Office of Law Enforcement Oversight reissues recommendations related to Sheriff’s Office Use of Force policies

In a recent memo, the King County Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) issued a series of recommendations to the King County Sheriff’s Office regarding updates to its use of force policies. 

The memo highlights both reissued and new recommendations based on OLEO's continuous review of the Sheriff's Office policies.

“It has been approximately a year since OLEO sent our preliminary recommendations to the Sheriff’s Office,” said Tamer Abouzeid, OLEO Director. 

“The Sheriff’s Office has already implemented some of our recommendations, and we are encouraging them to implement more, both in the interest of full compliance with the Attorney General’s Model Policies, as well as to better promote accountability and safety.”

Reissued recommendations include adopting the Attorney General’s model policy language on physical force to more accurately communicate the standards of necessity, reasonableness, and proportionality, and limiting discretionary uses of force in otherwise non-violent situations. 

New recommendations include clarifying definitions and bringing them in line with the AG’s model policies.

For more information, refer to the complete memo on the OLEO website.

Both Shoreline and Kenmore have police departments contracted from the King County Sheriff's Office.