The Panel's Final Report was delivered to the King County Council on September 11, 2006.

• Full Report, 2MB PDF*
• Executive Summary, 1MB PDF*
• Executive Summary, Web Version

The Report of the King County Sheriff’s Blue Ribbon Panel, submitted to the King County Council on September 11, included a recommendation the panel be reconvened no later than December 2007 to review progress made on implementing the panel’s recommendations.

The panel has begun work on this review and has set the following meeting schedule. All meetings will be held from 6-9 pm at Seattle City Hall, City Council Chambers, 600 Fourth Avenue, Second Floor.

• November 1, 2007
• November 14, 2007
• December 5, 2007
• December 19, 2007 (if necessary)

See the Meeting Agenda & Materials link for additional information.

 

• Implementation Report, 33K PDF*
• Sheriff's Memo of Expectations, 13K PDF* (reference page 3 of council report)

The King County Sheriff seeks the advice of an expert panel to research internal management systems, suggest well-functioning internal review processes, and identify and recommend areas of needed improvements. The panel’s efforts complement other Sheriff’s Office reforms.

Specifically, the panel is charged with:

• Reviewing internal management systems for addressing employee misconduct and
• Gaining an understanding of leading management practices in other departments and their applicability to a department with characteristics like the Sheriff’s
• Making recommendations to the Sheriff for improvements to the accountability system for misconduct and discipline; and
• Delivering a final report and written recommendations to the Sheriff by no later than August 31, 2006.

The panel will establish a written work program and schedule of meetings to review the current system, develop consensus about potential changes to current practices, and present findings and recommendations. The panel is expected to meet every two or three weeks for five to six months.

 

The Blue Ribbon Panel is currently scheduled to meet on the following days. The Panel aims to publish the meeting agenda at least 48 hours before each meeting. All meetings will be held from 6-9 pm at Seattle City Hall, City Council Chambers, 600 Fourth Avenue, Second Floor, Seattle, except for the April 12 meeting which will be held at Seattle City Hall in the Bertha K. Landes Room.

• March 8, 2006
• March 22, 2006
• April 12, 2006
• April 26, 2006
• May 17, 2006
• June 7, 2006
• Public Hearings:
  • South County: Monday, June 12, 2006, 6-9 pm. City of Renton Community Center (1715 Maple Valley Highway, Renton, WA)
  • North County: Thursday, June 15, 2006, 6-9 pm. Northshore Utility District Lakeshore Room (6830 NE 185th Street, Kenmore, WA)
  • East County: Thursday, June 22, 2006, 6-9 pm. King County Library System - Administrative Service Center (960 Newport Way NW, Issaquah, WA)
  • Public Meeting Notice (18K PDF)
• Briefing to the King County Council:
  • June 26, 2006, 9:30 a.m., King County Courthouse, Council Chambers
• July 5, 2006 (cancelled)
• July 12, 2006
• July 19, 2006
• July 26, 2006
• August 16, 2006
• Final Report to the King County Council:
  • September 11, 2006, 9:30 a.m., King County Courthouse, Council Chambers

 

You may view the Panel's work program by clicking here. This file is a 113K Acrobat PDF (Free Acrobat Reader required).
 

 

On January 9, 2006, Sheriff Sue Rahr asked for a blue ribbon panel to be formed to review the systems currently in place within the Sheriff’s Office that deal with employee misconduct and discipline. She expects the panel to make recommendations for improvement and publish a report that will be made available to the County Council and the public.

The panel consists of a chairperson and nine members, who were chosen by the County Council, Executive Sims, and Prosecutor Maleng. A professional facilitator has been hired by the Sheriff’s Office to manage logistics and help write the final recommendations.

“I believe the public must have confidence in their police department”, said Sheriff Rahr. “Part of that trust has to be that we hold employees accountable for their actions, and that our discipline process is open, honest, and fair. I look forward to the scrutiny of the panel and any recommendations they have for improvement”, she added.

View the Sheriff's press release.