Residents of unincorporated King County around Enumclaw and Black Diamond may see fewer deputies in the future, as daily staffing is being cut and response protocols adjusted.

It was reported last month that the county is staring down a $150 million budget deficit, which could result in cutting down funding for law enforcement and the county’s prosecuting attorney’s office.

How this is affecting the sheriff’s office is now more clear: reduced minimum staffing at two of its precincts and responding to fewer non-emergency reports.

”In response to current and potentially sustained budget constraints, the King County Sheriff’s Office has made the difficult yet necessary decision to reduce minimum staffing at our North and Southeast precincts effective immediately,” a March 17 KCSO press release reads. The department noted that no deputies are losing their jobs, and these changes don’t affect cities that contract with the department. “… We are taking these critical steps to ensure King County deputies are safe and available for life-safety emergencies, which will always remain our top priority.”

For Plateau residents, Precinct 3 (which covers the areas of Covington, Maple Valley, the Muckleshoot Tribe, and further south) is reducing its minimum staffing from eight deputies to seven per shift.

Additionally, deputies will no longer respond to alarm reports unless there is available audio or visual confirmation, alarm company verification, or in-person corroboration that an incident is taking place.

“Deputies will still respond to collision associated with crimes such as hit and runs or impaired driving,” the press release continues.

Dispatchers will also now refer all non-injury and non-blocking collisions to the Washington State Patrol, and any non-emergency behavioral health crisis reports will be referred to KCSO’s Therapeutic Response Unit.