FAQ for Agencies
A look at some of the most common questions and concerns shared by law enforcement officers and agency leaders.
FAQ: Costs and legal requirements
What is WADEPS?
WADEPS stands for Washington State Data Exchange for Public Safety.
WADEPS is managed by Washington State University (WSU) and supported by world-class, cloud-based technology. We are an interdisciplinary team of experts in criminal justice research, statisticians and data analysts, and communications and training professionals.
WSU was selected as the data custodian through a competitive process managed by the Washington Office of the Attorney General.
WADEPS is managed by Washington State University (WSU) and supported by world-class, cloud-based technology. We are an interdisciplinary team of experts in criminal justice research, statisticians and data analysts, and communications and training professionals.
WSU was selected as the data custodian through a competitive process managed by the Washington Office of the Attorney General.
What is the cost to agencies?
WADEPS is funded by the Washington State Legislature and there is no financial cost for agencies to participate in the statewide data collection or to access the data repository. Technical assistance and data analysis support are also included in the program funding.
See the “Tools and Training” section below for more about the expected limited person-hours required.
See the “Tools and Training” section below for more about the expected limited person-hours required.
Why does Washington need a use-of-force database?
It’s required by state law. Senate Bill 5259 (sponsored by Senator T’wina Nobles), which was enacted in 2021 and signed into law as Chapter 10.118 RCW in 2022, is the primary legislative authority governing the statewide collection and distribution of use-of-force data. Learn more about the legislative findings and the intended purpose of the database.
The legislation requires specific data about specific uses of force be collected and reported by law enforcement agencies, and that all statewide data be complied in a central, standardized, publicly available database.
The legislation requires specific data about specific uses of force be collected and reported by law enforcement agencies, and that all statewide data be complied in a central, standardized, publicly available database.
Don’t law enforcement agencies already collect data about policing activities?
Most agencies collect basic information about calls for service and officer engagement—including the use of force—however, there are variations in methods and/or definitions and not all of the data is easily accessible by the public.
The WADEPS platform standardizes data collected on the use of force and makes the data publicly available so that agencies, policy makers, and engaged community members can use it to make data-informed analyses and comparisons.
The WADEPS platform standardizes data collected on the use of force and makes the data publicly available so that agencies, policy makers, and engaged community members can use it to make data-informed analyses and comparisons.
FAQ: Date Use Agreement
Why is there a single data use agreement for all agencies?
— Due to Chapter 10.118 RCW applying equally to more than 270 law enforcement agencies across the state, WADEPS has streamlined the data use agreement to ensure consistency in terms across all agencies.
— WADEPS is managed by Washington State University, a research institution with experience managing and maintaining privacy and integrity with large data sets. In WSU’s experience, most organizations prefer to have a data use agreement in place before sharing their data.
— The DUA outlines WSU’s agreement and obligation, above and beyond the statute, to process, store, and manage agency data equitably and securely.
— The general DUA does not request any data or activity that is not required by the statute, the program requirements set by the Office of the Attorney General, or the statutorily created advisory board.
— WADEPS is managed by Washington State University, a research institution with experience managing and maintaining privacy and integrity with large data sets. In WSU’s experience, most organizations prefer to have a data use agreement in place before sharing their data.
— The DUA outlines WSU’s agreement and obligation, above and beyond the statute, to process, store, and manage agency data equitably and securely.
— The general DUA does not request any data or activity that is not required by the statute, the program requirements set by the Office of the Attorney General, or the statutorily created advisory board.
Why is there a unilateral agreement in the DUA?
The data elements are determined by Chapter 10.118 RCW and the AGO’s Advisory Board, not by WADEPS or WSU. In the future, should the legislature and/or the Advisory Board amend or update the data to be collected by the data custodian, the unilateral agreement would extend the same rights and responsibilities to any new or modified data without requiring agencies to sign a new data use agreement.
What information about officers will be held in WADEPS?
WADEPS data on officers mirrors the student profile data held by the state’s Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) and will be updated every two weeks to capture employment changes. The WADEPS public-facing dashboard will display only items required per the RCW.
What data will be available through a public records request?
Data ingested into the WADEPS environment mirrors data held by individual law enforcement agencies and CJTC. Therefore, data ingested into the WADEPS environment is potentially releasable through a public records request, just as it would be if individual agencies received similar public records requests.
What are the security standards for the WADEPS environment?
As noted in the DUA, WADEPS and WSU follow information technology standards set by the State of Washington: Standard 141.10 of the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Per this policy, the data security provided meets or exceeds the requirement set by state policy.
What is the risk to agencies of not signing the general DUA?
The DUA sets the standard for WSU’s responsibilities regarding how agency data is used and/or shared now and in the future. Additionally, should there be an unexpected data breach in the future, the DUA charges WSU with the responsibility to notify agencies and provides the appropriate contact information to do so.
The agreement is designed to protect both parties as well as the data. Completing the general DUA will be the first step in onboarding for law enforcement agencies following the AGO’s announcement; however, an option to decline the agreement will be available.
The agreement is designed to protect both parties as well as the data. Completing the general DUA will be the first step in onboarding for law enforcement agencies following the AGO’s announcement; however, an option to decline the agreement will be available.
FAQ: Tools and training
How much extra work will be required of agencies and officers?
Our goal is to make the required data collection process as seamless and efficient as possible for agencies and officers. WADEPS is working with agencies to leverage existing data collection processes in an effort to reduce duplicate data entry activities.
WADEPS is also working with volunteers from multiple agencies to design and review future automation opportunities for the sharing of both computer-aided dispatch data (CAD) and required use-of-force incident data.
WADEPS is also working with volunteers from multiple agencies to design and review future automation opportunities for the sharing of both computer-aided dispatch data (CAD) and required use-of-force incident data.
How will agencies report and/or transfer use-of-force incident data to WADEPS?
Agencies will have several options for submitting required data: the secure WADEPS Reporting Tool can be used to submit required data directly to WADEPS for each reportable use of force. Alternatively, agencies may securely upload batched data using a smart CSV template provided by WADEPS.
After data is received, WADEPS will provide a report to the submitting agency for validation before the data is added to the dashboard. This process will occur within the WADEPS Reporting Tool.
After data is received, WADEPS will provide a report to the submitting agency for validation before the data is added to the dashboard. This process will occur within the WADEPS Reporting Tool.
Who submits the required data on use-of-force incidents?
Each agency will determine its own protocol, including who is responsible for providing incident data to WADEPS for each reportable use-of-force incident.
How is CAD data transmitted to WADEPS?
Agencies will be able to provide computer-aided dispatch (CAD) data using a CSV template provided by WADEPS or authorize their dispatch center or public safety answering point (PSAP) to share the required incident-related data directly to WADEPS. Per the legislation, agencies must provide a limited set of incident-related CAD data points for all calls for service, regardless of whether the call resulted in a use of force. This data will be used to establish overall rates of force and rates of force by agency, city, initial call type, and more.
In the future, agencies may be able to opt-in to automated data transfer.
In the future, agencies may be able to opt-in to automated data transfer.
Will WADEPS provide context for use-of-force incidents?
Yes, a key feature of the WADEPS dashboard will be its contextual analysis capability. Adding contextual data to the WADEPS platform will enable users to compare “apples to apples” as well as identify nuances between agencies—similar to comparing Red Delicious® apples to Granny Smith apples, or McIntosh to Cosmic Crisp®.
Contextual data will include agency operational characteristics (such as the number of officers), local community characteristics, and socioeconomic indicators and WADEPS is analyzing and coding agency use-of-force policies for better comparison. The limited incident-based computer-assisted dispatch (CAD) data for all calls for service will enable calculation of rates of force based on multiple factors.
WADEPS is not designed to answer questions perfectly. Rather, the information available through WADEPS will enable data discovery and encourage follow-up and research.
Contextual data will include agency operational characteristics (such as the number of officers), local community characteristics, and socioeconomic indicators and WADEPS is analyzing and coding agency use-of-force policies for better comparison. The limited incident-based computer-assisted dispatch (CAD) data for all calls for service will enable calculation of rates of force based on multiple factors.
WADEPS is not designed to answer questions perfectly. Rather, the information available through WADEPS will enable data discovery and encourage follow-up and research.
What about individual privacy?
The purpose of the dashboard is to identify trends and outcomes, not individual people or incidents. Data displayed in the dashboard and available as downloads from the WADEPS website will only include the de-identified data. WADEPS is committed to balancing the need for accessible public safety data with the importance of protecting the individual privacy of both community members and officers.
Using recognized research-based protocols approved by the Washington State University Institutional Review Board, personally identifiable information such as the specific physical address of the incident, individual names, and the unique incident number will be de-identified in the database, on the public data dashboard, and in downloaded data sets. This protocol protects citizens and officers alike.
Using recognized research-based protocols approved by the Washington State University Institutional Review Board, personally identifiable information such as the specific physical address of the incident, individual names, and the unique incident number will be de-identified in the database, on the public data dashboard, and in downloaded data sets. This protocol protects citizens and officers alike.
What protections are in place to ensure agencies do not violate HIPAA?
Our research-based approach has been approved by the Washington State University Institutional Review Board (IRB) and meets stringent standards for maintaining privacy within collected data.
WADEPS will only collect administrative records documenting the frequency and nature of police interactions with the public and when those interactions are associated with a reportable use of force. WADEPS will not collect personally identifiable information (PII) for those interacting with police.
WADEPS will only collect administrative records documenting the frequency and nature of police interactions with the public and when those interactions are associated with a reportable use of force. WADEPS will not collect personally identifiable information (PII) for those interacting with police.
FAQ: Data dashboard
How often will UOF and CAD data be added to WADEPS?
Agencies have up to 30 days from the date of a reportable use-of-force incident to submit the majority of the required data to WADEPS (sections 1-4, and 6). For administrative review data (section 5), agencies have 30 days from the date of the final determination to provide the data to WADEPS.
Agencies will provide the limited incident-related CAD data for all calls for service monthly.
Potential data lag: Each agency will be able to adhere to its own data upload cycle within the mandatory reporting window. As a result, there may be instances of data lag. The data viewed on the dashboard will be the currently available information at the time, and will be subject to change as new data is received.
Agencies will provide the limited incident-related CAD data for all calls for service monthly.
Potential data lag: Each agency will be able to adhere to its own data upload cycle within the mandatory reporting window. As a result, there may be instances of data lag. The data viewed on the dashboard will be the currently available information at the time, and will be subject to change as new data is received.
What will I be able to see on the public data dashboard?
All users—community members, officers, agency administrators, and policymakers alike—will have access to the same data and be able to select, view, compare, and download a variety of data related to law enforcement activities and the use of force at the local, regional, and state level.
Users will be able to select the type of data, the agencies to be included, the time frame, and the type of chart, graph, or other visualization.
Requests for additional visualizations will be considered as time and budget allows.
Users will be able to select the type of data, the agencies to be included, the time frame, and the type of chart, graph, or other visualization.
Requests for additional visualizations will be considered as time and budget allows.
When will the initial data dashboard be available to the public?
Agencies will have 90 days from the Office of the Attorney General’s expected announcement to complete onboarding and begin reporting data to WADEPS. The announcement is anticipated for June 2, 2025, in which case the public dashboard will be live by September 2, 2025.
What if I need help understanding the data sets?
Funding for WADEPS includes a collaboration with the Center for Interdisciplinary Statistics Education and Research (CISER) at Washington State University to provide statistical education for all users.