More South King County mayors join others asking help from county, state in fighting crime
KING COUNTY, Wash. - More mayors from cities in South King County have now joined several others in an ongoing plea to the county and Washington state to help fight the rise in crime and violence.
There are now 11 city mayors – Auburn, Black Diamond, Covington, Des Moines, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Kent, Maple Valley, Pacific, Renton and Tukwila – who are fed up and frustrated with the rise in crime.
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South King County mayors blast county, state officials over recent crime surge
The mayors of several South King County cities penned a letter decrying the recent surge in crime, urging county and state officials to do something about it.
Last week, Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus, Black Diamond Mayor Carol Benson, Enumclaw Mayor Jan Molinaro, Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell, Kent Mayor Dana Ralph, Pacific Mayor Leanne Guier, Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone and Tukwila Mayor Allan Ekberg penned a letter urging lawmakers to do something about the increasing crime.
King County cities have seen violent crimes, as well as drug offenses and property crimes including auto thefts, burglaries, and robberies.
"While South King County agencies have been leveraging their city-level resources to prosecute misdemeanor adult crimes – misdemeanor adult crimes are the only crimes that cities have jurisdiction to prosecute – there is a need for improved and timely juvenile and adult felony criminal accountability at the county level," the letter reads. "Our Cities are publicly announcing that we stand ready to partner in the healing and safety of our community."
The mayors said they have had meetings with the offices of the King County Executive and Prosecutor, as well as state legislators and others with hopes for collaboration and problem solving to reach better outcomes.