Central to the search is the advisory committee co-chaired by retired Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu and Ian Warner, a former mayoral legal counsel who previously served on the federal consent decree monitoring team for SPD. The committee, alongside law enforcement and civic leaders, is tasked with assessing applicants, incorporating community feedback, and recommending up to five finalists for a charter-mandated competitive examination. The top three candidates will advance to final interviews with the mayor.
A citywide online survey is now live through September 15th inviting residents to define the qualities, skills, and priorities required for the top post. The city will also host community listening sessions, beginning September 26th at the Van Asselt Community Center.
The recruitment follows a turbulent period after the departure of former Chief Shon Barnes amid fallout from a deadly Seattle Center shootout, leaving interim Chief Andre Sayles currently at the helm. Wilson has stressed that the next permanent chief must not only rebuild internal culture and bridge community relations, but also champion alternative public safety solutions by growing the role played by the city’s unarmed civilian CARE crisis responders.
A commitment to living in Seattle will probably also help.
The job is listed with a “$234,294.48 – $374,900.40” salary range.
Candidate evaluations will run through the fall, with Wilson anticipated to submit her nominee for Seattle City Council confirmation in early 2027.
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