Translate
File a Complaint or Commendation about the King County Sheriff's Office
Filing a Complaint
Here are ways to file a complaint:
- Click here to submit an online complaint form.
- Call us to schedule an in-person appointment or to file a complaint via phone at (206) 263-8870.
- Email oleo@kingcounty.gov.
- A downloadable PDF complaint form is also available here.
- File a complaint with the King County Sheriff’s Office directly. You may also contact the precinct directly and ask to speak to a supervisor. See precincts and jurisdiction.
- Information and forms in additional languages are available below.
OLEO may receive complaints from any complaining party, including members of the public or employees of the Sheriff's Office. Complaints received by OLEO are forwarded to the Internal Investigations Unit (IIU) of the King County Sheriff’s Office for further review. If a complaint is identified for investigation by IIU, OLEO independently reviews the completed internal investigation and certifies whether it was thorough and objective. The incident does not need to happen to you in order to file a complaint. Complaints will be accepted from anyone, regardless of age and immigration status. The Sheriff’s Office explicitly prohibits retaliation against any person who comes forward with concerns and complaints.
Note: A complaint may be considered for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) if the allegation could be resolved better through talking and listening rather than through a formal disciplinary process.
Guide to Filing a Complaint Against a Sheriff’s Office Employee
OLEO's guide provides a roadmap to how complaints are processed at the King County Sheriff’s Office, including the role of oversight.
- English: OLEO's Guide on Complaints
- Spanish: Guide on Complaints | Complaint Form
- Vietnamese: Guide on Complaints | Complaint Form
- Chinese: Guide on Complaints | Complaint Form
- Somali: Guide on Complaints | Complaint Form
- Tagalog: Guide on Complaints
- Oromo: Guide on Complaints
Filing a Commendation
If you wish to commend a member of the Sheriff's Office, you may send your remarks via email directly to the Sheriff's Office at sheriff@kingcounty.gov.
Learning more about the complaint process:
OLEO receives complaints concerning Sheriff’s Office employees. Examples include but are not limited to complaints of:
- Harassment
- Use of unnecessary or excessive force
- Use of language or conduct that is insulting, demeaning, or humiliating
- Discriminatory treatment
- Ethics, conflicts of interest, and appearance of conflicts of interest
- Inappropriate use of authority
OLEO does not have authority to review the actions of any law enforcement agency other than the King County Sheriff’s Office.
OLEO does not oversee Sheriff’s Office criminal investigations or those involving Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) matters such as workplace discrimination or retaliation.
For complaints filed directly with OLEO, OLEO transmits the complaint to the Sheriff’s Office Internal Investigation Unit (IIU) for processing. IIU determines how complaints are handled, including complaints classification and whether a complaint warrants an investigation.
The Sheriff’s Office personnel investigating your complaint may ask you to give a statement in person or by telephone. With your permission, the statement may be recorded. You may be asked to describe what happened, to provide the name(s) and/or descriptions of the employee(s) involved, and to provide the names of any potential witnesses. In some cases, you may also be asked to allow photographs of any injuries or property damage and to consent to the release of medical records associated with your complaint.
If an investigation takes place, depending on the severity and complexity of the allegations, the complaint will be handled by either the Sheriff’s Office Internal Investigations Unit or a local commanding officer.
OLEO will monitor and track on-going administrative investigations conducted by IIU and may observe and participate in interviews conducted by the Sheriff’s Office. Once a finding is made, OLEO will review the investigative steps and make a determination, in writing, whether in our opinion the investigation was thorough and objective. OLEO can request that further investigative work be conducted if it would be material to the outcome.
An administrative investigation determines if an employee has violated the Sheriff’s office policies and procedures.
Administrative investigations should not exceed 180 days unless an extension has been approved. An exception is when a complaint also involves alleged criminal conduct that is also being reviewed.
If your complaint was investigated, you will receive a letter from the Sheriff’s Office notifying you of the outcome when the investigation is complete. You will also receive a letter from OLEO indicating whether our office certified the investigation as thorough and objective.
Any complaining party not satisfied with the findings of the Sheriff’s Office may contact OLEO to discuss whether or not OLEO certified the investigation and what criteria was used for determining whether it was thorough and objective. Inquiries related directly to the investigation or case outcome should be addressed by the Sheriff's Office.