Written by As a reminder, the city of Renton does not have policing issues…. this letter from the Sheriff affects those crimes that are under the jurisdiction of King County Sheriff –primarily in the unincorporated parts of King County–
–So don’t even THINK about committing these crimes here 🙂
Public Safety
in Peril
In March of this year the King County Executive told me that the Sheriff’s Office would need to take an 8.6% budget cut, roughly equaling $7.5 million for 2009. I have been working closely with my command staff and all of our employees for several months to identify potential areas for reductions. We have carefully evaluated every possible scenario to minimize the impact to the level of service provided by the Sheriff’s Office.
Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to take such a hit without affecting the way we do business. If the budget situation is not resolved, it is clear that we will have to make drastic cuts to our existing service levels. This will significantly impact service levels in the following areas:
- Domestic Violence
- Narcotics & Organized Crime
- Cold case Investigations
- Neighborhood Storefront Centers
- Victim Outreach
I will also have to raise the threshold for investigating property crimes. Although we will respond to the scene and take a case report, any property crime with a loss of $10,000 or less will not be investigated. I was forced to choose between investigating property crimes and investigating person-related crimes such as rape, robbery, assault and homicide.
We have been moving aggressively to scrub the budget and to ‘tighten our belts’. The following are some of the immediate measures we have taken to save money:
- Reducing overtime by 15% in each Division
- Reducing the number of pool vehicles available at each Precinct
- Purchasing gas at pre-selected low cost stations
- Developing a virtual block watch through the use of email groups
- Developing online incident reporting
My commitment is to keep you informed and engaged in the budget process and any ensuing decisions. I intend to be out in the community with my criminal justice colleagues from now until November, talking to you about the budget crisis. As your elected Sheriff, it is my responsibility to protect your safety. That is my highest priority.
Your ongoing participation and communication with your elected officials is critical. To find out more about how these cuts could impact services and what you can do to help, please visit my website at:
www.kingcounty.gov/safety/sheriff
Keep electing these bleeding heart liberals like Ron Simms, and this is what you get. King County PD has been understaffed for years. It is ridiculous that the citizens have to suffer because of mismanagement of funds for several years. It’s time to prioritize. Dump the social programs and start fighting crime. How would you feel if you had $9,000.00 worth of stuff stolen and it wouldn’t be investigated due to lack of funds? Why is it that law enforcement is always the first to get cut? How about selling the parks instead of putting another 140 million into them? What the hell is going on? Have politicians lost there friggin minds? It’s sure easy to spend others money. I’m pissed!!! I don’t care who you are, this is ridiculous!!
King Co Sheriff Sue Rahr should run against Ron Simms in the next election…
waste of money
the City of Renton has wasted a good chunk of money on the Charlie Conner helicopter issue.i would like to know how much they have spent on attourney fees and staff reports since August last year to date.The City Council will have the first reading of their new R8 zone change allowing helicopters on lake Washington properties at their Council Meeting on 14th July.if you are opposed you MUST attend or send an e-mail to all city council members .This is easily done from http://www.rentonwa.gov.Let your voice be heard!!
Just.. wow..
Didn’t Ron Simm bought all those Toyota Prius with minus economy payback?
I hate guns, but even I’m thinking of arming myself with the news of people getting nailed by convicts left and right.
Renton WILL have a problem being next to large area of unincorprated King County. You can bet on it. We don’t live in a bubble.
West Hill is facing more and more problems with stolen cars, unruly renters, drug dealing, etc. Sure wish the Renton police were patroling this area more. The problems seem to be moving in from the unincorporated King County area.
They are, just take a drive up to Skyway. It’s a hell hole. I wouldn’t venture up there without being armed. The last thing the city of Renton should do is consider annexing that area.
West Hill
The problems from unincorporated King County/Skyway are spreading in to the West Hill area and we need the Renton police to be more visible. Better to nip the problems in the bud than to let them take root.
>>I hate guns, but even I’m thinking of arming myself
Please! Do get a gun! The type of people who are thoughtful and scared of guns are precisely the kind of people who should have them.
Liberty need people like you.
People who don’t know how to properly operate a weapon are the people most likely to be shot by their own gun. Owning a gun and being able to actually shoot someone is two different things.
I taught Marine Corps Recruits how to shoot the M16 and Marines to qualify with the 9mm Beretta (just to qualify my opinion).
If you are going to own it, know how to use it!
Mark Martinez
Great warnings about gun safety. I have to say, with the cuts in King County, I’m not surprised people think about getting guns… it does come off sounding like the wild west. I have never before heard a sheriff say that thefts of less than 10,000 dollars would not be investigated.
Like all the others, I would reiterate the statistics that having a gun is very dangerous if you are not completely confident in your abilities with it, and confident in your ability to keep it out of the wrong hands when it is stored.
If you live in the city of Renton, you already have guns to protect yourself, and the best part is they are in the hands of professional accredited police officers, who will usually get to your house in one to three minutes from the moment you place your high-urgency 911 call. No matter what time of day, they will arrive wide-awake, fully dressed, guns loaded, in large numbers, and they will deal with any nagging legal issues afterwards… what a good deal! ….In they time it takes you to turn on your light and find your ammo, Renton Police can be at your home. They prioritize response speeds based on the nature of your call, and they are lightning fast when you are in imminent danger.
Still, it is your right to have a gun, and there are cases where responsible gun owners have saved lives(especially where police response is slow). But be very careful if you own one.
Lastly, if anyone at your home is depressed, do NOT let them near a gun. Suicide attempts by gun are successful 90 percent of the time, while attempts with drugs are less than 10 percent successful. And suicide remains one of the highest cause of death among young men.
etc…
In gun suicides, I used to think that “Well.. if they didn’t have a gun, they’d probably just jump somewhere”
Turns out I was wrong. Apparently, most suicides are impulsive and are done in the heat of passion at that moment. By removing the immediate method – most people will not later kill themselves, only 10% do later on.
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Also consider your kids – the little buggers are curious. Consider training them on the proper use of the weapon at the same time you get trained. It will demystify the gun and instill the respect that the tool deserves.
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Kudos’ to the Renton police – they do come quick if there’s an emergency. I’ve seen them arrive in under two minutes when they needed to be there. A cellphone, 911 and the Renton PD combined will do a very good job of keeping you safe.
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You’re right, Ben… being the potential target of a hate crime does indeed make one consider gun ownership. While I was in the midst of last year’s political firestorm (with my name in the paper, etc.), and after my next door neighbor’s house was burglarized, I definitely considered getting a rifle (which I know how to use from childhood). I wasn’t worried about my property and possessions so much as the safety of my family. In the end, I decided it would be a lot safer and more logical to install a monitored alarm system, and hook up two motion-detection webcams to keep an eye on the house during the day. Both solutions have been well-worth the relatively small investments, and are obviously a lot safer than having a gun around. Plus, if someone throws a brick through the front window or spray paints epithets on the fence, their actions will be captured on nightvision video. Wahahaha!
I also obtained a non-lethal personal security device that an intruder or would-be gay basher would find intensely unpleasant. Let that serve as a warning.
As for the RPD, they have been incredibly quick to respond to calls about my drunk neighbor from hell.
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I think you made a wise decision not to get a gun. As I mentioned before, knowing how to use a gun and having the mental and emotional capacity to actually take someone’s life are two different things. Hardened soldiers have frozen.
I would like to point out the one of the most effective home security systems is a dog. It turns out that a barking dog will detour a would-be thief more than a sticker in the window. Plus, a sticker won’t go get a ball when you through it. On the other hand though, a sticker won’t leave you a pleasant surprise if you are gone for too long. I have a dog. Her name is Daisy.
Mark
Re: etc…
Yep, a dog is definitely an excellent deterrent. Ours keeps watch over the house day and night.
Re: etc…
I might be a good time to get a new county executive though … instead of a gun!
Mark