King County Sheriff’s Office to get 14 new deputies
Oct 12, 2012, 10:28 AM | Updated: 12:12 pm
White Center and Skyway are likely to see more patrols, as the King County Sheriff's Office works to fill 14 of 20 currently vacant positions. (MyNorthwest.com file)
(MyNorthwest.com file)
It hasn’t happened in years. The King County Sheriff says his office will be hiring 14 new deputies in the next few months after losing 158 staff members since 2008.
“The majority of these additional hires will be assigned to the unincorporated areas of King County in patrol, and we’re doing this within our existing budget,” says Sheriff Steve Strachan.
The sheriff says his office typically holds 20 full time positions open to pay for all the overtime deputies rack up each year. By cutting down on overtime, they are able to save enough money to fill 14 of those positions.
The reorganization couldn’t come at a better time. The King County Sheriff’s Office expects to lose dozens of deputies soon to retirement.
“We’re seeing that there may be a spike in retirements in the next 18 months to 24 months and as we see that coming, we want to be prepared,” explains Strachan.
He expects 20 to 40 deputies to retire in the next year or two. While they will be filling those positions on top of making the 14 new hires, Strachan points out that it can take up to two years to find, test, and train each new deputy.
The new patrols will be focused on unincorporated parts of the county, but with a high level of calls coming from White Center and Skyway, Sheriff Strachan says it’s highly likely those areas will see additional deputies as well.
