Seattle confirms Shon Barnes as police chief, pledges full SPD staffing by 2027

The Seattle City Council unanimously confirmed Shon Barnes as the city’s next police chief.

“We do have a plan, and we have been working, and we’re ready to debut that plan to our community and show them how we’re going to work together as a collaborative police department to achieve the type of public safety that we want,” Barnes told the city council during the announcement.

With his appointment as Seattle’s top cop now official, he vowed that staffing in the Seattle Police Department (SPD) will be at full capacity by 2027.

“I want to be a part of that chapter of that story about how the city of Seattle and SPD became a national model for policing,” Barnes said.

The SPD is hiring approximately six times more officers this year compared with the same period in 2024, according to Axios.

“Year to date, we’ve hired 87 police officers. Last year, in 2024 from January to December, we had hired 87,” Barnes shared on “The Gee and Ursula Show.” “So, halfway through the year, we’re at 87. Last year, we had a net of one. This year, we have a net of 47.”

He said he is pushing the department to hire 200 police officers. Additionally, Barnes is aiming for his department to have quicker response times and a stronger patrol presence.

Crime down under Barnes’ watch

Through the first six months of 2025, violent crimes and homicides are down 37% in Seattle, while robberies are down 16%.

SPD just ushered approximately 70,000 peaceful protesters marching through the city for a “No Kings” rally, where no injuries or property damage were reported.

The tail of the #NoKingsProtest has just left Cal Anderson. That’s over 1.5 miles full of people and not a single report of property damage. pic.twitter.com/UXDFxQPDGY

— Seattle Police Department (@SeattlePD) June 14, 2025

Barnes was the Chief of Police in Madison, Wisconsin, from 2021 to 2024.

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