In February, the King County Executive proposed slashing Sheriff’s Office funding by more than $30 million within the face of a funds shortfall — a giant hit in comparison with different county departments. Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall known as the proposal “extreme” and “devastating,” and warned it could reduce the variety of deputies serving unincorporated communities by half.
Many millions of dollars in cuts had been additionally aimed on the county’s prosecutors, courts, jails and different core companies of the felony justice system. In the meantime, whereas the speed of violent crime in King County has been trending downward, youth gun violence remains alarmingly high, according to a 2024 county year-end violence report, and public security is a prime concern amongst many citizens.
King County Govt Shannon Braddock has since proposed an answer to the funds disaster: a sales tax that would provide “new income devoted to public security and felony justice.” Because the Legislature gave counties the authority to impose a 0.1% native gross sales tax for felony justice wants with out going to voters, Braddock and the council had been in a position to swiftly enact the Secure and Steady Communities gross sales tax. It takes impact Oct. 1.
However how these {dollars} will likely be used stays murky. Regardless of initially selling the brand new income for felony justice and public security makes use of, the chief cited a slew of social service packages which might be eligible for funding, together with some already funded by way of the Best Starts for Kids Levy, the Veterans, Seniors, & Human Services Levy and the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Behavioral Health gross sales tax. The parameters of the brand new felony justice tax are so vaguely outlined in state legislation that King County leaders might decide to not use the cash to fund the Sheriff’s Workplace or the King County prosecuting legal professional’s workplace — which is dealing with a $15.5 million funds reduce — in any respect.
This vagueness needs to be an actual level of concern for taxpayers who’re occupied with supporting legislation enforcement of their neighborhoods. Some council members have mentioned they wish to faucet into this new pot of taxpayer {dollars} for functions which might be solely distantly associated to legislation enforcement and felony justice, together with for “human services” and to fund “upstream investments” that embrace extra everlasting housing and shelter for homeless folks — functions that, no matter significance, aren’t features of the county’s felony justice system. Voters shouldn’t neglect that this is identical governing physique that took away money from juvenile probation counselors to fund failing, unaccountable diversion programs whereas ignoring the warning indicators and irreparable injury to younger offenders and crime victims. Council members should earn our belief once they promise to prioritize public security.
Because the King County Council debates how one can use this tax income this fall, residents ought to demand that this doesn’t turn into a bait-and-switch scenario. Elected officers should prioritize addressing our
most urgent wants — the staffing disaster on the Sheriff’s Workplace and prosecution backlogs — and resist the temptation to unfold the estimated $193 million in biennial dollars elsewhere.
King County residents deserve a completely purposeful felony justice system and Sheriff’s Workplace. The stakes are excessive. We want patrols to implement visitors security as our roads become less safe. Violent crime, particularly among youth, stays excessive. We count on a fast response time once we name 911 throughout an emergency. It’s as much as voters to carry our elected officers accountable for offering a primary degree of legislation enforcement companies slightly than permitting monetary neglect of our police, prosecutors and courts to proceed.
