Leaked email: Unincorporated King County Sheriff’s Office nearly $2M over budget
Nov 14, 2024, 7:05 PM | Updated: Nov 15, 2024, 2:09 pm
A King County Sheriff's Office vehicle can be seen parked in a lot. (Image courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Image courtesy of KIRO 7)
This week, the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) emailed deputies and staff that policing in unincorporated areas of the county is currently over budget by nearly $2 million and needs to make $900,000 in spending cuts by the end of the year.
Unincorporated KCSO is all the areas served by the law enforcement agency that are not within an incorporated city within the county, such as Skyway, White Center and Vashon Island.
The email was sent to KIRO Newsradio from a credible source inside the King County Sheriff’s Office. It reads, in part, “…at least until Jan1, 2025 all non-mandatory training, equipment, and supply requests will not be approved, and those in process will be put on hold. Additionally, the majors have been asked to identify other cost saving measures.”
Looking more at the correspondence, it is not known how the shortfall materialized and where the breakdown happened.
“At present, there is no explanation as to how the deficit occurred and who or what systems appeared to have failed,” the email states.
Email – King County Sheriffs by scoogan on Scribd
Responding to the King County Sheriff’s Office email
Retired King County Sheriff John Urquhart told KIRO Newsradio he doesn’t understand how the deficit wasn’t discovered until now.
“Typically, there are monthly budget meetings and quarterly budget meetings with the executive’s budget staff, so it shouldn’t be a surprise,” Urquhart said.
The King County Sheriff’s office responded to an inquiry from KIRO Newsradio with an emailed statement that did not deny the deficit existed. The agency, however, also stated that whatever financial adjustments needed to be made, it wouldn’t affect the responses to calls from the public.
“The ability of the King County Sheriff’s Office to deliver exceptional law enforcement services to unincorporated King County and support our regional partners remains unchanged,” the statement reads. “Like every organization, we must evaluate and respond to potential changes in our fiscal environment. At times, this work necessitates adjusting discretionary expenditures to align with our budgets and spending priorities. This in no way compromises our ability to respond to calls for service and ensure public safety.”
James Lynch is a reporter at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of James’ stories here. Follow James on X, or email him here.
