{"id":22052,"date":"2026-07-30T16:04:12","modified":"2026-07-30T16:04:13","slug":"city-councilmembers-react-to-police-chief-barnes-departure-voice-major-concerns","link":"https:\/\/council.seattle.gov\/2026\/07\/30\/city-councilmembers-react-to-police-chief-barnes-departure-voice-major-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"City Councilmembers react to Police Chief Barnes\u2019 departure, voice major concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today&nbsp;<strong>Council&nbsp;President&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/seattle.gov\/council\/members\/joy-hollingsworth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Joy&nbsp;Hollingsworth<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;(District 3),&nbsp;<strong>Councilmember&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/seattle.gov\/council\/members\/dan-strauss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Dan Strauss<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;(District&nbsp;6),&nbsp;<strong>Councilmember&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/seattle.gov\/council\/members\/debora-juarez\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Debora Juarez<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;(District 5),&nbsp;<strong>Councilmember&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/seattle.gov\/council\/members\/bob-kettle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Bob&nbsp;Kettle<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;(District&nbsp;7, Public Safety Chair),&nbsp;released this statement following&nbsp;an official announcement from Mayor Katie B. Wilson that&nbsp;Police Chief Shon&nbsp;Barnes&nbsp;has resigned.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cOur&nbsp;city&nbsp;faces profound public safety challenges, from youth gun violence destroying lives to drug markets and human trafficking plaguing our neighborhoods.&nbsp;After the Seattle Center shooting,&nbsp;<\/em><em>our focus should be on the lives lost and how we can address gun violence in our&nbsp;city.<\/em><em>&nbsp;<\/em><em>Tackling these crises and creating a safer Seattle requires strong,&nbsp;stable leadership.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cWhen communities are grieving, major decisions should be made with great deliberation; making a significant leadership change in this moment puts our&nbsp;city&nbsp;in a&nbsp;precarious&nbsp;situation. Having cycled through four police chiefs in just two and a half years, our priority must be stability, not further disruption. The people of Seattle deserve&nbsp;reliable leadership,&nbsp;especially as we close out a busy summer of public events.&nbsp;<\/em>&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br><em>\u201cRight now, our focus should be on<\/em>&nbsp;<em>keeping&nbsp;residents and visitors safe,&nbsp;providing stability and clear leadership,&nbsp;reducing gun violence in Southeast Seattle&nbsp;and ensuring public safety agencies are coordinated and delivering timely alerts and public information.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cWe stand with community members who came forward today to express their support for Chief Barnes and the work he has been doing.\u00a0We are disappointed to\u00a0see\u00a0his departure and\u00a0thank\u00a0him for his\u00a0service.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em># # #<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false}}