I am pleased to report that the Council approved a $1.4 million investment in programs to address gang violence in King County. The funding from the criminal justice reserve fund will pay for more resources to prosecute and prevent gang-related crimes.
Gang violence is a serious issue in King County, involving an estimated 10,000 gang members in 140 active gangs. Gang-related crime rates are up 165 percent from 2005 levels, and communities in South King County have been hardest hit with violent homicides and gang-related shootings.
Protecting public safety is my top priority and, as Chair of the Council’s Law, Justice, Health and Human Services Committee, I have been actively working to address the problem of gang violence. In February, I called on Executive Constantine to invest resources from the criminal justice reserve fund for the Prosecutor’s anti-gang unit and a program to reduce and prevent gun crime. In August, I convened a briefing in the Law and Justice Committee with the Prosecutor, the Sheriff’s Office, and local police to discuss strategies for combating gang violence.
Following that briefing, County leaders united on using $1.4 million from the criminal justice reserve to fund a comprehensive gang violence intervention and prevention initiative. The initiative strikes a balanced approach – increasing resources for law enforcement to combat gang violence, while funding prevention services that provide youth with better futures to keep them from becoming involved in gangs.
Specifically, the funding will:
Expand the Prosecutor’s anti-gang unit;
Provide equipment for the Sheriff’s gang unit;
Restore the “storefront” deputy in White Center;
Maintain the Sheriff’s Latino education outreach program;
Add nurses to the Nurse Family Partnership Program, which improves health outcomes for at-risk families and leads to lower rates of involvement in the criminal justice system;
Restore two case managers for the Back to School and Employment Training Program; and
Continue the Avanza project, an education and employment training program for at-risk youth.
In the coming months, I will continue my work to address gang violence and to keep our kids and communities safe. I am currently serving on the Center for Children and Youth Justice’sSuburban King County Coordinating Council on Gangs. Led by former State Supreme Court Justice Bobbe Bridge, the Coordinating Council is working to bring community organizations, law enforcement, and local government together to develop comprehensive strategies that reduce youth violence and gang activity.
Update: Council Establishes Veterans Treatment Court!
I am thrilled to announce that the Council has unanimously adopted the legislation I sponsored to establish a new Veterans Treatment Court in King County!
As I discussed in my previous e-News, Veterans Treatment Court offers treatment and support services for veterans suffering from war-related trauma who find themselves involved in the criminal justice system.
The newly adopted legislation launches a one-year pilot project to provide specialty court services to veterans within the existing resources of the Regional Mental Health Court. The new Veterans Treatment Court should be ready to accept veterans into the program in January.
The legislation also asks the Executive to review options for continuing the Veterans Treatment Court beyond the initial pilot year and to recommend a way to provide ongoing support for the Veterans Treatment Court from the recently renewed Veterans and Human Services Levy.
I am committed to making sure our service men and women get the support they deserve. This month, I introduced new legislation with Councilmember Joe McDermott to stand behind King County employees who are in the Armed Services.
In recognition of their service to King County and our nation, the ordinance ensures employees and their families do not lose benefits or take an unexpected pay cut when an employee is called to active military duty.
The legislation reinforces an existing County policy put into place following September 11, 2001, and expands the policy to apply to all County employees who are in the Armed Services and have been called to active military service.
I will provide updates on this legislation as it moves forward.
Update: Council Appoints First Director of Office of Law Enforcement Oversight
Bob with Councilmember Julia Patterson and newly appointed OLEO director Charles Gaither.
The Council appointed Mr. Charles Gaither as the first director for the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO), allowing this new independent agency to officially begin its work.
Since 2006, I have been leading the effort with Councilmember Julia Patterson to establish better oversight of the King County Sheriff’s Department through the creation of OLEO. The office will be responsible for ensuring the integrity of the King County Sheriff’s complaint and investigation process, including the resolution of civilian complaints.
You can read more about my effort to implement civilian oversight of the Sheriff’s Office and the functions of the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight here (pdf, 694KB).
Mr. Gaither is a former police officer and an attorney who brings a wealth of oversight experience to this new position. Most recently, he was the Policy and Investigations Manager and Special Investigator with the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. You can read more about Mr. Gaither and his qualifications here.
As a father of two, I am excited that the donation of these vans will help children in our community have greater access to programs and services. You can read more about the organizations and how the vans will continue to benefit the community here.
Through the van donation program, Councilmembers have the opportunity to make retired Metro VanPool passenger vans available to nonprofit organizations and local governments to address the mobility needs of disabled, low-income, youth, and senior citizens. For more information about the program and how to apply for a van in the future, please contact my office.
To learn more about the origins and history of the King County Bar Association, I checked out From Profanity Hill: King County Bar Association’s Story from the King County Law Library. Written by Marc Lampson, the book details the organization’s history and highlights its major milestones.
Out & About
I recently had the pleasure of welcoming participants at a conference in SeaTac that addressed serving returning veterans who suffer from war-related trauma. The King County Veterans and Human Services Levy sponsored the conference to develop the capacity of service providers to link these veterans to needed services and benefits.
I enjoyed attending the Washington State Bar Association’s Annual Awards Dinner last week. Congratulations to all the award winners, including King County Superior Court Judges Steven González and Mary Yu, who were honored with Outstanding Judge awards.
Bob with Deputy County Executive Fred Jarrett and Imagine Housing Executive Director Ann Levine.
I spoke at the ribbon cutting and grand opening for Andrew’s Glen, a new Imagine Housing project that will provide transitional housing to homeless veterans and other low-income individuals and families. Andrew’s Glen received Veterans and Human Services Levy funding and is unique in that it is the only dedicated housing for veterans on the Eastside. You can read more about this event and Andrew’s Glen here.
I recently attended a banquet benefiting El Centro De La Raza, an organization that provides a unique blend of services and advocacy to promote civil and human rights. As part of its social justice work, El Centro De La Raza provides child and youth programs, human and emergency services, education and skill-building programs, and community building and development.
Upcoming Public Hearings: Share your thoughts on the 2012 Budget
The Executive transmitted his proposed 2012 King County Budget to the Council on Monday, September 26. You can learn more about the proposed budget here.
The Council will hold three public meetings to receive input from residents on the proposed budget. I encourage you to attend one of these hearings and share your thoughts. You can get more information about the dates, times, and locations of the meetings here.
I am thrilled to announce that the Council has unanimously adopted the legislation I sponsored to establish a new Veterans Treatment Court in King County! 
I recently had the honor of leading the Council as it recognized the 
I recently had the pleasure of welcoming participants at a conference in SeaTac that addressed serving returning veterans who suffer from war-related trauma. The King County Veterans and Human Services Levy sponsored the conference to develop the capacity of service providers to link these veterans to needed services and benefits.