By Ruth Bayang
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced on Wednesday that he is appointing Sue Rahr as interim chief of the Seattle Police Department (SPD).
Adrian Diaz will step down from the role of chief and work on special assignments for the mayor with SPD.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell (middle) with Adrian Diaz (left) and Sue Rahr at a news conference on May 29, 2024.
“I am sad that Chief Diaz stepped down,” said Jing Wu, SPD’s Chinatown Community Liaison Officer. “I was very grateful that I worked with him in the past, and I learned so much from him.”
“Adrian Diaz’s removal as Seattle Police Chief is an unfortunate turn of events, leaving a void in leadership. He was a good leader,” community leader Debadutta Dash told the Northwest Asian Weekly. “It’s always challenging when changes occur in key positions, especially in law enforcement. Let’s hope for a smooth transition and continued progress in maintaining safety and trust within the community.”
You may recall that Rahr previously served as King County Sheriff. She was also executive director of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, and a member of President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.
Diaz, a 27-year SPD veteran, spoke at a news conference saying that he’s “proud of the work we’ve done together,” and that he recognizes “now is the right time to step away for the best interests of the city and its people.”
His voice broke as he wrapped up his remarks and thanked the “men and women in the Seattle Police Department for their hard work, and the community that has supported us through every challenge.” As he turned away from the podium, he shared a hug with Rahr.
Adrian Diaz and Sue Rahr share a hug (Screenshot from Seattle Channel livestream)
“It’s a sad day, very unfortunate,” Tony Au told the Northwest Asian Weekly. Au is a respected member of Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID) community. He said Diaz made things better for the CID, during his tenure as chief.
“I hope things don’t turn for the worse again,” Au said about the situation in the CID. He called Diaz “excellent,” “passionate,” “caring,” and “responsive.”
Officer Wu said Diaz’s hard work isn’t being recognized enough.
“I see many communities love him as a chief and as a friend. I believed that no matter where he goes, he would continue doing good work for the community.”
“I’m not ashamed to say that (Diaz) is a friend,” said Harrell, and he called Diaz “a good human being.”
He also said, “recent allegations of discrimination, prejudice, and harassment” in the SPD led him to appoint an independent and objective investigator to review these allegations.
When asked if that was the premise for removing Diaz, Harrell said there was no singular event that led to his decision—and highlighted his commitment to strategy and collaboration with the executive team and police department.
Harrell noted that homicide, year over year, is down 44 %, and total reported crime is down 5%.
“Chief Diaz has led important efforts for our administration and made progress on our public safety challenges. That said, our ongoing drive to improve department culture has revealed the need to make changes to keep this work moving forward, and Seattleites deserve a department that reflects them and their values.”
“It kills me to see the continued turmoil in the SPD, especially in light of the unprecedented criminal activity and shortage of officers in the City,” said Cheryl Lee, executive director of the Korean Women’s Association. “I genuinely believe Diaz was a good chief, especially to the minority communities.”
Rahr said she’s ready to “jump into the arena again.” She will officially take over on Thursday, May 30.
“She’s the right person to lead SPD into its next chapter and we are grateful that she put retirement on pause to help our city,” said Harrell.
Rahr said, “I am committed to strengthening public safety in Seattle, recruiting the next generation of SPD officers and leadership, and creating a renewed sense of optimism in this department. I will listen carefully to our officers and the people of Seattle as I work hard to strengthen relationships with partners and the community. I will build trust with officers and the community through dialogue and action.”
Diaz took over as the interim chief in summer 2020, after then-Chief Carmen Best resigned in the wake of nationwide protests over policing.
“Along with my command staff, I dove in to find solutions. In four years, we got back on track with the consent decree. I created ‘Before the Badge,’ — a nationally-recognized program.” Diaz added, “I implemented a system to assess bias policing… Violent crime is down, officer complaints are down significantly, and we’re taking more guns off the street than ever before.”
The national search now begins for the next permanent chief of police.
Rahr will not be a candidate for the permanent appointment and will work with former Chief Kathleen O’Toole to help identify a list of qualified semi-finalist candidates who will be shared with a public committee appointed by the mayor.
The public committee will review the semi-finalists and recommend a group of finalists to the mayor, who will administer the competitive examination required by the City Charter.