King County Council Allocates $4 Million and Adds Recruiter Position to Help Retain and Hire Deputies
 Councilmember Reagan Dunn meets with local law enforcement officers
In our mid-biennial budget, the King County Council provided $4 million to fund retention and hiring bonuses for King County Sheriff deputies and added a recruiting officer position to focus on finding new deputies to fill the many vacancies at the Sheriff’s Office. Together, these investments will help us hire and keep quality law enforcement officers.
Given the severe staffing shortages that the Sheriff’s Office is experiencing, this funding is necessary to provide basic level of public safety services for our residents. While this is a step in the right direction to rebuild our law enforcement, the Council must continue the necessary work of re-investing in our Sheriff’s Office and in the safety of our residents.
Dunn Announces $200,000 in Funding for Fentanyl Overdose Prevention
I am pleased that my funding request of $200,000 for Public Health – Seattle & King County’s “Laced and Lethal” fentanyl overdose prevention public awareness campaign was also approved in King County’s mid-biennial supplemental budget. Illicit pills and powders containing fentanyl have flooded King County and tragically continue to claim the lives of hundreds of our residents who unknowingly consume a deadly dose of the drug. The spread of fentanyl has reached crisis levels, so I am grateful to my colleagues for recognizing the importance of working to educate folks on the dangers of fentanyl and how they can help prevent fatal overdoses in their communities.
“Laced and Lethal” is an online education campaign that targets youth aged 14-18 through social media advertising, including downloadable resources for teens and a discussion guide for adults on how to talk with young people about the risks. This additional investment will allow Public Health to broaden the campaign to traditional media and broader age groups and educate family members on how to identify signs of drug use.
Undersheriff Patti Cole-Tindal Appointed as Interim King County Sheriff
 Undersheriff Patti Cole-Tindall
Congratulations to Undersheriff Patti Cole-Tindall for being appointed as interim King County Sheriff beginning January 1. Patti is a well-respected figure at the King County Sheriff’s Office who brings a wealth of experience to the job, and has been a valuable asset as we’ve begun our search for a new appointed Sheriff. I am grateful to Sheriff Johanknecht for her years of service, and I look forward to supporting Patti any way I can as she steps up to the plate.
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