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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
This week I introduced an important “Re-Fund the Police” budget proposal that would restore funding to the King County Sheriff’s Office in King County’s 2021 biennial budget.
Especially as violent crime rises to record levels, I believe it’s King County’s fundamental duty to adequately fund our Sheriff’s Office so that they have the staff and resources they need to respond to our residents in their moments of crisis and even tragedy. My proposal would fill some glaring funding gaps and restore police presence while also investing in some new public safety efforts.
My “Re-Fund the Police” proposal includes:
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Restoring cuts to deputies and support staff that were taken in the 2021-22 biennial budget
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Re-establishing the gang unit to target violent gang activity and break up distribution rings
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Recruiting and retaining deputies by giving the Sheriff’s Office the resources to help recruit and retain high quality officers, including hiring and retention bonus
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Addressing crimes of hate and bias by providing the resources necessary to thoroughly investigate crimes motivated by hate and bias
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Enhancing community safety and supports by keeping King County Sheriff Office storefronts staffed and providing resources to neighborhood crime watch groups
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Protecting service levels for non-emergency calls by providing the funding needed for non-emergency services such as traffic control, permit enforcement, and responding to low level crimes
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Providing tools and support to help deputies do their jobs effectively by investing in data collection, labor relations and equipment, such as body cameras, that will streamline evidence collection while helping keep the office accountable to the public
You can read more about it here or watch my recent interview about it on Fox News.
I will continue to keep you updated on how my proposal progresses as the King County Council continues to negotiate our biennial budget.
All my best,
Reagan Dunn
Vice Chairman
Metropolitan King County Council
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