“Vacation from the Law” tells the infuriating story of Tiffany Atwood, a King County background detective who frauded taxpayers of at least $7,500—by taking lavish vacations when she was supposed to be working. It’s one of Stranger staffers’ favorite stories of 2016 and is republished below.
Tiffany Atwood had a pretty sweet assignment at the King County Sheriff’s Office. As a “background detective,” her job was to visit police departments around the country and evaluate prospective officers the sheriff was considering hiring. She was supposed to go on ride-alongs with those officers, review their files, and interview their colleagues.
Instead, an internal investigation by the King County Sheriff’s Office found, she lived it up on the taxpayers’ dime. During trips to Hawaii, Arizona, California, Nevada, and Oregon, Atwood upgraded her rooms at resorts or her rental cars far beyond what was allowed by King County regulations. On several trips, she took her son with her to hotel pools and beaches and went sightseeing.