Rev. Harriett Walden: Seattle is a ‘progressive, racist town’

In a move that shocked some members of the Seattle community, including the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild, the City of Seattle passed over interim Police Chief Carmen Best in its search to replace former Chief Kathleen O’Toole.

And according to Seattle racial equality activists, the choice to not promote Best, who is an African-American, comes down to racism on the part of the city.

RELATED: Mayor Durkan snaps over police chief question

“It took 90 years to get a female mayor in Seattle, and the first thing she does is push down another female,” Rev. Harriett Walden, who founded Mothers for Police Accountability, told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson. “There [isn’t any] gender equity here.”

Carmen Best, who has been with SPD for 26 years, had made it to the top five candidates chosen by a 25-member committee. But she was eliminated from the running after that by advisers in Durkan’s office. The final three candidates all hail from outside of Washington. The decision to reach outside of the state has sparked anger from some Seattle residents.

“She’s worked her way up through the ranks, she’s an excellent candidate … she is stellar compared to [the other candidates],” Walden said of Best.

In a statement, on Friday, Best congratulated the final candidates and said that she would remain interim chief until a new person was selected.

Carmen Best and community support

Walden believes that a brand-new search for a police chief needs to be conducted, and said that Best would still be willing to accept the position of chief because “she wants to do the best job she can.”

“This is a flawed process and we need to start over,” she said.

The Seattle Police Officers’ Guild also supported Best as the new chief. In an interview with KTTH’s Jason Rantz, Guild President Kevin Stuckey called the snub “a smack in the face.”

“I stand with the guild,” Walden said. “They said she was the most qualified candidate.”

According to Walden, elimination of Best from the running is evidence of a systematic racism that has been in place since Seattle’s foundation. Seattle masks itself as progressive and tolerant, she said, but there is still plenty of racism at play.

“Seattle is a progressive, racist town,” Walden said. “Most public policies have been against us.”

 

Follow @NicoleKIROFM