With King County facing a projected $150 million budget shortfall, Councilmember Reagan Dunn is calling for immediate action to restore funding for law enforcement, jails, prosecutors, and traditional juvenile diversion programs while eliminating funding for the controversial Restorative Community Pathways (RCP) program.
In a letter to Performance, Strategy, and Budget Director Dwight Dively, Dunn expressed alarm over the County’s decision to maintain funding for RCP and explore alternatives to youth incarceration, all while slashing essential public safety services, including the Superior Court, the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the Sheriff’s Office.
“King County cannot afford to continue down this dangerous path of slashing funding for essential public safety services while continuing to pay for experimental, activist-driven approaches to criminal justice,” Dunn said. “Especially as violent crime remains at an all-time high, it’s imperative that we reverse these devastating cuts and reinvest in proven, transparent, and accountable approaches to public safety.”
Under the proposed 2026-27 biennial budget, core public safety services would face severe cuts, including:
• $30.2 million from the King County Sheriff’s Office
• $15.5 million from the King County Superior Court
• $15.5 million from the King County Prosecutor’s Office
• $7.5 million from the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention
These cuts come amid a sharp rise in violent crime across King County. Between 2019 and 2023:
• Homicides increased by 73%
• Shootings doubled
• Juvenile crime referrals rose by 104%
• Crimes involving firearms or violence increased by 138%
• Property, drug, and other felonies surged by 314%
Dunn has identified three key areas where he believes funding should be redirected to strengthen public safety.
One of his priorities is restoring $4.6 million in marijuana tax revenue to law enforcement. The funds were originally earmarked for public safety but were diverted in 2020. Dunn argues that returning this revenue to law enforcement would help address staffing shortages and provide critical resources for crime prevention.
He is also calling for the elimination of $9.6 million in funding for the Restorative Community Pathways program, a juvenile diversion initiative that he says has been plagued by controversy and lacks oversight.
“The RCP program has failed to deliver accountability or measurable results,” Dunn said. “Despite significant investment, it has served few individuals and fails to track the necessary metrics for success. Meanwhile, the county has cut funding for juvenile probation counselors, who play a crucial role in helping at-risk youth get on a better path.”
Dunn is also questioning the effectiveness of the “Care & Closure” initiative, which seeks alternatives to youth incarceration. He raised concerns about proposals to house high-risk youth in unsecured locations across King County and cited ongoing legal uncertainties surrounding state detention requirements.
“This initiative has sparked serious concerns, particularly about proposals to house high-risk youth in unsecured locations across King County,” Dunn said. “With ongoing legal uncertainties surrounding state detention requirements and the County Council’s unanimous decision to keep the youth jail open, this initiative should not receive further funding.”
He is requesting that the $413,370 allocated to Care & Closure be redirected to proven, traditional juvenile justice strategies that prioritize accountability and public safety.
While Dunn acknowledges that these adjustments will not completely resolve King County’s criminal justice crisis, he argues that they will help mitigate the most severe public safety cuts.
“Prosecutor Manion has testified that the proposed $15.5 million budget cut would eliminate 90 criminal prosecutors,” Dunn said. “Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall has warned that a $30.2 million cut would halve the number of deputies in unincorporated areas, leading to slower response times, fewer investigations, no traffic patrols, and unaddressed emergency calls.”
Dunn is urging King County leaders to reconsider the nearly $70 million in proposed cuts to the criminal justice system, identifying alternative funding sources to protect public safety.
“This funding is desperately needed to restore safety to our communities,” Dunn said. “We must prioritize policing, prosecution, and accountability over failed experiments that put public safety at risk.”
