Sims Names Reichert Sheriff -- 25-Year Veteran To Take Command Monday

King County Executive Ron Sims today named Police Maj. Dave Reichert sheriff - Sims' first major appointment and apparently a popular one.

The announcement was met with cheers and applause from officers and family members who had packed a county conference room.

Stepping to the podium, an emotional Reichert looked in the direction of his wife and mother and paused to compose himself. Flanked by several of his officers, he said he was overwhelmed.

"This is an amazing honor," he said. "I can't express what this means to me."

His wife, Julie Reichert, then pinned his new sheriff's badge above medals of valor he'd received earlier in his career.

Reichert, a 25-year veteran of the department, succeeds James Montgomery, who has been named police chief in Bellevue.

Sims' spokesman John Arthur Wilson said that in choosing Reichert, Sims did not want to name just an interim sheriff to the post.

"He wanted to appoint someone who would be capable of running the department and hopefully will seek election to the job," Wilson said.

Reichert said he would announce in a few weeks whether he will run.

Reichert, 46, has commanded the department's North Precinct for almost a year. He joined the department in 1972 and was promoted to major last year.

Known as a workaholic, he was lead investigator on the Green River killer case and has worked in virtually all of the department's units. He has received numerous awards for valor, including one for an incident in which his throat was slashed.

"There was a joke going around that you didn't want to work next to Officer Reichert," Reichert said this morning. "Cause if you did, you were in trouble."

Reichert will take command of the department Monday. The department includes 600 officers, 275 civilian personnel and an annual budget of $75 million.

Montgomery's salary was $107,000 a year but Wilson did not disclose Reichert's pay.