Mayor Bruce Harrell is confident that, by September, there will be a permanent police chief for the Seattle Police Department .
The mayor’s office is in the middle of hosting a series of five community forums meant to create opportunities for Seattle residents to share the priorities and values they are seeking in the city’s next chief of police. Adrian Diaz has served as interim police chief since September 2, 2020, following the resignation of Carmen Best. He was previously the deputy chief of the department.
“The first thing is, the officers themselves are going to be some of my best recruiters. I literally go to each precinct, sometimes 3 a.m., sometimes 11 p.m., to look them in their eyes, to hopefully motivate them, and talk about my belief in them,” Harrell said. “What we’re doing is we’re changing the narrative. Don’t forget I am unashamedly patriotic about the city and this country, and Seattle is an incredibly great city.