Chief Harry Bailey has announced the following changes within the SPD Command Staff: Assistant Chief Joe Kessler moves from Operations Bureau to Homeland Security Bureau. Assistant Chief Paul McDonagh moves from Homeland Security Bureau to Field Support Bureau. Assistant Chief Nick Metz moves from Field Support Bureau to Operations Bureau…. [ Keep reading ]
Flanked by Mayor Ed Murray and Interim Seattle Police Department Chief Harry Bailey, former Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen O’Toole stood before a packed house at City Hall Monday morning as she accepted Mayor Murray’s nomination to become the first woman in Seattle history to serve as Chief of Police. After… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle Police Department would like to congratulate Assistant Chief Jim Pugel on his retirement. A native son, Chief Pugel grew up in Seattle and graduated from the University of Washington. He went on to serve his city for a long and distinguished 31-year career with the Seattle Police Department… [ Keep reading ]
Since I have become the Interim Chief of Police, I have made it a priority to keep the employees of the Seattle Police Department informed about all of the changes occurring—I want you to hear about them from me first. With that in mind, I would like to give… [ Keep reading ]
I would like to congratulate Assistant Chief Clark Kimerer on his retirement from the Seattle Police Department. Clark informed me of his decision to retire on Friday, January 24th. His retirement will be effective June 30, 2014. Until that time he will be working on several long term special projects…. [ Keep reading ]
Interim Chief of Police Harry Bailey made the following announcement to all Seattle Police Department employees this afternoon: I would like to announce the newest promotions in the Seattle Police Department and Command Staff changes. Effective immediately, the following Captains have been promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief: Robin Clark… [ Keep reading ]
I would like to congratulate Assistant Chief Mike Sanford on his retirement from the Seattle Police Department. Chief Sanford has been a valuable asset to the Seattle Police Department during his 29 years of service with SPD. He has made his notification that his retirement will be effective as of… [ Keep reading ]
Today, the Seattle Police Department took another step forward in our efforts to provide effective, humane and constitutional policing to our city. Federal Judge James Robart has approved an extensive overhaul of how our officers are trained to use force, making clear our department’s commitment to tactics like de-escalation and confrontation avoidance… [ Keep reading ]
Fresh off his recent appearance on a Harvard panel on criminal justice reform, Seattle Police Department Chief Jim Pugel appeared at the United Nations earlier this week to talk about Seattle’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program. The LEAD program is a harm reduction effort currently being piloted in the Belltown area, which… [ Keep reading ]
This morning, I received questions from the City Council about staffing levels in our department’s Domestic Violence Unit. After a thorough review, showing our department has increased the number of investigators in our nationally-recognized DV Unit to 15, I have sent this letter to Councilmember Tim Burgess, providing a detailed accounting… [ Keep reading ]
