(The Center Square) - Seattle’s next police chief will likely already have a Seattle connection or be quickly willing to establish one, said Alison Holcomb, the mayor’s public safety director.
“I do believe it’s going to be a major factor that either the person is already from Seattle or very clearly plans to move here and spend most of their time in Seattle, except for vacations,” she said in an interview with The Center Square.
That declared preference comes despite the fact that Washington state law prohibits cities from setting up residency requirements for officials.
"No city, town, or municipality shall require any person applying for or holding an office, place, position, or employment under the provisions of this chapter or under any local charter or other regulations ... to reside within the limits of such municipal corporation as a condition of employment or to discriminate in any manner against any such person because of his or her residence outside of the limits of such city, town, or municipality," according to the law.
Holcomb's comments are a contrast to former Police Chief Shon Barnes, who was forced to resign by Mayor Katie Wilson after the Bite of Seattle shooting in late July that killed three and injured four.
Barnes was out of town attending a police conference when the July 26 shooting occurred, which put attention on the amount of time he spent outside the city as well as communication breakdowns in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
Barnes was a frequent conference-goer, but also left town multiple times to visit his family in Chicago.
Barnes used his $60,000 city relocation allowance to move himself to a Seattle apartment building after taking office in January 2025, but not his family.
Holcomb said Wilson is constantly hearing from constituents who want a police chief familiar with Seattle.
“It’s a theme that has come out because they really want someone that is grounded in the community,” she said.
Holcomb’s comments to The Center Square came as the first of three community roundtables Saturday seeking input on what qualifications the community wants in the new police department leader.
Several hundred community members split into groups in a South Seattle community center at the meeting.
Many said they wanted a chief familiar with Seattle.
Seattle resident Asia Adam said her group of eight agreed that the new police chief needs to know Seattle.
“Because they will be familiar with the mosaic of the community and understand the issues,” she said.
Other groups reported similar findings.
Holcomb said the feedback from the meeting will be given to Wilson.
Holcomb said that while the mayor knew Barnes traveled back to Chicago to visit his family, she wasn't aware of his frequent trips to attend conferences.
In a letter to the Seattle City Council earlier this month, Wilson's lawyer offered some details the mayor asked Barnes to resign.
“After careful consideration, the Mayor requested his resignation due to the need to build a cabinet that is aligned with her administration's values, policy goals, and vision for the Seattle Police Department,” the letter states.
Holcomb expanded on that reasoning.
“Here’s what I can say: I think there were gaps in the connections he had with people in Seattle,” she said.
Holcomb also alluded to Barnes's stance on the CARE mental health crisis program.
Wilson has also made her strong support for the city's CARE program public, which provides crisis counselors to respond to mental health emergencies instead of police.
At a Seattle City Council hearing in February, Barnes expressed reluctance to send out CARE teams, opting instead for a police response.
Holcomb said the CARE team has responded to more calls since Acting Chief Andre Sayles took over after Barnes agreed to resign, and that the acting chief has been working with the administration to allow more CARE responses.
Holcomb said Wilson hopes to select a new chief by the end of the year.
She said there are 23 candidates, including eight who currently work for the department or have worked for it in the past.
Holcomb said Sayles has expressed interest in the job, but said she didn’t know whether he had applied.
Sayles has said he lives in King County, but not in Seattle. He did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
