Washington State Patrol: ‘Needs an overhaul at the top’

Re: “Washington State Patrol’s hiring under fire as agency failed to diversify over decades” [Sept. 26, Times Watchdog]:

I find Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste’s claim that he wasn’t aware until this year that the psychology exam or the longtime psychologist, Daniel Clark, had anything to do with the lack of diversity in the WSP alarming. He has been ignoring the data over his 17-year tenure or is incapable of understanding it. Either is unacceptable.

It’s 2021. If Chief Batiste didn’t think there was an equity issue, did he see there was an issue at all? If so, what did he think the problem was and what was he doing about it? WSP needs an overhaul at the top. It doesn’t take a psychological evaluation to see that.

Dana Packard, Fall City