The following is a release from King County:

While a national search is conducted for a permanent Director for the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight, the King County Council asked the County Executive for the loan of an experienced manager to supervise the Office in the interim.

The Executive has agreed to the loan of Patti Cole-Tindall, Director of his Office of Labor Relations, to supervise the oversight office while she continues in her current labor relations capacity. Under this arrangement, Cole-Tindall will continue to serve in both capacities, providing experienced leadership and direction to the OLEO staff in this interim period, which is expected to last no longer than five months.

Cole-Tindall is a seasoned investigator and the key advisor to the Executive and County Council on labor strategic planning, labor policy development, and employment law. She serves as the chief negotiator for the County and is responsible for directing and administering relations with organized labor. She has served four different departments for more than 16 years, including as Internal Affairs Investigator in the County’s Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention, and as Assistant Director of its Community Corrections Division.

Previously, Cole-Tindall was responsible for the regional investigative program at the Washington State Employment Security Department, where she worked to detect fraud and theft of unemployment insurance benefits. She has also served as a Special Agent for the Washington State Gambling Commission.

The County Council created the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) in 2009 as an independent King County agency responsible for ensuring the integrity of the King County Sheriff’s Office complaint and internal investigations processes. The Council sought to ensure accountable and transparent policing in King County, and to restore public trust and confidence in the deputies who worked for the King County Sheriff.

In the five years since its creation, the Council has not wavered in its support of OLEO’s mission, which included an investigation of a 2012 officer-involved shooting. During this interim period, the office continues to operate, reviewing concerns brought by the public regarding the conduct of King County Sheriff’s deputies.