Your Weekly Update on What's Happening at the King County Council  

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

In December of last year, Metro bus operator Shawn Yim was brutally murdered while on duty. His murder was a terrible and costly reminder of the devastating consequences of our region's public safety crisis.

Following the calls from ATU Local 587, I sponsored legislation, along with Councilmember Balducci, to request a transit safety task force. This week, the Council received the final implementation recommendations of that task force, which included input from more than 250 stakeholders. I want to thank Councilmember Balducci, ATU Local 587 President Greg Woodfill and all union members, King County Metro staff, the King County Sheriff's Office, and all other stakeholders who engaged with this task force. 

The final report identified six initiatives to focus safety efforts around, with highlights from the implementation plan including:

• Eliminate delays and confusion during emergencies by establishing a regional response infrastructure.
• Increase rider trust and accountability with a regionwide Rider Code of Conduct.
• Provide a visible presence and quicker interventions at high-incident locations.
• Reduce daily risks faced by frontline staff and improve operator safety through installation of physical barriers, paired with new training, post-incident support, and supervisor backup.
• Ensure vulnerable riders are met with appropriate responses like behavioral health crisis responders.

For years, against my objections, King County did not enforce our fare policies and put precious few transit police officers on our buses. These policies only served to encourage increasing drug use and violent crime.

Now that we have recommendations from the task force, there is still much work ahead to implement necessary investments in public safety. However, this hearing marked an important milestone—the era of lax enforcement while ignoring the real safety concerns of residents belongs firmly in the rearview mirror.

All my best,

Reagan Dunn
King County Councilmember
District 9

King County launches new hate crime reporting hotline

Councilmember Reagan Dunn addresses Council regarding his hate crime reporting legislation.

King County, in partnership with non-profit Crisis Connections, announced this week the launch of the new Stop Hate Hotline, marking a significant milestone in the county's efforts to combat hate crimes and support affected communities. The hotline can be reached at 833-786-7481 or 833-STOP-H81.

I am proud to have originally called for this hotline all the way back in 2021. In 2022, the King County Council unanimously approved my legislation to expand access to reporting for victims of hate crimes.

This legislation was guided by the work of the King County Coalition Against Hate and Bias, which developed an implementation plan based on extensive community input, as well as research into successful models from other jurisdictions.

You can read more about the legislation here at -- Northwest Asian Weekly: New hotline in King County provides support for hate crime victims

Hate crimes are widely underreported, and this hotline creates a vital pathway for victims to safely come forward. Too often, it is the most vulnerable in our community who bear the brunt of these dehumanizing acts. No one in King County should ever live in fear of danger because of their race, religion, beliefs, appearance, or any other difference that exists among us.

Covington Storehouse Fall Auction is this weekend

Councilmember Dunn, joined by Executive Director Stephanie Lawson and Executive Warehouse Assistant Rylan Renggli.

In Covington, the Storehouse has, for decades, provided critical support for those experiencing food insecurity in our community. Earlier this year, I was honored to present their team with a $5,000 check from King County to support their work. It was also great to get a tour from Executive Director Stephanie Lawson and Executive Warehouse Assistant Rylan Renggli.

This Saturday evening, the Storehouse is hosting its first-ever Annual Fall Auction. To learn more about the auction or other ways you can support the Storehouse, visit: https://covingtonstorehouse.org/.

Celebrating Filipino American Heritage Month

October is Filipino American History Month!

I was proud to recently help provide the Historic Neely Mansion Association with a $1,000 grant, which was used to support the 2025 Filipino Fiesta. I’m honored to have played a small part in helping celebrate our vibrant Filipino American community!

The 2025 Filipino Fiesta, supported by a $1,000 grant from King County, took place on August 23.

The Neely Mansion Association is an all-volunteer, nonprofit historical society, which was incorporated in 1983 to restore the Neely Mansion. The mansion has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Washington Register of Historic Sites, and is a designated King County Landmark.

In the News

• Northwest Asian Weekly: New hotline in King County provides support for hate crime victims
• KING 5: King County launches stop hate hotline for victims of hate crimes
• KIRO 7: New King County 24/7 hotline allows victims to report hate crimes anonymously
• The Center Square: King County Metro wants $115 million for transit security upgrades
• KOMO: King County transit safety report promises action after murder of bus driver Shawn Yim