Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), chair of the Public Safety Committee, released the following statement on today’s announced appointment of Shon Barnes as Seattle’s Chief of Police.

“I extend a warm welcome to Chief Barnes to Seattle and congratulate him on the opportunity to lead one of the finest police departments in the country and build on the work that makes it so. We will work to ensure our new chief can hit the ground running as we all work, as One Seattle, to create the safe base that our City needs to be so that families, communities, and businesses can thrive.

“I thank the Mayor and his team for the work they have done to bring Chief Barnes onboard and for their collaboration. It will continue to take an all-hands-on-deck effort to address the serious public safety challenges that we have before us. I also want to take a moment to thank the men and women of SPD, their families, and loved ones, for the service they provide to our City, especially as we move through the holidays. Thank you for having the watch.”

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