Chief deputy of King County Sheriff’s Office featured in national magazine
Chief deputy Jim Pugel is featured in a recent article by the Pew Charitable Trusts entitled Law Enforcement Veteran Offers New Perspective on Policing.
“I was taught to catch the bad guys and put them in jail and then go out and do it all over again.”
The article discusses criminal justice reform, recidivism rates, the LEAD program here in King County and how real-world consequences changed Jim’s thinking about crime and punishment.
Read more at the Pew Charitable Trusts.
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Filing project streamlines record keeping and recruits new employees
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories
The file room on site was bulging. The file cabinets overflowed. Folders lived on top of the cabinets with arrows and sticky notes pointing to them. People complained about papercuts. Off-site, decades of active and inactive files were stored together chronologically, making it difficult to respond to requests for records about specific facilities and to remove outdated files from closed facilities. Something had to change.
The Industrial Waste Program works with industries to prevent pollution. And they take record-keeping seriously. Some of their active files date back to the 1960’s. As long as a facility is in business, its Industrial Waste Program files are still active and must be kept. Even after a business closes, Industrial Waste must keep the inactive records for a certain period of time.
Read more at Clean Water Stories
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Breaking down the Employee Survey results: Communications
The results of the 2017 Employee Survey are out and we’re sharing some of the findings in key areas of the survey. This week we’re looking at communications.
- Q52. I feel well-informed about County news and events: 75% agree | 18% neutral | 7% disagree. This is a 2 percentage point increase from last year, and a 24 percentage point increase from our external government benchmark.
- Q48. I receive the information I need to do my job well: 69% agree | 18% neutral | 13% disagree. This is a 2 percentage point increase from last year.
- Q4. I am clear about what I am expected to achieve in my job: 83% agree | 9% neutral | 8% disagree. This has remained consistent from last year.
We are now acting on what you told us and are launching our action planning process to ensure we are addressing these and other issues you said are important to you.
You can see the full survey results here (intranet). Employees in all branches and departments of King County, except the Superior Court, District Court and the Sheriff’s Office, and employees who are not Short Term Temps, interns or started before August 25, 2017, were invited to participate in the survey. Note: Due to rounding of numbers and “not applicable” and “I don’t know” answers, some totals may not equal 100 percent.
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Featured Job: Court Commissioner
Closing Date/Time: Mon. 01/29/18 11:59 PM Pacific Time
Salary: $160,728.00 Annually
Job Type: Regular, Full time, 35 hrs/week
Location: Multiple locations in King County, Washington
Department: King County Superior Court
Description: King County Superior Court is recruiting for two Court Commissioner positions: A current opening for Family Law Commissioner and an anticipated opening for Ex Parte Commissioner. Candidates may apply for either or both positions. Qualified candidates may be placed on an eligibility list for future recruitments.
Commissioners fill a variety of statutory and constitutional responsibilities and preside over the Ex Parte, Probate, Family Law, Juvenile Court dependency and offender, Involuntary Treatment Act and Criminal Plea calendars as assigned by the Presiding Judge. They may be designated to sit as judges pro tempore from time to time.
Contact: For more information contact King County Superior Court Human Resources at (206) 477-1536.
Learn more about this position, or view all available jobs.
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Kudos! Archivists acknowledged for book contributions!
Waterway: The Story of Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal by David Williams and Jennifer Ott was published this year as a part of the regional centennial celebration of the opening of the Lake Washington Ship canal and the Ballard Locks.
Several staff from King County Archives were acknowledged for their contributions in the new book, including archivist Carol Shenk, assistant archivists Jill Anderson and Rebecca Pixler, and reference specialist Greg Lange.
Kudos to these Records and Licensing Services Division staff for their innovation and contributions!
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Social Media Spotlight: KC Employee News blog
King County has more than 13,000 employees who work to make a difference in our community every day. We strive to tell stories that highlight the work we do – in health and human services, law enforcement, courts, parks, wastewater treatment, transportation, and much more – and that also supports our residents, builds strong communities, and helps to make our region a great place to live and work.
Follow the KC Employee News blog today.
Click here to view all King County social media pages.
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Happy New Year: A new dawn, a new day
We wish all our employees a safe and joyous Happy New Year, full of beautiful memories and exciting opportunities!
As the legendary Nina Simone said, “It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day. It’s a new life for me and I’m feeling good.” So enjoy the holiday the season and feel good in 2018!
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Make the holidays safer for your pet
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC
The holidays are a fun and festive time for everyone, including our pets. However, that good cheer could be ruined if your cat or dog ends up sick, missing, or worse. To help keep this the most wonderful time of the year, Regional Animal Services is pleased to offer the following tips adapted from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
Keep people food away from your pet, especially candy and chocolate, and ask your holiday guests to do the same. If you suspect your dog or cat has gotten into something they shouldn’t have, contact your veterinarian right away.
Read more at Tails from RASKC
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Medical Examiner’s Report: What we learned from those we lost in 2016
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
Last year, 14,373 people died in King County. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) investigated those deaths that were sudden, unexpected or unnatural – 2,494* in total.
But, the count of life lost is more than a number. By tracking and analyzing different manners of death as well as trends in homicides, traffic fatalities, and drug overdose deaths, we are able to develop preventative measures and learn about emerging issues.
Here are some key findings from 2016, as illustrated in the MEO’s recently published annual report, and steps we are taking to save lives.
Read more at Public Health Insider
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Are you prepared for holiday snow flurries?
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
Snow can catch us off guard, especially if we have health needs. When snow closes roads, it’s hard for people to get to their medical appointments or get crucial medical supplies. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead when you hear a forecast for possible snow or severe winter weather if you have medical needs.
Things to consider if you depend on:
- Oxygen tanks, medication prescriptions, or other medical supplies: Plan with your doctor, pharmacist, or medical service provider about what to do if they can’t be delivered or if you can’t get to the pharmacy. Ask your doctor and/or pharmacist if you can have a 3-day emergency supply.
- Medical equipment powered by electricity (beds, breathing equipment or infusion pumps ): Check with your medical supply company and get information regarding a back-up power source such as a battery or generator.
- Intravenous and feeding tube equipment: Know if your infusion pump has battery back-up, and how long it would last in an emergency. Ask your home care provider about manual infusion techniques in case of a power outage.
Read more at Public Health Insider
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