Police Chief Search

Vision 

Seattle is launching a search for the next permanent Chief of Police. This process will be comprehensive and transparent, and it will look both inside and outside the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to find the right leader for this moment. 

"I am looking for a leader who understands that public safety starts with public trust. It is a trust that is earned every single day. Seattle’s next police chief must be visible, accountable, and present in our neighborhoods, listening to residents, workers, and businesses across our city. We need a leader who will also be present and engaged within SPD, with a focus on operational excellence, leadership development, and internal culture, ensuring that SPD is a great place to work and that every employee does their part to build relationships with the communities this department serves." — Mayor Katie Wilson. 

Every person in Seattle — regardless of background or income — has the absolute right to be safe in their home, on their streets, and in their neighborhood. Safety begins with trusted relationships and depends on an integrated and coordinated system of community and business organizations, service providers, and a diversified team of first responders located across Seattle’s Police, Fire, and CARE Departments. The next police chief must share that vision and be prepared to lead with professionalism, integrity, and genuine partnership with the people of this city.

Read the job description and apply here.

Input 

Mayor Wilson was elected on a promise that this is your city and has directed a community-centered search process to ensure that this is your police chief. 

"The next Chief will play an integral role in shaping not just the department’s culture, but the future of public safety in Seattle. This is a pivotal moment to design a public safety system that matches our city’s values and priorities, and I intend to get it right." — Mayor Katie Wilson.

That process will start with a public survey, open until September 15, where the Seattle community members can share perspectives on the skills, experience, and priorities the next police chief should have: take the survey.

Next, the Mayor's Office will partner with the Seattle Neighborhood Group to host public forums throughout Seattle. The first forum will be September 26th at Van Asselt Community Center in south Seattle from 12-2 PM. More details about future forums will be shared in the coming weeks. 

Process 

The police chief search process is set by the City Charter. Mayor Wilson will appoint an advisory committee of community leaders and public safety experts, which has the responsibility to assess candidates based on law enforcement executive qualifications and experience as well as the community input gathered by public survey and listening sessions and to recommend up to five individuals to proceed to a competitive examination.

The planned timeline for the police chief search is: 

• August: Job posting and announcement
• September-October: Community outreach and engagement 
• October-November: Candidate review with Advisory Committee 
• November-December: Candidate Examination and Finalists Interviews with the Mayor

Mayor Wilson will interview the top candidates based on the competitive exam and is expected to make a final decision by the beginning of 2027.  Once selected, the nominee will be required to undergo City Council confirmation.  

Advisory Committee Co-Chairs

• Justice Yu recently retired from the Washington Supreme Court after 25 years of combined judicial service on the Supreme Court and the King County Superior Court. Justice Yu has had an extensive record of service on and off the bench including co-chair of the Supreme Court’s Minority and Justice Commission and co-chair of the Washington Leadership Institute sponsored by the Washington State Bar Association and the state’s three law schools. 

• Ian Warner is currently the Public Policy Director at Vulcan Real Estate. Previously, Ian was a Senior Public Policy Director at Zillow where he worked on fair housing issues and industry regulations with business leaders and public officials across the country. Prior to Zillow, Ian served as the Seattle Mayor’s Office Legal Counsel, where he advised mayors and senior leadership teams on a broad array of policy and legal matters. Before joining the Mayor’s Office, Warner was an associate with Dorsey & Whitney LLP, where he was a member of the Monitoring Team that oversaw the Seattle Police Department’s implementation of the federal consent decree. He has led several national searches for Seattle area leaders including judges and executives.