The mayor has decided to stick with interim Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best. Now she has to gain the approval of the Seattle City Council. A public hearing Wednesday night in council chambers will also give citizens a chance to weigh in:

Gender Equity, Safe Communities, New Americans, and Education Committee
Public Hearing – Special Meeting
Wednesday, August 1, 2018 6:00 PM SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL Council Chamber, City Hall 600 4th Avenue Seattle

As part of the process, the council presented Best with a set of “confirmation questions.” Her answers, below, show the 26-year veteran of the Seattle Police Department prioritizes growth in the officer ranks and increasing alternatives to traditional enforcement and criminal justice.

Another issue raised in the City Council’s questions will be of interest to Capitol Hill Block Party producers. The City Auditor said earlier this year that events like CHBP should pay more of their fair share for Seattle Police required to provide security and work the surrounding streets. The City Council asked Best her thoughts on the issue:

We’ll let you parse here long reply in the embedded document, above.

CHS reported here on Mayor Jenny Durkan’s selection of Best after the interim chief was initially left out of the roster of final candidates. Community groups and members of Durkan’s Community Police Commission had spoken out on Best’s omission and called on the mayor to restart the selection process to include Best, the first Black woman to lead the department. and a career law enforcement officer who has risen through the ranks at SPD with wide support in communities like the Central District.