The Durkan Digest: Thanking Chief Best for Her 28 Years of Dedicated Service (email)
Today is a sad day for Seattle in a hard, hard year.
We are facing unprecedented challenges – a global pandemic that is getting worse with no end in sight. An economic crisis that has devastated workers and small businesses and put a spotlight on deep inequities. A civil rights reckoning that has made our city confront, acknowledge, and begin to truly address generational harms caused by systemic racism.
But it is in difficult times that we see the true spirit of a person - their courage, grit, compassion, and empathy. Chief Carmen Best has been one of those leaders that has shown up and shown what she is made of. She cared deeply about this City, community, and officers.
This past weekend, the Chief notified me that she made the decision to retire from the department that has been her home and career for almost 30 years. My heart is heavy to lose her, and I will freely admit that I wish she were staying on, and that I asked if she would. Many in the community are rightfully upset and frustrated about City Council’s recent actions. Cutting her salary and the salaries of her diverse leadership team was wrong. Refusing to seek her input at this critical juncture was wrong. And as the Chief said today, the lack of respect to her and our officers was wrong.
We can and must change how the City thinks about policing and community safety. Chief Best wanted to be a part of that transformation. Our City is demanding action, but I regret deeply that she concluded that the best way to serve the city and help the department was a change in leadership, in the hope that would change the dynamics to move forward with the City Council. I have no doubt that she will continue to lead, fight for what is right, be a voice for equity, and challenge policing and other systems that have perpetuated inequity. That is who Carmen is.
When she accepted the role of Interim Chief - then Chief - almost three years ago, Chief Best took on an immensely challenging role. She led our city through episodes of gun violence including mass shootings. She was unwavering in her commitment to significant reducing the use of force under the Consent Decree and better serving BIPOC communities. She believed deeply in making Seattle a leader in the best policies and training under the federal consent decree. She created an incredibly diverse leadership team to lead the Seattle Police Department that includes women, officers of color, and LGBTQ+ people. And for the last two years, she recruited the most diverse class of officers in recent history.
Even before the murder of George Floyd, Chief Best believed in continuous improvement and community policing. Under her leadership, she created the Collaborative Policing Bureau, brought back the Community Service Officer program, added mental health workers to our precincts, and focused on strategies to reduce 911 calls that needed a response from an armed officer. Chief Best understood deeply the new challenges facing officers, and she knew that sometimes, people in crisis need something that Police Officers aren't well equipped to provide - including social services like housing, meal assistance, child care, or counseling. These are exactly the kind of collaborative solutions we need for our City.
The cause to transform policing and invest in communities of color is urgent, the pain is deep and the need for ferocity is real. But the road is long, and the efforts must be sustained. This work will continue. I’m committed to this work. As I have made clear in recent months, I will listen to every part of our community, and I have expressed many times that I am willing to collaborate with City Council.
This work ahead of us demands individuals who care deeply about community policing, which is why I have appointed Deputy Chief Adrian Diaz to serve as Interim Chief beginning in September. Serving nearly two decades in the department, Deputy Chief Adrian Diaz has led the innovative Collaborative Policing Bureau, and he will work with community members and officers to protect community safety and re-imagine policing in Seattle. He has spent his career elevating the voices of young people across the City, and I am grateful for his willingness to meet the challenge. He will be his own person with a valuable perspective, and he will work to close the huge divides we face.
If you have a chance, I hope you’ll read Chief Best’s note to the City or watch our press conference.
Please join me in thanking Chief Best for her service to Seattle. And let’s welcome Deputy Chief Diaz to this critical position.
Sincerely,
Mayor Jenny Durkan
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