Real Change News | Public input solicited for new police chief

March 3, 2010
Vol: 17 No: 10

News

Public input solicited for new police chief

by: Julia Cechvala , Contributing Writer

South Seattle meeting reflects diverse interests

Chinese speakers discuss the qualities they’d like to see in the city’s next police chief at a Feb. 26 meeting, the final before a citizen search committee creates selection criteria to find a permanent replacement for Gil Kerlikowske, who resigned the position last May for the position of White House drug czar. Photo courtesy City of Seattle

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A din of chatter filled the bright, crowded room. Everywhere friends hugged and acquaintances met with smiles and handshakes. People grabbed a napkin and a Vietnamese sandwich or a plate of halal chicken wings and found a chair. A few children ate near their mothers while others colored with markers on posters provided by the organizers. One would think this was the scene of a community dinner – didn’t the sign out front say something about a Lunar New Year celebration? – but actually last Friday night was the third public input meeting for the Seattle police chief search committee.

Despite the informal, slightly chaotic atmosphere, important work was being done. Each circle of chairs made up a language grouping, and if you listened closely, you would realize the conversations were taking place in over half a dozen different tongues. Each group, often with the help of translators and community liaisons, was tasked with answering the mayor’s four questions concerning Seattle’s next police chief: What qualities should the committee look for in a candidate? What are Seattle’s top public safety concerns? What does the Seattle Police Department do well? And what changes would you like to see?

For some the discussion had actually started weeks earlier with flyers passed out door to door with these four questions printed in the languages of the immigrant community, said Ethiopia Almemneh, who is city liaison for the Ethiopian community.
Friday night, Feb. 26, as the facilitators busily wrote down people’s responses in scripts from around the globe, the large white flip charts filled with ideas and expectations for the next chief of police.

Finally each group had a chance to present a summary of its discussion and answers to the four questions to the assembled search committee (or rather, just under half of its 26 members). As the night went on the list of qualities these citizens want to see in their next police chief grew longer: integrity, openness, transparency, communication skills, intelligence, respect, leadership, experience.

Alma Kern, president of the Filipino Community of Seattle, summed it up nicely in her comments to the search committee: “I think we’re looking for a superman, but that’s ok.”

Concerns differed somewhat between groups. The Spanish language group asserted that the police should keep their enforcement separate from that of immigration rules. The east African presenters said domestic violence and working with their youth and community to understand the law were primary concerns. The Chinese language group wanted a greater police presence in the International District.

Other sentiments were near universal. Almost all groups complimented SPD on fast response times to 911 calls. And nearly all mentioned that they would like to see more police officers on the streets that look like them. A desire for increased diversity and bilingual capabilities among the force was a common refrain.

Some presenters also voiced a preference for a local person who already knows Seattle’s neighborhoods. Interim chief John Diaz has announced his intention to run for the job, and he got an impromptu endorsement (admitting bias, since Diaz is Hispanic) of a handful of Spanish speakers. Longtime Seattle resident and current Spokane chief Anne Kirkpatrick has also announced she will apply.

Friday’s public event was well received by the crowd of more than 100, with several presenters advocating for more such meetings with Seattle police in order to build relationships and trust, and provide education opportunities.

The next step in the police chief search will be a committee discussion and vote on the criteria used to select a candidate at a public meeting March 10 at City Hall.

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