A bipartisan bill from a former county sheriff turned state lawmaker aims to better protect stalking victims after offenders are released back into the community. John Sattgast reports from Olympia.
Lawmakers are advancing House Bill 2510, sponsored by Republican Representative Brian Burnett of Wenatchee, a former Chelan County sheriff, requiring supervision of people convicted of stalking when they leave prison.
Supporters say the change closes a gap in current law and helps prevent repeat crimes while giving victims greater peace of mind.
“These victims are not sleeping well at night. They’re going through the life that is just causing undue, a lot of times post-traumatic stress, but just stress in their lives and they should be free of that.”
Burnett says stalking is not a one-time offense and victims often live in fear long after a conviction.
“These aren’t crimes that something says, well gee, I didn’t understand, or I didn’t know. They’ve been put in this place. They understand through, I think a good probable cause for conviction.”
The measure passed the Community Safety Committee on Monday with bipartisan support.
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