Seattle’s new police Chief Shon Barnes pledges transparency, trust
One-on-one with Seattle's new police chief
Newly-appointed Seattle police chief Shon Barnes landed in Seattle last night, and he's ready to hit the ground running.
SEATTLE - Seattle’s newly appointed police chief, Shon Barnes, has arrived and is ready to lead the department in a new direction. Barnes steps into the role following the termination of former Chief Adrian Diaz, who was placed on administrative leave before his dismissal.
Barnes, formerly the chief of Madison, Wisconsin’s police department, brings experience and a commitment to rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the community.
New Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes
What they're saying:
"I think policing works best when it's done in partnership with the community, and we're listening to each other," Barnes said.
His plan begins with transparency.
"You have to be able to communicate early and often with your community, good or bad, and you have to be able to communicate the things that are ongoing challenges. And I commit that I will do that," Barnes said. "We also have to acknowledge that there are some communities where the trust never existed at all, and so we're really starting in some communities in this country from the very beginning."
Barnes is a nationally recognized leader in crime reduction, community-police relations, and cultural change within law enforcement.
Interim Chief Sue Rahr, who was previously leading the department, believes he is well-equipped for the job but acknowledges the challenges ahead.
"He's going to be, as they say, drinking from a fire hose for a while," Rahr said. "My biggest advice to him is to start inside."
The other side:
Despite the turnover, Barnes expressed admiration for Rahr’s efforts and intends to continue many of her initiatives.
"I think she did an excellent job. Some of the things that she was concerned about, like leadership training—she implemented some, and I certainly am a big proponent of leadership training. I want to continue to do that," Barnes said. "She left a really good blueprint for me, and the good news is she told me she's only one phone call away."
A major theme of Barnes' leadership philosophy is partnership policing—a collaborative approach involving city government, nonprofits, and community organizations to address the root causes of crime.
"One of the main reasons why I wanted to continue in the process [of becoming chief] was [Mayor Bruce Harrell's] overall vision aligns with mine. And mine has always been partnership policing," Barnes said. "I learned many, many years ago, there are so many things that police respond to that are symptoms of a greater cause. And those greater causes can only be tackled through the collaborative effort of city government, nonprofits, everyone."
Addressing Seattle's crime and opioid crises
Dig deeper:
Seattle faces significant public safety concerns, including property crime, the fentanyl crisis, and youth gun violence. Barnes aims to implement a structured crime reduction model.
"Within the first 100 days, one of the things that we want to do, in addition to making sure we have our command staff," Barnes said. "But then we want to make sure that we craft and put together a crime reduction model. Stratified policing is what I'm used to."
Seattle has struggled with youth armed with firearms committing violent crimes, a crisis Barnes acknowledges as a top concern. He shared a personal story about how a former student’s involvement in a violent crime shaped his career path from teaching to law enforcement.
However, Barnes pointed to the legal limitations of juvenile detention.
"The juvenile justice system is designed to keep kids away from incarceration because research has been very clear that sometimes students or children will go in and they'll come out more knowledgeable about crime," Barnes said.
"If the law does not allow us to detain or even incarcerate every youth that’s caught with a gun, then do we just throw up our hands and do we just send them home? No, we use that as an opportunity to get people on the right track."
Big picture view:
Barnes is inheriting a department struggling with a staffing shortage and navigating the final stages of Seattle’s longstanding consent decree with the Department of Justice. Stability is one of his primary goals.
"The strategy is listening to the people who do the work—those persons who work in recruiting and in training. Listening to them, thinking about where there are funnels and where we're losing people in the process," Barnes explained.
Seattle has seen nine police chiefs—including interim appointments—over the past 25 years. Barnes is determined to bring consistency to a department that has experienced frequent leadership changes.
"There are so many things that police respond to that are symptoms of a greater cause, and those greater causes can only be tackled through collaborative effort," Barnes said.
Rahr echoed confidence in his ability to move the department forward.
"I believe that he will be able to pick up where I left off, building more trust inside the department," she said. "He believes deeply in the principle of procedural justice, and that means people need to believe they're being treated fairly."
Why you should care:
Seattle is nearing the end of its long-running federal consent decree, an oversight measure imposed to address unconstitutional policing practices. Barnes views this as a milestone.
"I think we are certainly nearing the end of that, and that is something to be celebrated. There are many cities that are still under consent decrees that started them long before Seattle, and so that proves that a lot of work has been done."
What's next:
Barnes officially starts Friday and will be working closely with Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office to coordinate community meetings.
"He's going to bring new ideas. He's going to bring a new perspective. And I think it's going to be a benefit to both him and the city," Rahr said.
Barnes likens his leadership approach to that of a doctor—finding the right prescription for each challenge the department faces.
"Too little, the problem persists. Too much, people get hurt. You make the problem worse. You have to be able to prescribe the right amount, and that's something I've been able to do throughout my career," Barnes said.
The Source: Information comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Alejandra Guzman, as well as previous coverage.
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