Drafter
Clerk 04/12/2022
Title
A MOTION requesting the King County executive convene a public safety summit to develop and implement strategies to reduce criminal activity and enhance public safety in King County and provide a report.
Body
WHEREAS, King County has seen a drastic increase in crime, and violent crime in particular, over the last year, and
WHEREAS, in 2021, according to data from the King County prosecutor, the total number of shots fired was up around fifty-four percent, the number of overall shooting victims was up seventy percent and the number of shooting fatalities was up fifty-four percent over the four-year average from 2017 through 2020, and
WHEREAS, the four hundred and sixty shooting victims reported in 2021 were disproportionately people of color at eighty-one percent and forty-eight percent of fatal and non-fatal victims identified as Black, and
WHEREAS, significant staff shortages at the King County sheriff's office, with over one hundred commissioned officer vacancies, has left sheriff's deputies feeling stretched, criminals emboldened and communities vulnerable, and
WHEREAS, jail booking restrictions at King County detention facilities, while initially intended to lower the total number of inmates and stymie the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, have hindered efforts by law enforcement officials to keep even known chronic offenders off the streets and prevent further harm to local communities, and
WHEREAS, the combination of COVID-19 restrictions and lack of sufficient funding has culminated in a severe backlog of pending felony cases at the King County superior court; with 4,820 pending felonies in February 2022 up from an average of 3,211 in February 2019, and
WHEREAS, crime and criminal activity has reached crisis levels and are impacting communities in every corner of King County, and
WHEREAS, coordinated efforts across county agencies and between partner jurisdictions are required to reduce crime levels and ensure the s...

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