Following a nationwide search and thorough interview and public engagement process, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced Tuesday, May 3, 2022 his appointment of Patti Cole-Tindall to serve as King County Sheriff.

Cole-Tindall – who was one of three finalists and the only woman vying for the position – was appointed Interim Sheriff in November, 2021, and began serving in her new role in January. 

The King County Council will now proceed with a hearing and confirmation process, set to begin May 18, 2022, with a final vote expected later this month.

She has a background in law enforcement, labor relations, human resources as well as service to the community. She joined the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) in October 2015, serving as the Chief of Technical Services Division for almost five years before being appointed to Undersheriff in 2020. 

Prior to her time at KCSO, Cole-Tindall served as the County’s Director of Labor Relations, advising Executive Constantine and the County Council on strategic planning, labor policy, and employment law. She concurrently served as the interim director of the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight, working with staff, the Sheriff’s Office, and the public to improve services and promote awareness of the role of civilian oversight in King County.

“The mission of the Sheriff’s Office is to improve the quality of life and preserve public safety for the people of King County. 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,” Constantine said. “Her experience as a leader, rooted in accountability and equality, and her credibility in the community and within the Sheriff’s office ranks, are the exact combination of qualities that we were looking for in a Sheriff.”

With the passage of a Charter Amendment in November 2020, the Sheriff’s Office is transitioning from an elected to an appointed Sheriff. As part of that process, the Public Safety Advisory Committee developed recommendations for the characteristics of the next Sheriff. These recommendations were reviewed by Executive Constantine and the King County Council and considered during the interview process.

A total of 12 candidates submitted applications to the nationwide search, which began in November 2021. Seven candidates were moved to the first round of interviews and following two additional rounds three finalists were named, including Cole-Tindall.

In the final phase of the selection process, the candidates met with members of the Public Safety Advisory Committee, King County employees, labor representatives, and contract city representatives and engaged with the community in a separate series of public forums prior to a final interview with Executive Constantine.

“As Mayor of a city that depends on the King County Sheriff’s Office, I look forward to seeing how Cole-Tindall’s leadership will improve public safety,” said Sofia Aragon, Mayor of Burien. “I appreciate her commitment to ongoing inclusion of community voices when making improvements and increased collaboration and accountability with the Executive’s office.”

After confirmation by the Council, Cole-Tindall will complete the Criminal Justice Training Commission Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) to be recertified as a peace officer, following her initial training 30 years ago. This training will be completed within one year of her appointment. The academy is currently 19 weeks long and Cole-Tindall will attend BLEA no later than January 2023 to meet the certification requirement. While at the academy, an acting Sheriff from the KCSO leadership team will be appointed.

“I am honored and humbled to be selected to serve as the next King County Sheriff. I am looking forward to the future of not only the agency but also the community as we work collaboratively to co-create the public safety agency that meets the needs of the residents in King County,” said Cole-Tindall. “I, along with my leadership team, are committed to making the King County Sheriff’s Office a premier law enforcement agency and striving for continuous improvement.”

The City of SeaTac contracts its police services with the King County Sheriff’s Office.

King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles said, "I’m very pleased that Executive Constantine transmitted today his choice for King County’s next sheriff, Patti Cole-Tindall. We were fortunate to have three particularly strong finalists, which surely made this a difficult decision. As the Chair of the Committee of the Whole, I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to review the appointment and get to know Interim Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall better during the confirmation process."

King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci said, “Patti Cole-Tindall has a long history of serving the people of King County and is uniquely prepared to lead the Sheriff’s Office, with experience in labor relations, jail diversion, and in law enforcement oversight and management. She has a proven commitment to the mission of the King County Sheriff’s Office and has earned the trust of the people who work for it and the community it serves. I congratulate her on her nomination and look forward to working with her as she leads the Sheriff’s Office.”