SEATTLE, Wash. — The city of Seattle is asking for the public’s help to find the next chief of police as the mayor’s office releases new details on the search.
According to Mayor Katie Wilson’s public safety director, there are around 24 qualified applicants for the job so far -- around 10 of whom work or have previously worked at the Seattle Police Department.
South Seattle was invited to the Van Asselt Community Center Saturday for the first in a series of three listening sessions aimed at gathering public feedback on the hiring process.
For Lonnisha Landry, it was personal.
“It needs to be done,” Landry said. “This is to save our babies, and your babies, as well.”
Landry lost her 16-year-old son, Xavier, to gun violence in Auburn two years ago. She since started a nonprofit, Just/Us Love Ones, aimed at helping kids who have lost a sibling. She knows exactly what is at stake in this hiring process.
“I want to see children live to see my age,” Landry said. “In order to do that, I have to do my part and stand up for the community and the babies.”
She and dozens of others answered a series of questions about what they’d like to see in the chief who will replace Shon Barnes, who was asked to resign days after the deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival.
“Obviously, there’s been a little bit of tension and hopefully this can get us back on the right track,” Seattle City Councilmember Eddie Lin said.
Alison Holcomb, the mayor’s public safety director, was also in attendance. She acknowledged the role’s turbulent history.
“People have been through a lot of police chiefs in this city, and we’ve been through a federal consent decree,” Holcomb said.
Holcomb told KIRO 7 the goal is to make the hire by January, taking the public input into account and thoroughly examining each finalist. That includes interviewing former colleagues and visiting other cities where they have worked.
“People want to see that the next police chief is someone who understands this city,” Holcomb said.
The mayor’s office announced an advisory committee for the search Friday. The members are:
Co-Chairs
- Justice Mary Yu (Ret.), Washington State Supreme Court
- Ian Warner, Public Policy Director, Vulcan Real Estate
Committee Members
- Anthony Gaedcke, Vice President, Seattle Police Management Association (SPMA)
- Bishop Dr. Reggie C. Witherspoon, Sr., Senior Pastor, Mount Calvary Christian Church
- Colleen Echohawk, CEO, Community Roots Housing
- Eci Ameh, Executive Director, Community Police Commission
- Erin Goodman, Executive Director, SODO Business Improvement Area (SODO BIA)
- Esther Lucero (Diné), President & CEO, Seattle Indian Health Board
- Fé LopezGaetke, Co-Executive Director, Purpose. Dignity. Action.
- Ilona Lohrey, President & CEO, GSBA
- Jamie Lee, Co-Executive Director, Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda)
- Jon Scholes, President & CEO, Downtown Seattle Association (DSA)
- Kent Loux, President, Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG)
- Monica Alexander, former Executive Director, Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission
- Robert Kettle, City of Seattle Councilmember, District 7, Public Safety Committee Chair
- Sophia Benalfew, Executive Director, Ethiopian Community Center of Seattle
- Tessa Gorman, former United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington
- Valerie Tran, Interim Executive Director, Friends of Little Sài Gòn
Two other listening sessions are scheduled. One will be held Monday, September 28 at Seattle University. The final session will be held Wednesday, September 30 at North Seattle College.