SEATTLE — The Seattle Police Department’s new chief, Shon Barnes, officially took over on Jan. 30, King 5 reported.
His immediate priorities include officer recruitment and retention, crime prevention, community engagement and ensuring employee safety, according to the report. Within his first 100 days, he aims to solidify his command staff, as many leadership positions remain in interim status.
Barnes, 50, brings more than two decades of law enforcement experience, according to the report. He began his career as a patrol officer in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2000, later serving as deputy chief in Salisbury from 2017 to 2020. He became Madison, Wisconsin’s police chief in 2021 and has also worked as the director of training and professional development for Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
“I know who I am as a police leader, as a person,” Barnes said. “I think this will be a good fit….Every police department is different, and so Seattle is different,” Barnes said. “I don’t assume that everything that worked [in Madison] will work here, but we’ll certainly make it our own.”
On recruitment, Barnes said his focus starts with retaining current officers and building strong morale.
“It begins with making sure that people know that they’re valued, and making sure that people know that they’re trusted, giving people direction,” he said. “Sometimes in police work, people just want to know what is expected of me today, and so we’re going to do that.”
Barnes also stressed that police work must go beyond enforcement and include meaningful engagement with the community, according to the report.
“One of the things that attracted me here was this partnership, this idea of ‘One Seattle’ where we’re working together as community members, police, government, nonprofits, to make sure that areas are safe and feel safe and secure,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that we can do.”
