King County Sheriff’s Office will not execute Court Ordered Evictions during COVID-19 outbreak

On Tuesday, Mar. 17, 2020, Sheriff Mitzi G. Johanknecht announced that the department will make adjustments to its public facing, non-emergency services to increase social distancing, in light of the COVID-19 coronavirus health crisis.

The Sheriff’s Office contracts its police services with the City of Burien.

Sheriff Johanknecht has informed Presiding Superior Court Judge James Rogers that – effective immediately – the King County Sheriff’s Office will not execute court-ordered evictions in King County until further notice (download PDF of her letter here).

Commissioned staff assigned to the department’s Civil Unit must be healthy and ready to deploy to other assignments where needed during this emergency.

Further, Sheriff Johanknecht is concerned about those who would be without housing during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“This is no time to be putting vulnerable people and families on the street without shelter,” said Sheriff Johanknecht. “I have committed to suspending evictions during this difficult time when we need to embrace our neighbors rather than remove them from their homes.”