The Office of Independent Investigations (OII) is asking the Legislature to increase its 2023–25 appropriations by 63.2%. (All of the appropriations for the OII are from the general fund–state.)

The OII was created by the state in 2021. Under the enacting legislation, ESHB 1267 (codified as RCW 43.102), the OII is authorized to conduct investigations of deadly force involving peace officers that occur after July 1, 2022. Additionally, “beginning no later than July 1, 2023,” OII is authorized to review and investigate certain prior investigations of deadly force.

A director wasn’t hired for OII until May 2022 and his first day wasn’t until June 16, 2022. According to OII’s August 2022 status report on implementation, “Although OII made hiring staff a key priority, this activity takes time.” Further, “Without staff, training, and policies, OII could not take cases by the statutory authorization date of July 1.” The OII website notes that it is still “not yet actively investigating current cases.” (It began accepting requests to review prior investigations this July.)

For 2021–23 (including the 2022 and 2023 supplementals), the state appropriated $23.9 million for the OII and assumed a staff of 79.0 full-time equivalent employees (FTE). Actual spending was just $8.4 million for the biennium, and the staff reached 7.1 FTE.

The enacted 2023–25 biennial budget appropriated $34.2 million for the OII and assumes a staff of 79.0 FTE.

For the 2024 supplemental, OII is requesting an increase of $21.6 million in 2023–25 and $30.2 million in 2025–27 because it “does not have sufficient funds to hire necessary staff, open a central evidence/office facility and open regional offices which are fundamental to complying with statutory requirements of investigating police use of deadly force and meets their mission of conducting fair, thorough, transparent, and competent investigations.”

An increase of $21.6 million would bring 2023–25 appropriations for OII up to $55.9 million, a 63.2% increase over enacted appropriations. The proposal would also add 14.5 FTE, bringing the OII’s total to 93.5 FTE.

(Previous posts on agency 2024 supplemental budget requests are here.)