King County's Plan to Fight Retail Crime

King County is looking at ways to tackle retail crime. Councilmember Claudia Balducci wants to use new sales tax money for this. She suggests hiring more detectives and a prosecutor to focus on shoplifting. This is because big stores like Kroger are closing some locations due to safety issues. The money for this plan would come from a recent sales tax increase. Balducci says it won't hurt other public safety programs. She believes this will help keep grocery stores open and safe for shoppers and workers. However, not everyone agrees with her plan. Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, who is running against Balducci, wants a more thoughtful approach. He thinks they should look at crime data first. He also wants to involve more people, like the sheriff and store owners, in the decision. Kent Mayor Dana Ralph is also frustrated. She says King County needs to do more to stop retail crime. She believes current policies are making her city less safe. If Balducci becomes King County executive, she promises to work better with local police. The budget process for this plan will start soon. Balducci hopes the new team can start working early next year.