by Neal McNamara
(This article originally appearedonPatch.comand has been republished with permission.)
SEATTLE, WA — Carmen Best was selected as the new Seattle police chief, according to Mayor Jenny Durkan's office. Durkan will make the selection official at a press conference scheduled for [today] Tuesday morning at 10 a.m.
Best has been the interim Seattle police chief since Kathleen O'Toole stepped down from the post in late 2017. She was initially not picked as one of the final three candidates for the job. That changed on July 7 when Durkan revealed that former Pittsburgh chief Cameron McLay dropped out of the process. McLay may work in a different role in Seattle on police reform.
Best was competing against Austin police Assistant Chief Ely Reyes and Minneapolis police Inspector Eddie Frizell.
Best has worked for 26 years in various roles at Seattle police. She began her career as a patrol officer and worked as a deputy chief, investigator, and in community outreach.
"I'm willing to meet any challenge that comes my way," Best said last week at a public forum with the three finalists. "It's so important to me I get the opportunity to lead this police department."
Neal McNamara is the editor at Patch.com.
Featured image courtesy of Neal McNamara and Patch.com.
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