imported post
Here is an interesting blog by Mark Knapp, a firearms attorney in Federal Way.
http://tinyurl.com/rahr20081116
Ron Sims Plays Politics With Police Guild and Accountability Nov 16, '08 4:49 AM
County Council concerned by details of union contract
According to Seattle P-I Reporter Levi Pulkkinen, King County Executive Ron Sims negotiated a contract with the deputy sheriffs' union. The problem is that County Council members say it appears to undercut reforms aimed at greater accountability for county law officers.
"It appears to be a contract that says we can do business as usual," Councilman Larry Phillips said Tuesday.
In 2006, legislation was enacted to create an independent oversight agency to review complaints filed against the department, which are currently reviewed by the Sheriff's Office. Newspaper reports of officer misconduct resulted in the need to ensure independent oversight.
Rahr unsuccessfully sought an amendment to the county charter that would have given her a seat at the bargaining table, a move Sims opposed.
The contract worked out by Ron Sims and the Officers' Guild -- without Sheriff Sue Rahr, is a story about Sims' arrogance towards a Sheriff that has true respect for private gun owners. The Sheriff legitimately seeks a seat at the table because she is the one that is tasked with the responsibility of reforming problems of alleged misconduct within her Department.
Our sources indicate Sue Rahr is not the problem but rather King County is faced with a situation engineered by Ron Sims to undercut the Sheriff's authority and her influence on the operation of the Department. Sims wants the office of sheriff returned to an appointed position, so he can name his own sheriff instead of having the sheriff stand for election.
Would Sims select a sheriff like Gil Kerlikowske? Kerlikowske is a virtual surrogate for Washington CeaseFire and is apt to rubber stamp any kind of gun control measure sought by Washington CeaseFire.
Accountability cannot become a reality without someone of Sue Rahr's stature at the bargaining table. Contact your county council representatives and urge them to reject political manipulation in favor of our elected chief law enforcement officer, not an appointee. Our sources point out that Sue Rahr, unlike Gil Kerlikowske, has never had her pistol stolen from her official car.
King County Sheriff's Office are very professional toward armed citizens. CPL renewals are done efficiently and cheerfully. The Department was among the first to start working on a training bulletin regarding the legality of open-carry of weapons in the Seattle area. We are told that it is almost impossible to find a KCSO deputy who is anti-gun! Ron Sims is not our friend.
The Seattle P-I article goes on to state:
The guild also accepted an early-intervention system that tracks complaints against officers and works to identify ways to improve officer performance.
Apparently absent, though, was authority for an independent oversight agency with the power to investigate complaints, said Councilman Bob Ferguson, who helped draft the 2006 ordinance.
Ferguson said his concern is that the civilian oversight allowed under the contract would simply create the appearance of accountability without actually addressing the problems outlined by the panel.
"What I don't want is an oversight model that is worse than no oversight at all," Ferguson said. "The labor agreement eviscerates the oversight included in the ordinance."
Kurt Triplett, Sims' chief of staff, said the agreement ensures a level of citizen oversight for the department that was previously absent.
"I think it comes as close as anyone can get in a collective bargaining agreement," Triplett said. "I think there's an initial knee-jerk reaction that's not really borne out in the contract."
Triplett said concessions from the guild on health care will reduce the county's costs. Triplett said he hopes that after future meetings the council will come to approve the agreement.
Phillips said he's also concerned that pay raises in the contract are out of step with the county's financial situation.
The following is where editorial comment (our purely unadulterated opinion) is definitely in order:
"As written, the proposed contract would provide deputies with a 5 percent pay raise annually through 2012, a 2 percentage-point increase over the previous contract. For a deputy with five years of experience, base pay would jump from $69,000 to $84,390 by 2012."
Isn't every power grab accompanied by a quid pro quo (something given or received for something else)? In this case, at a time when King County has announced big cuts in the number of deputies on the streets because of ailing budgeting woes, a jump of base pay in the amount of $15,390.00 paves the way for a potential revolution in how King County chooses its chief law enforcement officer!
And it is all happening at a time when the only magistrate that stands between Washington Ceasefire and your guns is the Washington State Attorney General, Rob McKenna.
The P-I reporter concludes:
Phillips said that increase, in his view, "appears to be quite rich, given the national economy and our current budget situation."
While the council cannot renegotiate terms of the contract, it will come to a yes-or-no vote after a council member introduces it as legislation. Thus far, no member has come forward to do so.
"The silence," Phillips said, "is deafening."
P-I reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com.
So write to the Council Members and to your local newspaper editor. We need to start protecting our gun rights at a local level because state and national governments are being transformed. Know those that labor among you and appreciate your local law enforcement officers. You would be surprised how many are on our side.