USE OF FORCE REPORTING & WADEPS
WADEPS (Washington State Data Exchange for Public Safety) is Washington State’s centralized system for collecting, standardizing, and publicly reporting law enforcement use-of-force data. It was created by state law (SB 5259, codified in RCW 10.118) and is administered by Washington State University under oversight from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. The purpose of WADEPS is to increase transparency, improve public trust, and support evidence-based policy and research related to policing.
All Washington law enforcement agencies with general police authority are required to report qualifying use-of-force incidents to WADEPS. Agencies must submit reports monthly and within required statutory timelines.
A reportable use-of-force incident includes actions such as the discharge or intentional pointing of a firearm at a person, deployment of a Taser or chemical agents, use of a baton, impact weapons, canine, vehicle, or other force that results in or is reasonably likely to result in physical injury, great bodily harm, or death.
For each use-of-force incident, agencies must report detailed information including the date, time, and general location of the incident; the type of force used; subject demographics (such as age, gender, and race/ethnicity); officer demographics; and contextual information about the incident. Agencies are required to submit initial incident data within 30 days of the event and must update records within 30 days after any related administrative or criminal investigation is completed.
In addition to use-of-force incidents, WADEPS collects computer-aided dispatch (CAD) data on all calls for service. This allows use-of-force data to be analyzed in context, such as comparing the number of force incidents to overall police interactions and calls for service.
WADEPS provides a public dashboard and downloadable datasets that allow users to examine trends over time, compare agencies or regions, and calculate rates of force. Data is updated regularly, with use-of-force data updated monthly and officer roster data updated biweekly.
The system includes strong privacy protections. Personally identifiable information, such as names, exact addresses, and unique local incident identifiers, is not displayed publicly. Officers are assigned WADEPS identifiers to allow analysis while protecting individual privacy. Data quality and access are overseen by a statewide data governance structure.
Overall, WADEPS is intended to create a consistent, transparent, and statewide picture of law enforcement use of force in Washington, enabling better public understanding, accountability, and informed policymaking.
The Orting Police Department submits use of force data to WADEPS as required by law. To view the public WADEPS dashboard, CLICK HERE.
