KING COUNTY, Wash. — King County Council members heard from a panel Thursday on Executive Dow Constantine's budget proposal for public safety departments.
The proposal included several notable additions. The King County Sheriff's Office would receive $1.7 million to create a special emphasis unit on gun violence in what the county calls "high-risk" communities. Funding would also be provided for two new divisions to separate out oversight of special operations and community programs.
The budget also covers funding for entities like the King County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney and Adult/Juvenile Detention Centers.
There was also discussion Thursday of plans for funding for adult and juvenile detention. Along with accounting for central rate increases, millions would be added to respond to population-driven staffing increases and $3.5 million would be set aside to address staffing capacity issues.
The King County Corrections Guild says it is on board with most of the measures mentioned in the budget proposal, but that if the capacity assessments involve contracting with outside providers or staff, it would like to see an end date set.
"The idea is to get our jails back operational, where they need to be and not make our taxpayers pay for things they don't need," Dennis Folk with the King County Corrections Guild said.
It comes weeks after the region's largest law enforcement unions raised concerns about staffing issues in King County at a press conference also used to make an endorsement about the prosecuting attorney election.
KING 5 reached out to several organizations that have raised concerns about increasing public safety funding Wednesday for a reaction to the budget proposal but has not yet heard back.