 - Chief of police and police department.
- RCW 35.23.440(29) and RCW 35.23.440(30) - Specific powers to enact and enforce criminal ordinances of the city.
- Towns
- RCW 35.27.070 - Town officers enumerated, including town marshal.
- RCW 35.27.240 - Town marshal - Police department.
- RCW 35.27.370(14) - Specific powers to enact and enforce criminal ordinances of the town.
- Code Cities
- RCW 35A.11.020 - Specific power to adopt and enforce criminal ordinances of the city.
- RCW 35A.12.020 - Appointive officers, including chief law enforcement officer.
- RCW 35A.21.030 - Mandatory duties of code city officers.
- RCW 35A.21.161 - Regulation of activities under state law.
- Unclassified Cities
- RCW 35.30.010(6) and RCW 35.30.010(8) - Powers to enact criminal ordinances of the city.
- Other
- Ch. 14.08.120 (2) - Specific powers of municipalities operating airports (county, city, town, airport district, port district)
- RCW 35.88.020 - Water Supply - Enforcement of Ordinances - Special Police (Note: This citation refers to the special police as having the powers of constables. The statutes relating to constables were repealed by ch. 258 Laws of 1984.)
- RCW 53.08.280 - Port district operating an airport with a police department as authorized by RCW 14.08.120
- RCW 35.61.370 - Metropolitan park district containing city with population over one hundred thousand -- May commission police officers
Required Functions
- Requirements and Options for Provision of Law Enforcement Services
- County Sheriff, New Commissioner Handbook, MRSC Report 43, 1998
- Authority of Sheriff within Corporate Limits of City

