SEATTLE — King County would switch to an appointed rather than an elected sheriff and the county’s Office of Law Enforcement Oversight would be granted subpoena power to investigate the Sheriff’s Office, under new proposals before the Metropolitan King County Council.
Both measures were recommended after an 18-month review focused on increasing accountability and Sheriff’s Office oversight, The Seattle Times reported.
If approved by the council in coming weeks, the measures would be placed on the November ballot for voter approval.
Sheriff has been an elected position in King County since 1996 when voters approved it. Previously, the sheriff was appointed by the county executive. The Charter Review Commission, a 23-member citizen board, overwhelmingly recommended returning the sheriff to an appointed position, arguing it would improve the public’s ability to hold the sheriff accountable between elections.
When the previous sheriff, John Urquhart, faced rape accusations, the commission noted, neither the county executive nor the council could initiate investigations or take action.
The commission also wrote that the vast majority of people who elect the sheriff don’t live in the areas the sheriff directly polices — unincorporated areas and 13 smaller cities that don’t have police forces.
The commission said that electing a law enforcement officer politicizes the office, noting that current Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht as a deputy ran against her boss, which caused divisions within the department.
It also recommended changing the county charter to give the oversight office the power to subpoena material and testimony when it investigates complaints against the Sheriff’s Office. Without that power, the body can request information but has no ability to require it.
The county’s Office of Law Enforcement Oversight was established in 2006, but the King County Police Officers Guild, the union that represents sheriff’s deputies and sergeants, has objected to it having subpoena powers, arguing that civilian employee oversight needs to be collectively bargained.
“These are important reforms that can help improve our justice system,” Councilmember Rod Dembowski said. “OLEO must have the power it needs to conduct its mission. A decade of opposition to its authority needs to end, and end now.”
Johanknecht has opposed giving the oversight office subpoena power. Her office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
