A message from Vancouver Police Chief Troy Price
July 25, 2026
To the residents and business owners of Vancouver:
You have likely heard that there has been a directive from the City of Vancouver regarding how the Vancouver Police Department will handle low-level misdemeanor crimes. As the Vancouver Police Chief, I want to assure you that Vancouver Police Officers will continue to respond to and take reports for lower-level crimes- which include theft, criminal trespass, possession of controlled substance, and using a controlled substance in a public place, among others. Under the current process, Officers will refer these cases to the City Attorney’s Office for prosecution. Officers will also cite or make an arrest of individuals as permitted.
This recent directive is a result of a state Supreme Court decision which dramatically lowered the number of cases individual defense attorneys can take each year. This decision, combined with a shortage of defense attorneys, has resulted in the perfect storm where judges are dismissing cases due to lack of legal representation for defendants. What this means for community safety is many criminals face no immediate legal consequences and if their case is not re-filed, they face no legal consequences at all from the courts.
We expect that the current situation is short-lived and we will once again have adequate defense attorneys to handle the caseload or the state mandate on caseload caps will change and police officers can once again cite and arrest for all misdemeanor crimes and victims will get the justice they deserve.
I continue to support the work of the City Attorney’s Office to find an acceptable resolution to this current situation locally. The safety and vitality of Vancouver is my number one priority.