King County Restores Deputy Staffing In North And Southeast Precincts

The King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) has restored minimum deputy staffing levels in unincorporated King County, returning service to standard levels in both the North and Southeast precincts. The move comes less than two weeks after the King County Council approved $845,000 in supplemental funding to reverse earlier staffing reductions caused by budget shortfalls.

The funding, proposed by Councilmembers Sarah Perry and Reagan Dunn, addresses cuts made in March when the Sheriff’s Office lowered minimum staffing in response to unanticipated overtime costs — a change that stretched limited resources and slowed emergency response times in rural and suburban areas.

“I am grateful that, as of today, our North precinct deputy services have been restored as a result of the $845,000 in funding I fought for to meet the basic public safety needs of our unincorporated residents,” Perry said. “Everyone should feel safe in their communities and feel confident that if there is a need, there will be a response.”

Dunn said the funding marks an important win for community safety.

“Today’s restoration of staffing levels is a victory for public safety and for unincorporated King County,” Dunn said. “The safety of residents in these communities should never be neglected to pay the price for budgeting decisions beyond their control. Thank you to my colleagues for joining me in restoring the appropriate staffing levels our residents deserve.”

In addition to restoring deputy coverage, the funding supports a broader push to improve transparency and accountability in how public safety dollars are used in unincorporated communities. The Council has directed the development of a work plan to evaluate long-term staffing models for the Sheriff’s Office that better meet the needs of unincorporated residents and regional partners.