Kudos! Metro receive rave from Seattle Times readers
This piece was featured at the top of the Seattle Times’ Rant and Raves list for January 25, 2018. Kudos to our Metro operators and employees! “RAVE To King County Metro Transit for providing buses to transport those of us in the Womxn’s March from Seattle Center back to the downtown area. Lots of buses were ready and waiting for us as we finished the march — and, to top it all off, the ride was FREE!”
Council approves creation of Immigrant and Refugee Commission
In 2016, the Metropolitan King County Council accepted the recommendations of King County’s Immigrant and Refugee Task Force that evaluated the challenges facing King County’s growing immigrant and refugee community. Monday the Council voted toward acting on those recommendations with its unanimous approval to establish a King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission. “The new residents of King County are working hard to become part of the greater community and this commission will be their voice,” said Councilmember Larry Gossett, the prime sponsor of the ordinance. “For people newly arrived not only in the… Read More
Count Us In volunteers hit the streets for annual homeless count
King County Executive Dow Constantine joined close to 1,000 volunteers in the early hours of Friday, Jan. 26, for the 2018 Count Us In to better understand how many people in our community are experiencing homelessness and how we can better serve their needs. Watch him speak about the importance of the 2018 Count Us In event and how we can combat homelessness within King County in the video below.
LinkUp: Supporting reuse and recycling markets
Whether you wait until spring to get your spring cleaning done or chip away at it throughout the year, be mindful of items that have a second or third life before labeling them as waste. The Solid Waste Division (SWD) LinkUp program works to expand markets for selected recyclable and reusable materials. Through this program, collaboration with businesses, public agencies and non-profits is helping extend the life of the King County landfill. “Our projects are designed to reduce barriers preventing materials being reused or retained in the economy as a resource through recycling,” said… Read More
February 13 Special Election
Message from Julie Wise, Director of King County Elections Last week we mailed ballots for the February 13 Special Election to around 750,000 King County voters. If you live outside the City of Seattle, there’s a good chance you have something to weigh-in on! Eighteen jurisdictions are asking voters to make choices on a total of 34 ballot measures. These are important decisions about our community and I hope you will take the time to vote and return your ballot. To learn more about what’s on your specific ballot, see your voting history… Read More
Kudos! King County DPD recognized for working to simplify Miranda warning for juveniles
A recent Bloomberg News Article, Kids Need Miranda Rights They Can Understand, highlights the work King County’s Department of Defense (DPD) has done on having developmentally appropriate Miranda warnings for juveniles. The article states “In effect, in most cases the criminal justice system approaches juvenile suspects with confusing language to advise them of their rights, then proceeds to interrogate them without the benefit of counsel. It’s a recipe for injustice.” Thank you to Katherine Hurley, DPD Attorney, and Anita Khandelwal, DPD Policy Director, for their outstanding work on this important project.
Chief gives primer on Airport Rescue & Firefighter unit
Crossposted from the Centerline By Chief Nathan Elledge, Airport Rescue & Firefighting For more than a year, I’ve had the privilege to serve as your Chief of Airport Police and Fire here at King County International Airport/Boeing Field. During my tenure, I’ve noticed that there seems to be some confusion as to who has jurisdictional responsibility when it comes to police and fire response at the airport. Given that, I’d like to provide you with an overview of who we are and what we do. The King County Airport Police and Fire Department,… Read More
Social Media Spotlight: King County Youth Justice blog
The King County Youth Justice blog updates you on work the County and its partners are taking on to reduce youth interaction with the juvenile justice system – especially for youth of color who are disproportionately represented in it. Each post highlights the County’s continuous efforts to improve its support of lasting, positive youth development. Follow the KC Youth Justice blog today. Click here to view all King County social media pages.
King County and surrounding cities host first discussion on homelessness
The OneTable campaign, announced last month, held it’s first workgroup meeting Monday to discuss ways to solve the regional homeless problem. The group comes from various backgrounds, including housing, behavior health and the criminal justice system, with leaders suggesting multiple ways to resolve the issue. “That is going be one of the main outcomes of this conversation,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “What we need to do and what we’re willing to do to get to that prevention side of the equation.” Monday’s meeting was highlighted in several news outlets. Here is a King 5 article entitled “King County… Read More
Two emergency notification systems to keep you safe
On Saturday, January 13, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency sent a false Wireless Emergency Alert by mistake, causing widespread panic among island residents, and bringing into question safeguards for issuing public emergency notifications. Early reports suggest human error was to blame. While King County and jurisdictions across our region administer similar public alert systems, we have safeguards in place to prevent this type of misstep. Strict procedures are in place and ongoing training is required of those authorized to issue emergency alerts. We will also look closely at Hawaii’s processes to see what else… Read More
Employee News 