Patti Cole-Tindall named King County Sheriff

King County has named Patti Cole-Tindall as the new permanent sheriff.

Cole-Tindall has held the role of interim sheriff since January, when previous Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht's term ended. She has spent more than six years in the King County Sheriff Office. Previously, she worked in labor relations and led the county's Office of Law Enforcement Oversight, a watchdog group that oversees deputies.

After a months-long, nationwide search, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced her appointment Tuesday. The King County Council will give the final approval.

“The mission of the Sheriff’s Office is to improve the quality of life and preserve public safety for the people of King County," Constantine said.

"To meet the needs of our community, we must rethink and reimagine how to deliver on that promise, and there’s no better person to do that and serve as sheriff than Patti Cole-Tindall,” he said.

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She's the first person of color to hold the King County Sheriff role. She beat out 12 other serious candidates, including two finalists (also people of color) that participated in interviews with the County Council and the public.

Cole Tindall will now lead the largest sheriff's department in the state, which has 115 patrol vacancies at this time.

She says she'll have a focus on departmental change and equity. Cole-Tindall says that in the last several months she’s worked to build relationships with the NAACP and other community groups.

She says the sheriff's department needs to respond to the concerns of the public.

"Community is saying we want something different from law enforcement, and I've heard that loud and clear and I'm ready to start that work."

She says she'll announce department changes within 60 days, but offered few details.

She'll have to head back to the state police academy before the appointment is confirmed. She says her law enforcement certification has lapsed after decades in administrative roles within the department.

The King County Council will also need to approve her appointment. Their next meeting is May 18.

Voters decided in 2020 to stop electing the sheriff. So if and when she's confirmed, she'll be the first appointed sheriff in 25 years.