What Does South Seattle Want in a New Police Chief?

Experience in changing cultures in police departments, greater officer accountability, and ties to Seattle — these are some of the expectations community members have for their next police chief.

On Sept. 26, South End residents gathered in the gym of the Van Asselt Community Center to discuss qualifications a new police chief should possess. The two-hour event was billed as a "listening session," and city officials and service providers were on hand to hear what people had to say.

The process for finding a new chief began in late July, after Mayor Katie Wilson asked for then-Chief Shon Barnes' resignation following the Bite of Seattle shooting. Wilson appointed then-Deputy Chief Andre Sayles as interim chief.

Alison Holcomb, Wilson's public safety director, described the hiring process to the roughly 70 attendees. As of Sept. 26, the city had received applications from 23 "qualified candidates," including internal and external applicants. The qualified candidates will be evaluated by the mayor's Police Chief Search Advisory Committee, which will send approximately five candidates to Wilson for review.

The finalists will then undergo a competitive exam and a background check before the mayor announces her selection, which Holcomb said will happen by the end of the year or, at the latest, by January.

After Holcomb spoke, the audience broke into small groups and sat at tables to discuss what qualities and experience they were looking for. One group included three South Seattle residents, a member of the Community Police Commission, and two members of the search advisory committee.

The group most wanted a chief who could change the culture at the Seattle Police Department while holding officers accountable for misconduct. One woman wearing a purple puffy vest said SPD has a toxic internal culture of racism and sexism, as well as a pattern of negative interactions with community members. Increasing SPD's budget, the attendee added, would not change that.

In her recent budget proposal, Wilson proposed adding $68 million to SPD's budget, increasing it to $557 million. The annual salary range for the new chief is $234,294 to $374,900.

The group hoped the new police chief would have experience changing a department's culture. One of the advisory committee members added that the new chief should have experience working with police unions.

But a split arose on whether the next chief should be an internal hire from SPD or an outside candidate. A man with a gray beard and a hoodie said a current SPD officer would have a "passion" for Seattle and want what's best for the city, while a woman wearing a seafoam-green turtleneck and dangling earrings said SPD is in disarray and that an outside hire would be better. Regardless, the group agreed the next chief and their family should live in Seattle because, as the man said, "that's part of the gig."

When all the groups presented their input, the wider audience expressed similar desires for accountability and cultural change in SPD, as well as a chief who understands the "community's traditions and culture."

Mohammed, one of the few teenagers who attended, spoke about the need for respect between the next police chief and the community. "At the end of the day, we're all just humans, and the police chief is no better than us. He's just another human being," said Mohammed. "So we have to be able to be kind to him and for him to be held accountable."

Tom Jack, who works with Rainier Beach Action Coalition, spoke about how having officers "come out of the cars" will build relationships in the community and "help hold our youth more accountable."

Some attendees lamented that the listening session brought out more city officials, commission members, and service providers than other community members. One attendee, who wished to be referred to as "M," told the Emerald that she wanted to see more people who are affected by police violence, as well as more youth, at the session.

M also said that Wilson should have attended and that the city should have more than three sessions.

After the event, Councilmember Eddie Lin said he appreciated the format because the search for the next police chief "should be a community dialogue." Lin said the people he sat with wanted the police chief to be accessible and live in Seattle so that "they are experiencing the same issues that we are experiencing."

Among the attendees at the session were two SPD officers who have applied or will apply to be the next police chief. Although the position will be filled through a continuous job posting, the advisory committee will begin its first review of applicants on Oct. 27.

A second listening session was held on Sept. 28 at Seattle University, and the final session will be on Sept. 30, 6–8 p.m., at North Seattle College.