Seattle mayor nominates Carmen Best for police chief
Jul 17, 2018, 9:19 AM | Updated: 10:39 am
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Mayor Jenny Durkan nominated Interim Chief Carmen Best for the next chief of the Seattle Police Department.
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Best was selected over Minneapolis Police Inspector Eddie Frizell, and Assistant Austin Police Chief Ely Reyes.
Best thanked the community for its support in the process.
“I will be announced as the next Seattle Police Chief. I am excited to lead the men and women of this great agency. It is my commitment to you that I will move the department ahead on continued improvement and innovation.”
The move comes after several twists in the effort to replace former police chief Kathleen O’Toole.
Best did not make the original list of three finalists for the job. She was passed over largely because the 25-member search committee felt like someone from outside Seattle would work better to enact change.
The decision left some in the community, including many within the police guild, upset. A letter from Guild President Kevin Stuckey stated that the committee’s justification for hiring someone from outside the city “downplayed” the department’s accomplishments over the past several years.
However, the tone changed when Cameron McLay suddenly withdrew, putting Best back in the running.
“We [the guild] are very happy that the mayor placed her in the top three and she’s in full consideration,” Guild Vice President Rich O’Neill said.
Mayor Durkan’s nomination is subject to council approval.
Durkan tweeted:
“For the past several months, members of the police chief search committee have spent countless hours looking for the best candidate for Seattle’s next Chief of Police. Today, I am proud to nominate the best person for the job: Interim Chief Carmen Best.”
Best became Seattle Police Department’s interim chief of police Jan. 1. As Deputy Chief, Best oversaw the Patrol Operations, Criminal Investigations, Special Operations Bureau, and the Community Outreach section. Best has worked for the Seattle Police Department since 1992. Prior to her current post, Best served at nearly every level of the Department, rising through the ranks of police officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and deputy chief.
