City wants input on search for police chief

Mayor Mike McGinn is searching for a new chief of police and has asked the public to help develop the selection criteria. Former Chief Gil Kerlikowske left the Seattle Police Department upon his appointment as the nation’s drug czar by President Obama last year. The Seattle Police Chief Search Committee, a 26-member citizen panel, has been tasked with the job of narrowing the pool of potentials down to three finalists to recommend to the mayor in May, in the hopes of making a final selection by June.

The search committee is posing the following questions to community members:

  • What qualities are you looking for in a new Police Chief?
  • What is the most important public safety issue in Seattle?
  • What does the Seattle Police Department do well?
  • What changes would you like to see?

To encourage community input the city has set up three ways for those interested to respond – by attending one of three upcoming public forums, visiting the new website or dialing into a dedicated phone line set up for the search.

The first meeting will he held tomorrow, Wednesday, February 10 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Northgate Community Center, located at 10510 5th Ave NE. The first two hours of the meeting has been allotted for public comment, with the final hour reserved for the search committee “to begin developing competitive selection process and assessment criteria.”

For more information, see the search committee website. Download the meetings flyer here (.pdf). Can’t make it to a meeting? Answer the committee’s four questions online or over the phone by calling 206-684-CITY (206-684-2489).

16 thoughts to “City wants input on search for police chief”

  1. More cops on the street.
    Cops walking a beat downtown.
    Stings to catch the car prowlers.
    More detectives to follow up and catch burglars.

  2. As someone with knowledge of this process let me assure you “the people” have nothing to do with who will get picked. It's all politics, including wasting our time pretending to care what we think.

  3. Why don't the police come out publicly in a big way and say how badly they need more bodies and funding?

    Most other cities waste no time in saying this whenever there is some public outrage on crime. It seems like the police here are suppressed by fear of politics to complain about lack of bodies.

  4. Oh, I'm mad as hell now.
    This story smacks of the wussy-ass status quo of the SPD cheifs of the past.
    This Mayor better pick a cheif with some balls, or he'll be just like the other tub of lard we fired.
    Public safety isn't a friggin joke anymore!
    SPD dropped the ball, and Metro Security won't stoop to pick it up.
    Insanity, absolute friggin insanity.

    http://www.mynw.com/?nid=91

  5. Biker #2: I say we kill him!
    Biker Gang: [shout] Yeah!
    Biker #3: I say we hang him, *then* we kill him!
    Biker Gang: [shout] Yeah!
    Biker #4: I say we stomp him!
    Biker Gang: [shout] Yeah!
    Biker #4: Then we tattoo him!
    Biker Gang: [shout] Yeah!
    Biker #4: Then we hang him…!
    Biker Gang: [shout] YEAH!'!
    Biker #4: And then we kill him!
    Biker Gang: [shout] YEAH!'!'!
    Pee-wee: [tries to throw voice without moving lips] I say we let him go.
    Biker Gang: [shout] NO!'!'!

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