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County auditor finds no evidence of unauthorized seizures but flags record-keeping and notice shortcomings in King County Sheriff’s asset forfeiture program
Summary
A King County Auditor's Office audit found the sheriff’s civil asset forfeiture program seized roughly $9–9.8 million in cash and dozens of vehicles and houses since 2017, found no evidence of seizures outside documented processes, but recommended improvements in electronic record-keeping, reconciliation and clearer, translated seizure notices.
The King County Auditor’s Office recommended improvements to record-keeping, reconciliation and notice language in an audit of the King County Sheriff’s Office civil asset forfeiture program, while finding no evidence the sheriff’s deputies seized property outside the documented forfeiture process.
Auditors Brooke Leary and Peter (last name in transcript) told the Law and Justice Committee they reviewed seizures from 2017 through 2023 and estimated roughly $9,000,000–$9,800,000 in cash was seized during that period, along with dozens of cars and houses. The auditors said the program’s paper-based case files and an electronic spreadsheet that is not the official record made it difficult to determine totals, case status, or how often seizures were challenged.
The key findings: The sheriff’s office maintains paper case folders as the official record and an electronic log that is incomplete and not consistently reconciled with the accounting unit’s records, auditors said.…
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