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,  

The Mayor and Chief are currently engaging the community on its priorities for SPD and what changes community envisions for policing. In addition, the department and Mayor’s Office are analyzing all specialized functions of the department to determine what should be civilianized, transferred out of SPD, maintained, right-sized, or eliminated and the 800,000 calls from the community to 911 to determine what kinds of new emergency responses are necessary. 

On Monday, the City Budget Office (CBO) released its latest economic forecasts and revenue projections for Seattle, which showed an additional reduction to the 2020 General Fund revenue by $26.0 million (-2.1%) relative to the June forecast and is now projecting a total 2020 General Fund revenues of $1.19 billion, down from the adopted 2020 budget of $1.5 billion. 

When combined with the loss of other revenues streams that support a variety of basic municipal services, the City now anticipates $337 million less revenue, when compared to the adopted 2020 Adopted Budget. This represents a revenue shortfall  of 19%. You can view the memo on the City Budget Office forecasts, which was provided to the Mayor and City Council today. 

“In the initial days of the crises, we acted quickly to address the basic needs of so many of our residents and small businesses.  I continue to wholeheartedly support additional COVID-19 relief for our residents. Two weeks ago, I made the hard decision to veto the depletion of our City reserves because it was my belief that the City may need its emergency funds if our revenues continued to plunge. Unfortunately, today’s projections confirm that is the case. Our challenge is to chart a course to meet 2020’s basic city services, support current COVID-19 relief, and address any additional unanticipated challenges. We also know that the City alone cannot scale to the scope of the challenges facing our city, region, and state. All of us in Seattle and Washington must be demanding bold Congressional action for our residents, small businesses and cities,” concluded Mayor Durkan. 

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