By Noah Haglund, DAJD Communications Specialist IV To attract the next generation of officers at King County jails, the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention’s (DAJD) recruitment team is trying out a novel form of storytelling. “On the Job” uses a comic book-style to show the journey of three wayward young people who tour a jail, meet COs, and overturn their assumptions about working in corrections. By the end, they are ready to apply to work as corrections officers. Created in collaboration with LA-based Hero Projects, “On the Job” was published online in March…. Read More

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. At least nine people a day are killed in distracted driving crashes. Handheld and hands-free phone calls and texts, emails, social media, passengers, snacks, and even built-in vehicle touchscreens are just some of the distractions fighting for your attention on the road. Here’s a simple way to think about it: if something requires your hands, your eyes or your attention while you’re driving, it’s a distraction. Distracted driving isn’t just risky for you, it can be deadly for every nearby driver, pedestrian, bicyclist, and worker. Pledge… Read More

Crossposted from King County Local Last November, a rare “bomb cyclone” pounded the Puget Sound region. The storm downed trees and knocked out power and other services for weeks in parts of unincorporated King County. This week, the Department of Local Services invited representatives from utility providers and partner agencies that serve unincorporated King County for a discussion about communication, coordination and recovery during the storm. The discussion also covered lessons learned and ways to collaborate and strengthen partnerships to better serve communities during major weather events. Read more.