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Monday, December 7, 2009

City McGinn Relaunches Search for New Police Chief

Posted by Dominic Holden on Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 12:24 PM

Mayor-elect Mike McGinn announced today that he is relaunching the committee tasked with recommending a new police chief, and he's begun appointing new members. The committee had stopped work during the election despite pleas from McGinn to allow the search to continue.

"I am currently contacting members appointed to the search committee by Mayor Greg Nickels to see which of them wish to continue to serve with the new administration," McGinn said a statement. McGinn has appointed City Council Member Bruce Harrell to serve on the 24-member committee and Charles Rolland, the board president for Community and Parents for Public Schools of Seattle, to serve as the committee's co-chair.

Less than a month before the election, McGinn chastised challenger Joe Mallahan for asking Mayor Greg Nickels to delay the search while the election was underway. Nickels's office deferred to Mallahan. "I think that's a mistake," McGinn said at the time. Finding and appointing a new chief would take four to six months after a new mayor is elected, he noted, and delaying the search prevents a new police chief from starting new anti-crime initiatives. Interim Seattle Chief John Diaz is currently at the department's helm.

McGinn spokesman Aaron Pickus adds, "There may be further additions to the committee in the future." The search committee will meet in January and will likely make a recommendation by May.

Comments (9) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Dominic, you wrote that the committee has 24 members. That can't be right. What's the real number? Six? Eight?

Posted by elenchos on December 7, 2009 at 12:37 PM

2 Comment Pulled (OffTopic) Comment Policy

@ 1) There were 24 members as of mid-October.

Posted by Dominic Holden on December 7, 2009 at 12:45 PM

4 Comment Pulled (OffTopic) Comment Policy

But Dominic. Twenty four members. How are they supposed to make a decision? It makes no sense. Surely someone is teasing you.

Posted by elenchos on December 7, 2009 at 1:17 PM

I'll do it.

Posted by Meinert on December 7, 2009 at 1:20 PM

This subject did not come up Friday when Joe Mallahan and I ate at the Red Door, surprisingly.

Probably cause all the cops were elsewhere.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on December 7, 2009 at 1:44 PM

2
hey it took a long time to type that
damn you to hell

Posted by besides, there is video proof!!! on December 7, 2009 at 3:55 PM

On one hand we need to get a new chief ASAP.
On the other hand we need to get the right one.
Either way, we're going to keep plodding along with a 19% crime increase under an interim chief until summer?

Posted by Move Out Till They Fix It on December 7, 2009 at 4:24 PM