Fighting Crime and Protecting Public Safety

Dawn feels a deep connection with the law enforcement community. In her previous term, she worked with the Puyallup Police Department to write and lead passage of laws to crack down on metal theft. And it was her work with local law enforcement that inspired Dawn's leading role on the law that effectively shut down most meth labs in Pierce County.

Shutting Down Meth Labs. A True Story.

Dawn Morrell was in a community meeting about the meth crisis when policemen told Pierce County citizens to get double locks for their doors to protect themselves. She knew something had to be done to stop the meth labs—"I realized that we are locking people in their homes because we are not willing to lock up this drug. And that is wrong."

Dawn and a Republican Pierce County lawmaker joined forces to pass a law that restricts access to the "precursor drugs" used to cook meth. They worked in a bipartisan spirit to show legislators that similar laws are working in other states and would be effective here.

The law passed in 2005 and, as Dawn predicted, HB 2266 has dramatically reduced meth lab incidents in Pierce County and across Washington. In 2004, Pierce County suffered an average of 45 meth lab incidents each month. In the first six months of 2006, the average was only 16 meth lab incidents each month—nearly two-thirds lower.

Stopping Sex Offenders.

The meth crisis shows Dawn's approach to public safety: listen to police, prosecutors, judges and citizens, then take decisive action. She used the same approach in 2005-2006 to crack down on sex offenders, when Dawn: