SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council voted Tuesday to approve the appointment of Chief Adrian Diaz as the official leader of the city’s police department.
He was confirmed with an 8-1 vote. The only “no” vote came from Councilmember Kshama Sawant.
Under the Seattle city charter, Diaz had to be confirmed by the city council before switching from holding the title of interim chief to being the permanent chief.
Mayor Bruce Harrell appointed Diaz to the position last September following a monthslong, nationwide search.
Prior to that, Diaz had served as interim chief for two years following former Police Chief Carmen Best’s resignation in August 2020.
Diaz held the chief role during historic budget cuts and staffing shortages for SPD, as well as during a time of social unrest after the murder of George Floyd.
He has worked with SPD for over two decades in patrol, crime prevention and investigation.
Diaz has said he is ready for the hard work that lies ahead, promising new initiatives to diversify a police force still under a federal consent decree to monitor use of force and biased policing.
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