Sheriff’s Blue Ribbon Panel cites progress in implementing reforms

Follow-up to 2006 report urges charter amendment on labor negotiations

Read the Progress Report (PDF, 1.4 MB) of the Sheriff’s Blue Ribbon Panel.

The King County Sheriff’s Blue Ribbon Panel, established to make recommendations for improving the operations and accountability of the King County Sheriff’s Office, today reported on the progress made by King County in implementing its initial recommendations and offered four new proposals for consideration by the County Council, County Executive and the King County Charter Review Commission.
 
“This report card from the Blue Ribbon Panel is confirmation that citizens can have increased confidence in the professionalism and accountability of the King County Sheriff’s Office,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, who led the creation of the panel in 2006. “The Sheriff’s Office has done a commendable job of enacting many of the Blue Ribbon Panel’s recommendations. But the work is not complete. As budget chair, I am committed to working with Sheriff Rahr to find funding for implementing the remaining priorities.”

“With close collaboration between the Sheriff, Council and Executive, we’ve made significant progress in improving how police services are provided in King County,” said Council Chair Julia Patterson, who along with Councilmember Ferguson led the effort to develop the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight to provide outside review of police misconduct complaints. “The Sheriff should be commended for her leadership and response to the panel’s recommendations.”

“The Blue Ribbon Panel called today for quick implementation of the proposed Office of Law Enforcement Oversight,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, co-sponsor of the original legislation to establish independent police oversight at the county level. “The independent oversight office was the centerpiece of the reform package Council Chair Patterson and I introduced back in January, 2006, and I am proud that the Blue Ribbon Panel has affirmed the need to move forward with this good government reform to restore trust in the professionalism of our King County Sheriff’s Office.”

The Progress Report from the Sheriff’s Blue Ribbon Panel was presented to the King County Council’s Committee of the Whole by panel chair Randy Revelle and vice chair Faith Ireland. They praised the Sheriff, Council and Executive for their progress in implementing the original recommendations made in 2006, and presented four new recommendations: 

• The Sheriff should complete work to implement the panel’s recommendations.

The panel says it is “very pleased” with the Sheriff’s progress toward implementing the panel’s recommendations” and has taken the lead in implementing those over which she has control. The report notes some recommendations remain to be implemented, most of which are subject to collective bargaining.

• The Council and Executive should use their best efforts to protect and implement those panel recommendations that are subject to collective bargaining.
  
  The report notes that a number of the panel’s important recommendations are subject to current labor negotiations between the Executive and the King County Police Officers Guild, including implementation of performance evaluation, the Field Training Officer program, the Early Intervention System, and the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight. The report urges the Council and Executive to maintain the scope and integrity of the panel’s oversight recommendations, nothing that creation of an Office of Law Enforcement with less authority or independence than recommended by the panel “will not effectively serve the Sheriff’s Office or the citizens of King County.”

• Amend the County Charter to give the Sheriff the authority to negotiate and manage working conditions with commissioned officers and non-commissioned employees.
  
  Without the authority for the Sheriff to negotiate labor contracts, the report says “it is difficult for citizens to hold the Sheriff accountable for the leadership and oversight of the office.” The report calls for the Executive to retain responsibility for negotiating wages and benefits as part of collective bargaining agreements, with the County Council still responsible for approving all labor contracts.

• Amend the County Charter to move responsibility for sheriff’s oversight from the County Ombudsman to the new Office of Law Enforcement Oversight.

The report notes that a number of the panel’s important recommendations are subject to current labor negotiations between the Executive and the King County Police Officers Guild, including implementation of performance evaluation, the Field Training Officer program, the Early Intervention System, and the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight. The report urges the Council and Executive to maintain the scope and integrity of the panel’s oversight recommendations, nothing that creation of an Office of Law Enforcement with less authority or independence than recommended by the panel “will not effectively serve the Sheriff’s Office or the citizens of King County.”

Among the recommendations presented to the Council in the original report by the Sheriff’s Blue Ribbon Panel was that the panel reconvene in 2007 to review the County’s progress in implementing its recommendations.

Since the panel’s initial set of recommendations in 2006, the report notes that the Council has completely funded the Inspectional Services Unit, the Early Intervention System, and the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight, the latter of which remains subject to collective bargaining. The Council has also provided $500,000 that the report says was used for sergeant overtime to tighten management and provide additional training and improvements to labor relations; and the Council provided $260,000 for in-service training programs.

Read the Progress Report of the Sheriff’s Blue Ribbon Panel