Farewell to the voice in our ears: Melanie Browne is hanging up her headset
Crossposted from the KCSO Employee newsletter After 38 years of keeping her cool under pressure, looking out for deputy safety, and making the Communications Center a place people want to be, Operator 72 — Melanie (Mel) Browne — is officially hanging up her headset. Mel has done it all in her time here: call-taking, dispatching, training, leading — and always making sure the people she worked with felt supported. She’s known for her quick wit, her calm in chaos, and her ability to make even the toughest shifts just a little bit… Read More
Now recruiting 2025 Employee Giving Program Ambassadors
Bring a little inspiration to your day and build connection with your team by signing up to be an Ambassador. The Employee Giving Program is now recruiting King County Employees to serve as an Ambassadors for this year’s Annual Giving Drive to their work groups/sites. As an Ambassador, you are the heart and soul of our Employee Giving Program team. We CANNOT run this program and support so many great causes without you. Last year that resulted in $2.37 million! You are the key to making sure that every King County employee… Read More
Data dashboard reveals changing legal needs of people in King County
Crossposted from King County Superior Court The King County Superior Court Clerk’s Office has launched a data dashboard to display statistics and historical data for cases handled by King County Superior Court. The dashboard enables anyone to look at the flow of cases into King County Superior Court over time, observe the length of time between filing and resolution, and see the work that lies ahead. For each type of case, the dashboard shows, by month or year, the number of cases filed, resolved, and pending. “Every matter brought before a court… Read More
King County and City of Seattle partner on region’s second Crisis Care Center location
King County Executive Shannon Braddock and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced next steps for a Crisis Care Center in Seattle providing behavioral health care for people experiencing a mental health, drug, or alcohol crisis. The facility would be located at the former Polyclinic building at 1145 Broadway. King County voters approved the Crisis Care Centers Initiative in 2023 to create five centers across the region where anyone can walk in for behavioral health and substance use care. Read more.
From First Appearance to ‘Not Guilty:’ DPD’s interns conclude a summer of impactful representation for their clients
Crossposted from For the Defense Last week, the Department of Public Defense’s (DPD) summer interns concluded their 10-week program representing clients through Washington’s unique Rule 9 license, which allows closely supervised law students to speak on the record in court. With the support of experienced supervisors and in partnership with attorneys in DPD’s misdemeanor units, interns gained invaluable experience defending clients from their first appearance following arrest to trial. Read more.
New intranet homepage for employee safety, security, and emergency preparedness resources
September is National Preparedness Month, an annual campaign to remind people that preparing for emergencies and disasters can keep them, their families, and their communities safe. As part of this year’s King County Preparedness Month employee campaign, King County has launched a new tool for employees. It’s a new intranet homepage or one-stop-shop for King County employees to find all links to campus safety and security, safety at work, and emergency management webpages on kingcounty.gov and the intranet. The goal of the new homepage is to help King County employees to find… Read More
K9 Fury retiring on Sept. 1
Crossposted from the KCSO employee newsletter Detective Dave Keller and K9 Fury proudly served the King County Sheriff’s Office as a Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission certified Narcotic Detection K9 Team. They were assigned to the Precinct 4 Special Emphasis Team from April 26, 2017, to Oct. 2022, and later served as back-up to K9 Quinn from Oct. 2022 until Sept. 1, 2025, an impressive 8½-year career. Over the course of his career, K9 Fury played a key role in the impressive seizure of approximately 1,480 pounds of narcotics, valued at… Read More
Retired Metro manager honored nationally for trailblazing transit innovation
Crossposted from Metro Matters One of King County Metro’s longtime experts in helping people easily move around the region has been nationally honored, and this agency couldn’t be prouder. Carol Cooper, King County retired Metro Managing Director for Market Innovation, has earned one of the nation’s highest honors in Transportation Demand Management (TDM): Induction into the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame “celebrates industry trailblazers whose dedication to advancing TDM…has left a lasting legacy. This prestigious recognition celebrates leaders whose visionary contributions have elevated the field,… Read More
Quick guide for parents & caretakers: What vaccines your child needs
As you prep for school or childcare, Washington State Department of Health (DOH) makes it easy to know which vaccines are required for kids. These simple charts from Washington DOH’s School and Child Care Immunizations webpage walk you through what’s needed at each age: Required Immunizations for School-aged Children and Required Immunizations for Childcare. Read more.
When electrical demand peaks, South Plant quietly fires up its own power supply
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories It was the early-2000s and Western states were reeling from blackouts and skyrocketing electricity prices as the energy company Enron manipulated the spot market for profit. South Treatment Plant, which was purchasing electricity on the spot market, endured a 10-fold price spike from 1999 to 2000 and was looking for stable power pricing that was not tied to the craziness of Wall Street. Read more.
Employee News 