From zebras and peafowl to cats and dogs
Crossposted from the DES Express
Regional Animal Services celebrates accomplishments during National Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week
When zebras escaped from a trailer while being transported to Montana last spring, Regional Animal Services helped corral the cleverest one that had been on the loose for days. When a horse trailer blew a tire recently, RASKC responded. After someone called complaining about peafowl at a Kent apartment complex, animal control officers from RASKC captured and relocated at least four of the birds.
While these were among the incidents that grabbed headlines last year, it’s RASKC’s ongoing daily work that saves thousands of pets every year. Read more.
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Community Service Area Civic Connectors holds inaugural meeting
Crossposted from King County Local
Strong communities rely on engaged people and government working together, which is why the Community Service Area Civic Connectors program is so important.
Recently, the Department of Local Services brought together people from across unincorporated King County to help empower them to become engaged with their local government. More than 30 people who are part of the program joined Director Leon Richardson and other members of our team at Renton Technical College for the group’s first meeting.
Local Services is working with this passionate group so that, together, they can improve quality of life for everyone in the areas we serve. Read more.
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2024 in Review: Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division highlights progress made for children, adults, and workforce
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections
The past year marked important milestones and successes for the Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division (DDECSD). We made great strides in supporting children, young people and adults; bolstering the workforce who make the programs we do possible; and ensuring communities have access to the tools and resources they need to be successful. Read more.
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From trucker to policy advisor: Gail Stone joins Inquest Program
Crossposted from the DES Express
Gail Stone initially retired from King County in April 2023 after serving as a high-level law and justice policy advisor for 13 years. She was drawn back to public service in late February for a new role, serving as a strategic planning manager for the Inquest Program.
“Inquest is the only thing I can imagine coming out of retirement for,” Stone said.
The purpose of an inquest is to shed light, in an open public forum, on the facts surrounding a death at the hands of law enforcement or corrections. The Inquest Program is based in the Department of Executive Services as part of the Director’s Office. Read more.
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KCSO offers referral bonus for successful hiring of new deputies
The King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) is looking for a few good people, and if you know any, it could help your bottom line. As part of the Employee Referral Bonus Program, any King County employee who is part of a collective bargaining agreement, is eligible for a $5,000 referral bonus if that referral leads to the successful hiring of a new deputy.
Items to note:
- You must be employed at King County at the time of the bonus payout.
- The bonus will be paid out once the new employee successfully completes their probation period.
- There is no limit, refer as many people as you like. But only one bonus will be paid per applicant.
- New hires may list the referring employee when they apply or complete a referral form at orientation.
Information regarding who is eligible and referral details can be found alongside the King County Labor Contracts under Employee Referral Bonus Program.
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FOX covers behind the scenes of Guardian 1 and all its glory
Crossposted from the King County Sheriff’s Office newsletter
Recently, Fox 13’s reporter AJ Janavel went on a ‘fly along’ with the KCSO Air Support Unit to show viewers their importance to the department.
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National Telecommunicators Week April 13-19
As we celebrate Telecommunicator Week, we want to highlight the great work that the King County Sheriff’s Office call takers and dispatchers do 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our telecommunicators are the heartbeat of public safety, guiding help to those who need it most and supporting our deputies every step of the way.
We see you, we appreciate you, and we thank you. Your steady voices, sharp minds, and unwavering dedication makes a large impact on our deputies and the communities we serve.
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King County Security Tips – Password safety
Creating strong passwords should be the number one priority in keeping your online world safe. Having weak passwords could result in stolen identities, loss of data or money, and even the loss of a job and/or reputation.
You’ve likely heard recommendations for creating secure passwords before. Experts suggest using long, complex, and random combinations of words, letters, numbers and special characters. Follow the tips below to improve your password safety practices:
- Improve the strength of your passwords. Strong passwords are usually made up of at least eight characters. They should contain numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as special characters.
- Use passphrases. Recently, security standards strongly recommend using a passphrase rather than a single word. A good passphrase is one that is unique to you so that you can remember it, but is also secret enough that no one else can guess it.
- Never use personal or obvious information in your passwords. For example, never include your name, email address, phone number, birth date, or any other information connected to you.
- Never use the same password for multiple accounts. If cybercriminals steal your password from one account and you’re using that password on other accounts, then you’ve given them the key to all of the accounts where you’ve used the same password.
- Use a password manager. If your organization allows it, use a password manager to create, store, and sync complex passwords across multiple devices. Password managers only require you to remember one master password. Ask your internal IT (or other applicable) team to see if this is something you can do.
Most importantly, if there is one available, always follow your organization’s password policy. Password policies are created to keep you and your organization safe. Help to protect King County (and your family) against cybercrime by improving your password safety today!
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Employee discounts to Seattle Symphony for Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony and Seattle Storm games
King County employees can take advantage of discounts to upcoming performances at the Seattle Symphony this weekend. Learn more and purchase tickets at seattlesymphony.org using promo code KINGSSO. Limit 4 tickets per household.
- April 10 at 7:30 p.m. Waive all handling fees at the checkout cart.
- April 11, at noon. Unlock 15% off tickets and pay no additional fees.
- April 12 at 8 p.m. Waive all handling fees at the checkout cart.
Additionally, employees can purchase discounted tickets to upcoming Seattle Storm games. All games are held at Climate Pledge Arena. Purchase discounted tickets at stormgrouptix.com/City. For questions contact Rebekah Patten at RPatten@stormbasketball.com.
- June 1, at 3 p.m. Seattle Storm vs Las Vegas Aces
- June 22 at 4 p.m. Seattle Storm vs New York Liberty
- Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. Seattle Storm vs Chicago Sky
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
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Resource Fair for people with Developmental Disabilities and Delays on May 29
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections
The King County 2025 Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Resource Fair will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at the Microsoft Commons Mixer building located at 15255 NE 40th St., Redmond, WA 98052.
This is a free community event that welcomes people with developmental disabilities and delays, their families, caregivers, teachers, employees and other interested community members. A variety of workshops and over 50 exhibitors will connect attendees with the people and tools to support their goals in employment, education, building community and more. A room dedicated to the latest technology promises to be fun for people of all ages! Review workshops and exhibitors on the King County website: kingcounty.gov/disabilities-fair.
Attendees can plan to stay for the day. Refreshments and snacks are free and will be provided by Microsoft. There is also an on-campus food court is located in the building.
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