Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4) today released the following statement on Mayor Bruce Harrell’s appointment of Shon Barnes as Seattle’s next Chief of Police:

“While I have not had an opportunity to meet Chief Barnes yet, it sounds like he is very experienced and well-respected in his field. I look forward to building a collaborative working relationship with him, as I have with the previous SPD Chiefs. I want to thank Interim Chief Sue Rahr for the collaboration and attention to the public safety issues in the D4 and throughout the city. Public safety and the SPD staffing shortage are critical concerns for me and my constituents.

“I am eager to learn more about Chief Barnes and his thoughts on addressing the increase in crime in Seattle; collaborating with the King County Executive and Sound Transit as they combat the public safety issues on our buses and light rail, and hearing about SPD’s continued plans for the hiring and retaining of officers.”

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