SEATTLE (AP) - A sheriff’s office in Washington state has ended its use of a national police database that federal immigration authorities also have access to.

KIRO Radio reports that the King County Sheriff’s Office has canceled its membership with the Law Enforcement Information Exchange, citing concerns that participation in the record-sharing system would violate a “sanctuary county” law.

The law and sheriff’s office policy prohibit sharing personal information to federal authorities for civil immigration enforcement.

The action also comes after the county auditor found U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had accessed an online King County jail database more than 1,000 times.

Undersheriff Scott Somers said in a statement earlier this month that discussions have started with other agencies on linking records systems together for a regional system.

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Information from: KIRO-FM, http://mynorthwest.com/

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