Jake: Calls grow to fire SPD chief, but would Katie Wilson’s replacement be any better?

In the aftermath of the tragic gang-related mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle, we’ve seen an obvious void in leadership.

The press conferences updating the public on the ongoing investigation have taken an unfortunate, if predictable, turn. Most of what we’re seeing now feels like the people in charge playing defense against legitimate questions from reporters — rather than answering them.

Unfortunately, the innocent victims who were killed, and the families whose lives are forever changed, have taken a backseat to the city’s bungled response.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is struggling to explain why the public was kept in the dark for five hours between the shooting and the city’s first public update.

And Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes should be spending his airtime updating the public on the investigation into those responsible. Instead, most of the news around him lately has been about his permanent address and a genuinely uncomfortable exchange with a local reporter who pressed him for clarification on it.

That’s left a lot of people asking: what happens next?

I’m seeing growing calls for Wilson to fire Barnes. And honestly, there’s a real case to be made. If a huge part of his life, his family, is living in another state, that’s a legitimate question for someone holding down one of the most important jobs in the city.

The problem with firing Barnes: Wilson picks what comes next

But firing him opens up a different set of problems, because the person who’d replace him is Wilson.

Appointing a new police chief is one of the mayor’s core responsibilities, subject to confirmation by the Seattle City Council. And that’s where it gets tricky because when you look at Wilson’s history with law enforcement, it’s fair to be nervous about who she’d pick.

During the mayoral campaign, former Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s team surfaced some troubling statements from Wilson’s past.

In a 2020 post on PubliCola, Wilson said: “We want to move towards a future entirely without SPD; we want to focus energy elsewhere.”

It’s worth noting that Wilson didn’t walk back that defund-the-police position until her 2025 mayoral run. That timeline alone makes me wonder what her real priorities would be in picking a new chief.

I can’t honestly tell you whether Barnes is the right person for this job. His recent interactions with reporters, and the questions about how often he’s traveling to be near family, are legitimate concerns for a position this important.

But he still might be a better alternative than whoever Wilson has in mind to replace him.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.