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Possible county crimefighting cuts: Meeting announced

June 12, 2008 11:47 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | Safety

Though this is from the King County Sheriff, whose crimefighting turf starts just over the line in White Center, it’s part of a larger county criminal-justice-funding concern that in the end could affect us all – since, for example, it’s county prosecutors who handle city crimes too – so we wanted to share this announcement of an upcoming public meeting you might want to attend:

From: Sue Rahr, King County Sheriff

Re: Meeting Notice – Public Safety in Peril

The King County Executive, through the King County Office of Management and Budget (OMB) informed all county agencies that in 2009 there will be an estimated $68 million shortfall in the County’s “Current Expense” fund (also referred to as “CX”). The Current Expense fund — or CX — has two primary sources of revenue: property tax (including new construction) and sales tax.

CX funds nearly all of King County’s criminal justice system.

As a result of the estimated $68 million shortfall, the Executive has asked all criminal justice agencies, including the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the King County Superior and District Courts, and the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (i.e. King County jail) to take an “across-the-board” budget cut of 8.6% from their 2009 budgets. These cuts will have drastic impacts to the Sheriff’s Office, including a loss of up to 75 deputies and staff, on top of the 21 person reduction from 2008 budget cuts.

This will mean discontinued or reduced services that will:

· Eliminate the investigation of property crimes valued under $10,000
· Eliminate the investigation of most frauds, internet crimes, bad checks cases, etc.
· Eliminate centralized drug investigations
· Eliminate the centralized investigation of domestic violence
· Eliminate “cold case” investigations
· Reduce services in neighborhood storefront centers
· Reduce hours of public services such as gun permits
· Reduce outreach services for youth and victims of crime

I cannot allow this to happen, and I need your support. Southwest Precinct Commander James G. Graddon is hosting a meeting at SeaTac City Hall, 4800 S.188th Street, SeaTac, WA 98188 on June 20, 2008 at 6:00 pm. I would appreciate your attendance. At the meeting I will provide an overview of the situation and discuss options with you. There are tough decisions to be made and it’s critical that we work together. We are all responsible for the safety of our communities.

If you have any questions regarding the meeting, please contact Elisa Elliott at 206-205-7920 or
elisa.elliott@kingcounty.gov
I look forward to seeing you there!

(Obviously, the Southwest Precinct described in the second-to-last paragraph is for King County Sheriff’s Office, not Seattle Police.)

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11 Replies to "Possible county crimefighting cuts: Meeting announced"

  • Aidan Hadley June 12, 2008 (1:24 pm)

    With massive condo towers being built everywhere and four-plex townhouses going up on West Seattle sites that used to have only one house, property tax revenues must be booming. Granted, the population increase means public utilities and services are burdened by all of the increasing density. But my hunch is that people who purchase half-million dollar townhouses are not the ones who are generally the kind of citizens who put the most drain on law enforcement resources. Where is all of the money going?!

  • JimmyG June 12, 2008 (1:33 pm)

    These budget cuts can have a huge impact on Seattle residents.
    First off, Seattle residents all pay county taxes, so this is our money that is not going to be used on crime investigations.

    One benefit mentioned on the WSB often is the Sheriff’s Office helicopter. Seattle Police use the helicopter on numerous occasions for all sorts of crime investigations.

    Any of us who ride Metro Transit or Sound Transit? All of the law enforcement done on both systems is done via a contract with the Sheriff’s Office.

    If the KC jail has more cuts, then more arrestees from Seattle are released early, or not booked at all.

  • mike June 12, 2008 (2:44 pm)

    Too bad we put a cap on king country property tax increases…

    In west seattle King County Sheriffs and Seattle need to work together to address certain elements of crime that use the white center -> delridge corridor.

  • Kayleigh June 12, 2008 (3:16 pm)

    · Eliminate the investigation of property crimes valued under $10,000
    · Eliminate the investigation of most frauds, internet crimes, bad checks cases, etc.

    Okay, those are really serious cutbacks. :-(

  • M June 12, 2008 (5:37 pm)

    Maybe they should save gas and stop their stupid motorcade training so they have the money to address real crime.

  • meg June 12, 2008 (8:19 pm)

    Wow! I had not had time to read this earlier, but this is a serious matter And I am going to do my best to attend his meeting. Kayleigh you are 100% on that those are very very serious cutbacks. i have been a victim of fraud and had already received very little help i cant imagine what it would have been like if that had been cut back. thank you WSB for bringing this to our attention.

  • Frank June 13, 2008 (9:15 am)

    Cur Police protection and prosecution, but leave the social services alone????

    Fire and Police service funding are something that should NEVER be cut. Fund them at least 100%, then what ever is left gets doled out to the various social programs.

    I’m sick of KC, Seattle and the State, cutting the essential services that Gov’t is SUPPOSED to provide, to fund the social, “feel good” programs. Then hold that as a threat to further their desire to raise taxes.

    We, the people, are being held hostage by “Queen” Christine, “Robber Baron” Ron and “Gridlock” Greg, and the ransom is, vote to approve raised taxes if you want to be protected from crime/fire. While the drunks, druggies, people who expect that it is others duty to take care of them, get their programs fully funded.

    If social programs need funding, let them be funded by public CONTRIBUTIONS, NOT tax dollars that should be spent on ESSENTIAL services.

    I was born and grew up in Seattle and for the first time in my life I am contemplating leaving this city, county and state for good.

    Since the Queen was appointed Gov, WA budget has grown by $34 BILLION, Ron has increased King County’s budget by $88 MILLION, Lord knows how much Greg has increased the city’s budget. But the one thing they all have in common is that ESSENTIAL Gov’t services are the ones being cut before ANY OTHER cuts are threatened or contemplated.

  • Blou June 13, 2008 (10:12 am)

    There are many things that should be addressed within the County. An example, why should King county residents pay royalties on the MLK image? While it is all well and good that the county has officially been renamed for the civil rights leader, the fact that the King County Council did not share with residents that the change would be costly and would continue to be every time the image was utilized is beyond comprehension. This should have been a decision made by the general population not the Executive Council. How many other things are glossed over and John Q. Public is left in the dark?

    What services are provided to the County Exec’s that could be cut back? Where is it mentioned the Exec’s and their staff would be cut? It’s not! Should they be included in this as well? Aren’t they top heavy?

    I can appreciate the comments left by Frank about how the “Royal Court” is holding it’s residents hostage. Cutting essential services such as law enforcement puts the public at greater risk. So if the cuts do occur, will the public be more likely to take things into their own hands? If that’s the case, executive orders will be worthless and then what will the Mayor of Seattle do? What would County Exec’s do?

  • Frank June 13, 2008 (11:02 am)

    The changing of the county symbol from the Crown to MLK was NOTHING more than pandering to special interest groups. MLK wasn’t even “a gleam in his parents eye’s” when the county was named. MLK had VERY minimal ties to here and the ONLY reason this was brought up was because we were named “King” County. If our county name had been ANYTHING else NONE of this would have been brought up.

    I wonder just how much the cost is to use the image of MLK, AND, add to that the cost of changing ALL signs, letterheads…anything that had the Crown over to the MLK version.

    The council didn’t inform the people of the cost involved, which IMO should be deducted from the salaries of the council and Exec because they are the ones who made that decision WITHOUT the consent of the people. They made the choice…let THEM pay for it!!!!

  • WSB June 13, 2008 (11:06 am)

    $600,000 changeover cost according to this story from a couple years ago
    http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/307026_logo12.html

  • Frank June 13, 2008 (12:04 pm)

    $600,000!!! Jeeze that’s almost as much as the City Council spent on “Metro-Natural” but still less that the state spent on “Say WA”
    What the HELL is wrong with these IDIOTS in office??????
    They are spending money like it’s not theirs??? Oh…Hold on, it ISN’T theirs so why should they give a rats a$$ about it.
    But hell we are the ones to blame…we (the people) are the ones that keep send these IDIOTS back to City Hall, County Council and Olympia .

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