Seattle Police Chief Resigning Following Vote to Defund Police
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best is resigning today, Tuesday August 11th, following a unanimous vote by city council to defund the police.
Once news of Chief Best’s resignation leaked she emailed the police department with a bit of an explanation.
“To the Women and Men of the Seattle Police Department –
I wanted to notify you that I will be retiring from the Seattle Police Department, effective September 2nd, 2020. I wanted you to hear this from me, but some media have reached this conclusion on their own.
This was a difficult decision for me, but when it’s time, it’s time.
I want to thank Mayor Durkan for her continuous support through good times and tough times.
I am confident the department will make it through these difficult times. You truly are the best police department in the country, and please trust me when I say, the vast majority of people in Seattle support you and appreciate you.
I am impressed daily at your skill, your compassion, and your dedication. I am thankful my command team has agreed to continue serving the department, and that Mayor Durkan has appointed Deputy Chief Adrian Diaz as the interim Chief of Police. Chief Diaz shares my commitment to this department and has the trust of the community.
I look forward to seeing how this department moves forward through the process of re-envisioning public safety. I relish the work that will be done by all of you.
After more than 28 years, I am so thankful for the time I spent at SPD. You are my family. You will always be in my heart. We have had tough times before and come out better on the other side. I am glad I pushed through each of those tough times with you.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as your Chief.
Remember to take care of one another.”
The cut to the police department will see a reduction of 100 officers and $4 million reallocated elsewhere. $100,000 of which will be cut from her paycheck. This comes a day after dozens of stores were looted and riots continue.
Mayor Jenny Durkan has announced Deputy Chief Adrian Diaz as the interim Chief of Police.
Carmen Best was the one person trying to hold the city together. She was also Seattle’s first black, female police chief. Now she’s gone.
Your thoughts on the Seattle police chief resigning and the defunding of the police?
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