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AN ORDINANCE relating to oversight of the sheriff's office; conforming with the collective bargaining agreement and memorandum of agreement negotiated by and between King County and King County Police Officers Guild representing employees in the King County sheriff's office approved and adopted in Ordinance 16327; amending Ordinance 15611, Section 2, and K.C.C. 2.75.010, Ordinance 15611, Section 3, and K.C.C. 2.75.020, Ordinance 15611, Section 4, and K.C.C. 2.75.030, Ordinance 15611, Section 5, and K.C.C. 2.75.040, Ordinance 15611, Section 6, and K.C.C. 2.75.050, Ordinance 15611, Section 7, and K.C.C. 2.75.060, Ordinance 15611, Section 8, and K.C.C. 2.75.070, Ordinance 15611, Section 9, and K.C.C. 2.36.050, Ordinance 15611, Section 10, and K.C.C. 2.20.037 and Ordinance 15611, Section 11.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The metropolitan King County council is charged with the responsibility of providing oversight to all county agencies and departments, including the sheriff's office.
2. The council exercises its responsibilities for providing oversight of county agencies and departments in a variety of ways, including the establishment of offices within the legislative branch to provide specialized oversight services. The county auditor and ombudsman are just two of the offices that facilitate independent county oversight.
3. In 2005 and 2006, a series of local news articles questioned the sheriff's systems for investigating allegations of misconduct and citizen complaints. The articles also called into question the sheriff's system for disciplining deputies and other sheriff's employees.
4. The sheriff's office has systems for addressing citizen complaints and allegations of employee misconduct, but unlike many other jurisdictions, the county has no independent civilian oversight agency dedicated to the oversight of law enforcement. Most large jurisdictions, and many small ones, have implemented a variety of models for civilian oversight of alleg...
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