The King County Sheriff’s Office has an expansive contracting model with over a dozen cities receiving policing services through interlocal agreements. Cheol Kang, the office’s chief of the community programs and services division, said there are alluring cost-cutting measures for smaller cities. Rather than pouring resources and staff time into training, recruitment and discipline, cities can pay for, essentially, the “service delivery of a fully commissioned … deputy to serve in their community.” Those deputies work in the community day-to-day, too, he said.
Contracting out policing services has not been without snags. In Burien, for instance, the city and Sheriff’s Office have gotten into dramatic legal and political battle over the Sheriff’s Office’s refusal to enforce a camping ban.
It’s just another grift.
I think I agree, but it’s really hard to tell. I guess it takes a lot for training and such? I would love to know how Edmonds thinks this will be cost cutting fr. I suspect that knowing your neighbors as cops can be good and bad for both sides.
Maybe because the hiring and training processes are paid by the county rather than the city?
Maybe? They still have to pay the county for providing the officers though. I think the person who said grift probably was closer.