Former SPD Chief Carmen Best ‘flattered’ by consideration for NYPD commissioner job

Reports surfaced in early November that former Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best was in the running to be New York City’s next police commissioner. Best spoke to KTTH’s Jason Rantz Show on Monday to confirm those reports.

Report: Former SPD Chief Carmen Best in running for NYPD commissioner job

Best announced her departure from the Seattle Police Department in August 2020, just days after the Seattle City Council approved a handful of cuts to the police department’s remaining budget for that year. At the time, she said she had “no regrets,” and has since indicated that she would “not rule anything out” regarding whether she would consider returning as a police chief in a new city.

In November, the New York Post reported that Best was one of “six to eight women” currently being considered for the commissioner role by newly-elected NYC Mayor Eric Adams.

While rumors to that effect first began to appear in the previous month when Best was in New York City for a conference, she says that she had actually not yet been contacted about the commissioner job at that time.

“I had gone to New York for a cyber crimes conference, and was there to talk about some of those issues and how we were dealing with some of those issues in Seattle,” she told the Jason Rantz Show. “That was really the gist of the meeting at that point.”

SPD officers line 5th Avenue to honor Chief Best on her last day

“Subsequent to that, I have been reached out to as one of the potential candidates for the commissioner position,” she added.

As for whether or not Best would accept a new role in law enforcement after spending her time away from policing to publish her new book and contribute to NBC News, she’s at least leaving the door open.

“I feel very honored and very flattered that I’m being considered in this role, so we’ll see where it lands,” Best noted. “But it’s very early on — it’s New York. Obviously, there are a lot of things that have to be discussed and talked about, but certainly I think it’s an honor to be considered. If they asked me to throw my hat in the ring, I’m going to do it.”

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