Seattle mayor launches police chief search, City Hall tells JNS too soon to say if it'll consult Jewish leaders

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson launched a national search on Tuesday for the city’s next police chief, after she asked Shon Barnes to resign as chief of police after a July 26 shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival in Seattle Center.

The search, which Wilson said will engage with community organizations, an advisory committee and neighborhood forums, comes as hate crimes targeting Jews have risen sharply during Wilson’s administration.

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Of the 66 hate crimes recorded during the first seven months of 2026, nearly 20% targeted Jews, who make up an estimated 1% of the Seattle area, according to Seattle Police Department data.

JNS asked the mayor’s office if it will include Jewish community stakeholders.

Jonah Spangenthal-Lee, spokesman for the mayor, told JNS that “additional search committee members are still being assembled, so this is still a developing process.”

A public forum has been scheduled for Sept. 26, a Saturday, at Van Asselt Community Center in south Seattle, near an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood.

“We have discussed scheduling conflicts on Saturdays,” Spangenthal-Lee told JNS.

In most instances, it is either impossible or extremely difficult for Orthodox Jews to attend events on Shabbat, because they can’t drive, handle anything electronic or, in many cases, carry anything.

Spangenthal-Lee told JNS that the mayor’s office will share more dates as the process continues.

“Seattle’s next chief of police must be visible, accountable and present in our neighborhoods, listening to residents, workers and businesses across our city,” Wilson stated. (In the past, the Seattle mayor has accused Israel of “genocide.”)

Erin Goodman, executive director of the SODO Business Improvement Area, said that she appreciates the mayor’s “commitment to including community organizations in this process.”

“Our next chief must be someone who can earn trust, strengthen partnerships, support officers and lead a police department that understands and responds to the different public safety needs of communities across Seattle,” Goodman stated.

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