File #: LP2020-002    Version: 1
Type: Labor Policy Status: Passed
File created: 6/23/2020 In control: Labor Policy Committee
On agenda: Final action: 7/7/2020
Enactment date: Enactment #:
Title: Labor Policy relating to civilian oversight of the sheriff's office.
Sponsors: Rod Dembowski, Girmay Zahilay, Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Joe McDermott, Dave Upthegrove, Claudia Balducci
Indexes: Sheriff
Attachments: 1. LP2020-002, 2. A. June 2019 Letter from Councilmembers to the Office of Labor Relations concerning the importance of independent investigations and subpoena power in negotiating with the King County Police Officers Guild
Staff: Curry, Clifton
Title
Labor Policy relating to civilian oversight of the sheriff's office.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The creation and maintenance of an independent civilian office of law enforcement oversight is an essential means of assuring integrity, transparency, and accountability in law enforcement and of fostering community trust in, and respect and support for, the sheriff's office.
2. In 2015 the people of King County amended the King County Charter to include Section 265 affirming the foundation and role of the office of law enforcement oversight. Listed among its authorities are the independent investigation, review and analysis of the conduct of county law enforcement officers that have been the subject of a complaint and the use of force by county law enforcement officers.
3. In 2017, Ordinance 18500 was enacted to bring King County Code into compliance with Section 265 of the King County Charter. To enhance the office's powers of investigation, the ordinance also empowered the office to issue subpoenas.
4. In 2017, the council's labor policy committee adopted Labor Policy LAB 7-010 that required the county's bargaining agent to negotiate in good faith with the King County Police Officer's Guild to prioritize achieving authorities granted the office of law enforcement oversight under the charter and code, specifically calling out the policy requirement that states that labor negotiators obtain, as part of bargaining, the provision that the office be able to exercise subpoena powers which, in the code, are deemed critical to the effectiveness of the investigative authority of the office
5. In June 2019, five members of the council sent a letter, which is Attachment A to this labor policy, to the county's labor negotiators stressing that the policies adopted in Labor Policy LAB 7-010 should be fully achieved in the negotiations for a new bargaining agreement. Specifically, the letter called for the negotiations to contain the necessary provisions to ...

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