PRECINCT CAPTAIN JOE KESSLER
Captain Kessler began his career with the Seattle Police Department in 1981. He worked in all patrol precincts as an officer, in Inspections and Planning and as an instructor in the Advanced Training Unit. Following his promotion to sergeant in February of 1989 he was assigned as the supervisor of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Academy and subsequently served as a patrol sergeant in the East Precinct in addition to serving as the ACT Team supervisor and the Community Police Team supervisor in the West Precinct. After his promotion to lieutenant in 1992 he served in the East Precinct as a Watch Commander and as the Operations Lieutenant and as a Commander in the Vice and Narcotics Sections.
Captain Kessler was promoted to captain in 2000 and has been assigned as the commander of the Deployment Unit, Traffic Section and the Metropolitan Section. He subsequently served as the commander of the Southwest Precinct from 2008 to 2010 and the West Precinct from 2010 to 2012. He returned to Southwest Precinct in January of 2013.
Captain Kessler was born and raised in Seattle and graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Society and Justice. He is also a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Policing at Boston University and the West Point Leadership Program.
