Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall has headed up the King County Sheriff’s Department since 2022. 

The King County Sheriff’s Department serves unincorporated King County and 12 contract cities, in addition to policing King County Metro buses and Sound Transit trains.

Since she took over the role, overall crime numbers have been trending in a positive direction – felony referrals were down by a quarter in 2024 compared to 2019. 

And new data from the King County Prosecutor’s office released this morning says that in the first quarter of 2025, the county saw the lowest number of shots fired incidents since 2021.

But Sheriff Cole-Tindall has been sounding the alarm about staffing challenges as King County is facing down a budget shortfall of at least $150 million dollars. Proposed cuts to the sheriff’s department budget total more than 30 million dollars over the next two years. 

Sheriff Cole-Tindall joined Soundside host Libby Denkmann in-studio today to discuss these issues, and to answer listener questions on public safety, immigration enforcement, homelessness response and more.

GUEST: King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall

RELATED STORIES:

• Early 2025 data shows crime dropping in Seattle - Axios
• King County Sheriff's Office reduces staffing amid budget constraints - KOMO

• King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall reaffirms department’s commitment to immigrant rights - b-town blog

• King County Sheriff’s lawsuit over Burien camping ban thrown out by federal judge - KUOW

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