More scrutiny of sheriff's office?

Vowing to reform the way the King County Sheriff's Office polices itself, two County Council members are proposing the creation of an independent civilian oversight office to deal with complaints against deputies.

Metropolitan King County Council members Julia Patterson and Bob Ferguson also want to create the position of an independent auditor who would be responsible for reviewing the sheriff's internal-investigations procedures, recommending policy changes and analyzing trends in the way complaints are dealt with and punishments meted out.

Like the attorneys who would staff the proposed oversight office, the auditor would report directly to the council, they said.

The two announced the proposal at a news conference Wednesday, two days after Sheriff Sue Rahr announced the formation of a blue-ribbon panel of "unbiased experts" from outside the Sheriff's Office to examine the department's procedures for addressing allegations of employee misconduct.

At the time, Rahr said she expected the panel would research and possibly recommend the creation of a civilian oversight body, something she said she was open to.

Rahr is also planning changes for the department as part of her so-called "First 100 Days" strategy that she expects to present to the council in coming weeks.

Patterson and Ferguson commended the sheriff for initiating changes and forming the blue-ribbon panel, but said they aren't willing to wait for the panel to conclude its work before starting the legislative process to create the oversight office and auditor position. The proposed oversight office would receive citizen complaints against deputies, as well as whistle-blower complaints from within the department; the office would forward complaints to the Sheriff's Office and track complaints through the investigative process.

Patterson and Ferguson, who said they modeled their plan after one used by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, intend to formally present the proposal to the full council on Tuesday.

After discussing their plans with Rahr earlier this week, Patterson said, "the sheriff is fully supportive of what we are recommending."

But the sheriff's spokesman, Sgt. John Urquhart, said that wasn't entirely true. "The sheriff certainly supports the concept of some sort of oversight, but it has to be done right," Urquhart said. Rahr "would prefer to wait for the blue-ribbon panel to come back with their recommendations before we commit to any one particular plan."

Rahr was not available for comment Wednesday, but said in a written statement that her office is committed to dealing with rule-breakers. "I look forward to assisting the council's efforts and will support measures that work effectively to meet our core mission of keeping the community safe," the statement read.

Rahr has said her initiatives are geared at improving public confidence in the department, particularly after a series of stories in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that cited cases of alleged officer misconduct and breakdowns in discipline and accountability. But she has also said her department has been wrongly portrayed as a place where misconduct is tolerated.

Patterson and Ferguson said they are disturbed by the media reports and are looking to restore public confidence in the department.

The sheriff's current system for investigating citizen complaints and misconduct allegations is "woefully inadequate and must be improved as soon as possible," Patterson said.

Ultimately, the sheriff still will be responsible for disciplining deputies, Ferguson said. But if their plan is implemented, Rahr will receive two reports — one from the sheriff's internal investigations unit and one from the civilian oversight office — on which to base a decision, he said. Any reports generated by the oversight office or the auditor would become public record.

Though they admitted their ideas aren't fully formed, Patterson and Ferguson said they envision hiring attorneys with civil-rights and criminal-justice backgrounds to staff the oversight office.

The attorneys would be given the power to subpoena witnesses, access to internal investigation files and the right to participate in investigations, they said.

Both acknowledged they would need to negotiate with the King County Police Officers Guild to implement changes to discipline procedures; and, they would need to be mindful of strict labor laws, especially if investigative powers are to be given to an outside agency, they said.

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com