Announcer: King County
Charter Amendment Number 6,
Structure and Duties
of the Department
of Public Safety.
In 1996,
the voters of King County
amended the charter to remove
the county council's authority
to abolish
the Department of Public Safety,
combine the department
with other offices,
and decrease
the department's duties.
Under the current charter,
the elected sheriff
is responsible for bargaining
with represented employees in
the Department of Public Safety
on all matters except for
compensation and benefits,
which are negotiated
by the county executive.
If Charter Amendment Number 6
is adopted,
the sheriff's duties
would be specified by ordinance
and adopted
by the county council.
The amendment would also
return to the council
the authority to combine
the Department of Public Safety
with other county departments
or offices,
and the authority to decrease
the department's duties.
The Department of Public Safety
could not be abolished under
Charter Amendment Number 6.
In addition,
all bargaining responsibilities
would be placed
with the county executive.
Hi, I'm Captain Stan Seo
asking you to vote no
on King County
Charter Amendment 6.
As a longtime resident and voter,
Amendment 6 gives
a few politicians
the power to
fundamentally change
our non-partisan
sheriff's office and allows
a politically-motivated county council
to defund or dismantle the office.
The King County
Sheriff's Office
serves cities,
rural and unincorporated areas,
and protects public transit.
They lead the region's response
to human trafficking,
help homeless citizens
get much-needed assistance,
and find and rescue
missing persons.
We also respond to 911 calls,
and serve protection orders
in domestic violence cases.
These are the essential services
that people need,
yet would be hurt the most
as a result of defunding
the sheriff's office.
Our sheriff and deputies
often help people
in the worst day of their lives.
They need increased
support and funding,
not less.
To fight systemic inequities,
they prioritize
de-escalation training,
and every officer takes mandatory
implicit bias training.
For transparency
and accountability,
all internal investigation reports
on "use of force" incidents
are published online.
Amendment 6 puts
these first-in-the-nation reforms
at risk
by giving politicians
the power to defund them.
This effort to defund or dismantle
the King County Sheriff's Office
is an overreaction
to real concerns people have
about the role of law enforcement
in our community.
Putting public safety at risk
is unacceptable
and exactly what
this charter amendment
will lead to.
Ask yourself,
Would my family
and neighborhood be safer
if we give this power
to politically-motivated politicians?
I know the answer,
and I am voting No.
You cannot improve public safety
by defunding it.
I urge you to vote no
on Charter Amendment 6.