Police Chief Search
On September 20, Mayor Harrell announced he will appoint interim Chief Adrian Diaz as Seattle's next permanent Chief of Police.
“Throughout this process, we’ve heard Seattleites’ clear expectations for the Seattle Police Department: effective public safety, meaningful community engagement, and a commitment to accountability and continuous improvement. I am confident that Chief Adrian Diaz will provide the leadership necessary to advance these critical priorities and make Seattle safe for all residents,” said Mayor Harrell. “We looked for candidates across the department and across the nation, elevated the voices of the community, and closely examined applicants’ qualifications and skills. Chief Diaz was the clear choice to respond to concerns about crime and safety and to drive the effective response that will make a real impact.”
Read more about the announcement here.
Previous
Community Forum
On September 15, the three finalists for the next permanent chief of the Seattle Police Department participated in a question-and-answer forum to respond to questions submitted by community members. The event was broadcasted live on the Seattle Channel and can be viewed here.
Finalists
Following a robust national search process that centered community engagement, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the three finalists for the next permanent chief of the Seattle Police Department:
Interim Seattle Chief of Police Adrian Diaz
Seattle Assistant Chief of Police Eric Greening
Tucson Assistant Chief of Police Kevin Hall
Search Process
The Chief search process is set by charter. Mayor Harrell appoints a search committee, which has the responsibility to assess candidates and to recommend up to five individuals to proceed to a competitive examination. The search committee will also help formulate the questions for the written portion of the examination.
“With values-driven leadership, big picture thinking, and a commitment to safety, respect, reform, and justice, our next chief can help us set a new standard for public safety, reach our recruitment and retention goals, build officer morale, and make this a welcoming and safe city for every community.” – Mayor Harrell
The examination will be administered by a panel of subject matter experts and will also include an oral assessment. The top three candidates as rated by the assessors after the competitive examination will be forwarded to Mayor Harrell for consideration. The mayor is then required to select from one of those three candidates or to restart the search.
Once selected, the nominee will be required to undergo City Council confirmation.
The City held community conversations to allow residents to give input on the Police Chief search. Each conversation had a community focus. The facilitator report on the first five conversations in July are available here. Summary notes from the August 10 and August 11 meetings are available.
| Date | Location | Community Focus |
| July 25, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm | Mount Calvary Christian Church: 1412 23rd Avenue Seattle, WA 98122 | Faith, Central District, South Seattle |
| July 26, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm | Virtual Event – WebEx Webinar | Businesses |
| July 26, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm | North Seattle College: 9600 College Way N, Seattle, WA 98103, (“The Grove”) | General Public |
| July 30, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm | Rainier Beach Community Center: 8825 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118 | Youth |
| July 30, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm | Virtual Event – WebEx Webinar | Immigrant/Refugee (live-feed interpreter lines will be available) |
| August 10, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm | Holgate St Church: 2600 S Holgate St, Seattle, WA 98144 | General Public |
| August 11, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm | South Park Hall: 1253 S Cloverdale St, Seattle, WA 98108 | General Public |
On September 6 and 7, the charter-required competitive examination was administered by four public safety experts. The examination was made up of written and oral assessments. As a result of the examination, the assessors unanimously identified the three finalists for the Mayor’s selection.
The assessors were:
- Mike Howard, Former Chief Security Officer at Microsoft
- Kathleen O’Toole, Former Seattle Police Chief and Boston Police Commissioner
- Jay Tabb, Former Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Seattle, WA
- Jeri Williams, Phoenix (AZ) Police Chief
Search Committee
Candidates were identified through the Public Sector Search & Consulting search firm, which conducted a national search. Applications were due to Gary Peterson, Gary@PublicSectorSearch.com by Tuesday, July 5, 4:00PM PST for first consideration.
- Council President Debora Juarez, Seattle City Council
- Councilmember Lisa Herbold, Seattle City Council
- Lieutenant Scott Bachler, Seattle Police Management Association
- Prachi Dave, Policy and Advocacy Director, Public Defender Association; Commissioner, Community Police Commission
- Gabe Galanda, Managing Lawyer, Galanda Broadman, PLLC
- Erin Goodman, Executive Director, SODO Business Improvement Area
- Esther Lucero, Chief Executive Officer, Seattle Indian Health Board
- Jim Pugel, former SPD Chief of Police
- Robert Saka, Attorney, Microsoft Corporation
- Rachel Smith, President & CEO, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
- Mary Ellen Stone, Chief Executive Officer, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
- Reverend Harriett Walden, Founder, Mothers for Police Accountability; Co-Chair, Community Police Commission
- Natalie Walton-Anderson, Criminal Division Chief, Seattle City Attorney’s Office
- Bishop Reggie Witherspoon, Mount Calvary Christian Center