SEATTLE — Today, Mayor Katie Wilson provided an update on the search for the City of Seattle’s next permanent Police Chief after the closing of the initial application period and community feedback collection. There were over 40 qualified applications by the first consideration date at the end of October, including both internal and external candidates, and the search is on track for the mayor to make her selection in the next few months.
“When I look at the biggest challenges facing Seattle, our next police chief will play an indispensable role in making Seattle a great place to live. Seattle deserves a chief who is ready to help build a public safety system that matches our city’s values and priorities, who is present in our community and in this department, and who cares deeply about both,” said Mayor Wilson. “I want to thank everyone who shared their feedback during this search process for helping to define the parameters for our search, everyone that applied, and our advisory committee for their outstanding work so far. Staff who have been involved in multiple searches described this as the strongest candidate pool in years, and I am confident that we will arrive at a great selection at the end of this process.”
The Mayor’s Office conducted extensive outreach and consultation since the search launched in August. There was a public survey with over 1,300 respondents, public listening sessions facilitated by Seattle Neighborhood Group in South, Central, North, a translated session with Asian communities, and small community roundtables. More than 400 Seattleites participated in the roundtables and listening sessions.
“We went to the people. Together, we built a safe environment for neighbors and community partners to focus on constructive feedback,” said Aaron Yoon, Executive Director, Seattle Neighborhood Group. “Different cultures and diverse communities came out and broke bread as one. When people feel safe and heard, new belief in one another becomes possible.”
Several recurring themes emerged from the public engagement on what qualities and qualifications people want from the next chief including:
- Someone who is deeply connected to Seattle.
- Someone interested in developing proactive relationships and engaging Seattle’s diverse communities.
- Someone who emphasizes accountability, transparency, and rebuilding community trust.
- Someone ready to improve operational performance including 9-1-1 response time, visible patrols, coordination across departments, and measurable safety outcomes.
- Someone ready to implement a balanced approach to public safety that pairs enforcement with prevention and diversified response.
- Someone who will lead with cultural competence, emotional intelligence, humility, and the ability to build strong relationships with community.
- Someone who is collaborative, data-driven, and ready to work with businesses, partners, and community to address crime, disorder, and everyday safety.
Read the full community engagement report here.
Mayor Wilson has begun meeting with Seattle Police Department staff this month and has launched an internal survey to hear directly from employees what matters most to them in the selection of their next chief.
“I am so pleased that we received so many qualified internal and external candidates. Each of the applicants seem so earnest in their interest in Seattle and in serving our community,” said Advisory Committee co-chair Justice Mary Yu (ret.). “I also appreciate and value the range of public input we received. The concerns of our community and the attributes they want to see in a Police Chief will guide our decision-making and recommendations to the mayor.”
The Police Chief Search Advisory Committee used feedback to assess candidates and are currently reviewing applicants. The advisory committee includes community leaders and public safety experts and has the responsibility to assess candidates based on law enforcement executive qualifications and experience as well as the community input and to recommend up to five individuals to proceed to a competitive examination.
“The applicant pool demonstrates that being Seattle’s Police Chief is one of the top public safety roles the country,” said Ian Warner, Public Policy Director at Vulcan Real Estate. “While there are tough choices ahead, this selection process is well-positioned.”
The advisory committee is co-chaired by Justice Mary Yu (ret.) and Ian Warner. Justice Yu recently retired from the Washington Supreme Court after 25 years of combined judicial service on the Supreme Court and the King County Superior Court. Mr. Warner is the Public Policy Director at Vulcan Real Estate and previously served as Senior Public Policy Director at Zillow, legal counsel to the Seattle Mayor’s Office, and a member of the Monitoring Team that oversaw the Seattle Police Department’s implementation of the federal consent decree.
The advisory committee will advance the top candidates for a competitive examination later this month, final interviews with Mayor Wilson in December, and a final selection in the next few months. Once selected, the nominee will be required to undergo City Council confirmation.