Drafter
Clerk 09/12/2006
Title
A MOTION accepting the report, Report of the King County Sheriff's Blue Ribbon Panel, dated September 11, 2006.
Body
WHEREAS, the King County sheriff worked with the council, executive and prosecutor to establish a "blue ribbon panel" to review the sheriff's office systems for investigating employee misconduct, and
WHEREAS, at the sheriff's request, the King County executive, the King County council and the King County prosecutor appointed ten citizen members of the panel who brought a rich and diverse set of perspectives, expertise and experience to their review process, which included a cumulative total of ninety-six years of experience in law enforcement, one hundred fifty-two years of experience in the law and judicial systems, fifty years of experience in King County government and sixty-five years of experience with labor issues, and
WHEREAS, this expert, ten-member panel of volunteer citizens met ten times over six months, held three public meetings, reviewed the sheriff's internal management systems, model best practices, and heard testimony from labor, sheriff personnel and from the public to identify areas of needed change and ultimately make recommendations to the sheriff and the council on needed reforms, and
WHEREAS, the panel, with the support of consultant assistance and county staff help, have completed a detailed and thorough report documenting the panel's findings, conclusions and recommendations, and
WHEREAS, the panel requests that, by October 2006, the King County sheriff respond in detail to the panel regarding all findings, recommendations and implementing actions issued in this report, and
WHEREAS, the panel requests the county executive, council, prosecuting attorney and sheriff reconvene the panel no later than December 2007 for a progress report on implementation of the panel's recommendations, and
WHEREAS, the panel presented its report to the metropolitan King County council's committee-of-the-whole on September 11, 2006;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The Report of the King County Sheriff's Blue Ribbon Panel, dated September 11, 2006, designated as Attachment A to this motion, is hereby accepted by the council with
grateful appreciation for the tremendous work performed by the citizen panel members in addressing this difficult but important issue.
The council requests that the sheriff respond to the panel's findings, recommendations and implementing actions by October 31, 2006, and transmit copies of the response to the chair and members of the metropolitan King County council. The council also intends to work with the county executive, prosecutor and sheriff to re-convene the panel in December 2007.