Rahr warns impending cuts will mean drastic reduction in services
SEATTLE -- King County Sheriff Sue Rahr is asking her deputies to give up part of their wage increase to save the jobs of their fellow cops.
Rahr says she'll have to eliminate 28 deputies. Even with the reduction, she promised if you are the victim of an assault, the police will come, and if there's a flood, you'll be rescued. But if it's just a car prowl or a burglary, there will be no detective to investigate.
The only hope she says will be if deputies give up a pay increase.
"I wish they would vote to give some of it back to save those jobs," she said.
Perhaps anticipating that pitch, the deputies' union took out a full page ad in the Seattle Times. They say the county's got millions for art, but won't protect public safety.
If that's their position, the sheriff says some victims of crime will suffer.
"That means if you are the victim of a burglary, a car prowl, theft, auto theft fraud, we will have no detectives to conduct those follow up investigations," Rahr said.
A key member of the council warned the sheriff not to do that.
Kathy Lambert, the Vice-Chair of the Budget committee, says they are even putting that in writing in the budget and Rahr has to follow the order.
"If she wants to be obeying the law, she does," Lambert said.
The union didn't return our calls for a comment.
As politicians argue, a local cop in unincorporated Skyway says he went to 10 calls Thursday morning.
"Auto theft to a missing child, domestic violence it gets a little hairy," said Larry Gross, deputy sheriff.
When asked what happens if he loses more deputies he answered they'd have to work harder, but they really can't do more.
Carol Bradley hopes it the cuts don't come to such a reduced service.
"I hope a miracle comes out of the sky and says here," Bradley said.
No one expects a miracle. The cuts will happen Jan 1.
Rahr says she'll have to eliminate 28 deputies. Even with the reduction, she promised if you are the victim of an assault, the police will come, and if there's a flood, you'll be rescued. But if it's just a car prowl or a burglary, there will be no detective to investigate.
The only hope she says will be if deputies give up a pay increase.
"I wish they would vote to give some of it back to save those jobs," she said.
Perhaps anticipating that pitch, the deputies' union took out a full page ad in the Seattle Times. They say the county's got millions for art, but won't protect public safety.
If that's their position, the sheriff says some victims of crime will suffer.
"That means if you are the victim of a burglary, a car prowl, theft, auto theft fraud, we will have no detectives to conduct those follow up investigations," Rahr said.
A key member of the council warned the sheriff not to do that.
Kathy Lambert, the Vice-Chair of the Budget committee, says they are even putting that in writing in the budget and Rahr has to follow the order.
"If she wants to be obeying the law, she does," Lambert said.
The union didn't return our calls for a comment.
As politicians argue, a local cop in unincorporated Skyway says he went to 10 calls Thursday morning.
"Auto theft to a missing child, domestic violence it gets a little hairy," said Larry Gross, deputy sheriff.
When asked what happens if he loses more deputies he answered they'd have to work harder, but they really can't do more.
Carol Bradley hopes it the cuts don't come to such a reduced service.
"I hope a miracle comes out of the sky and says here," Bradley said.
No one expects a miracle. The cuts will happen Jan 1.
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