Interim King County Sheriff Appointed; Plan For Deputy Bonuses

Seattle WA

23 November, 2021

2:47 PM

Description

KING COUNTY, WA — Patti Cole-Tindall will serve as the interim King County Sheriff starting in the new year, taking over from Mitzi Johanknecht while the county completes a nationwide search for a candidate to fill the role long-term, officials announced Tuesday. Cole-Tindall, 57, joined the sheriff's office in 2015 as chief of the technical services division and currently serves as undersheriff. Previously, she was King County's Director of Labor Relations and served as an interim director at the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight. Cole-Tindall will take over as the interim King County Sheriff on Jan. 1, 2022, becoming the person of color to hold the office. "Patti's background and experience in the Sheriff's Office and across County government - working with labor, serving her community, and demonstrating integrity and transparency - make her uniquely qualified to step into this interim role. She embodies the key qualities we're looking for as we begin to rethink community safety, hire the next generation of officers and search for a newly appointed Sheriff," said Executive Constantine. "I am confident she will ensure a smooth transition and provide strong leadership for Sheriff's Office employees and the public." King County voters approved a charter amendment in 2020 to revert the sheriff to an appointed, rather than elected, position. Sheriff Johanknecht's term expires at the end of the year. Earlier this month, Constantine announced a nationwide recruitment effort to find the next sheriff with a goal to select a permanent candidate by summer 2022. The appointment will be subject to final approval by the Metropolitan King County Council. Until then, Cole-Tindall will lead the more than 1,000 employees of the sheriff's office in Washington's most populous county. "I am honored to serve as the Interim Sheriff, and will be working closely with my management teams to support and lead the people of the KCSO until the new Sheriff is appointed," Cole-Tindall said. "During this transition, my mission is clear: support our workforce, ensure a smooth transition, and listen to the communities we serve as we reimagine law enforcement in King County." Constantine's announcement Tuesday also included news of a new proposal to fund bonuses both for current employees and new hires, including: A one-time $4,000 retention bonus to all commissioned Sheriff's Office employees employed on Jan. 1, 2022A hiring bonus of $15,000 for lateral hires of Sheriff's DeputiesA hiring bonus of $7,500 for new Sheriff's DeputiesA $5,000 referral bonus for current Sheriff's Office employees who refer successful candidates who are hired as Sheriff's Deputies. The executive's office plans to transmit the proposal for consideration to the Metropolitan King County County Council.