1 00:00:12,759 --> 00:00:15,580 Okay, it's a warm room. 2 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:19,579 Good morning and welcome. 3 00:00:19,579 --> 00:00:23,047 Thank you to members of the press for joining us today 4 00:00:23,047 --> 00:00:26,591 and for the leaders of our public safety departments, 5 00:00:26,591 --> 00:00:30,216 including the Seattle Police Department, Amy Barden, 6 00:00:30,216 --> 00:00:33,840 chief of our CARE department, and Fire Chief Scoggins. 7 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,654 I also want to recognize Assistant Chief Tyrone 8 00:00:36,654 --> 00:00:39,468 Davis, who was in charge on Sunday at the Seattle 9 00:00:39,468 --> 00:00:42,490 Center and supporting the officers who ran into the 10 00:00:42,490 --> 00:00:44,039 line of fire to save lives. 11 00:00:45,658 --> 00:00:48,463 Chief Barnes was appointed by Mayor Harrell and made 12 00:00:48,463 --> 00:00:51,140 real contributions to public safety in this city. 13 00:00:52,219 --> 00:00:55,155 On Sunday, officers of the Seattle Police Department 14 00:00:55,155 --> 00:00:58,414 responded with professionalism, courage, and care for the 15 00:00:58,414 --> 00:00:59,719 people in front of them. 16 00:00:59,719 --> 00:01:03,588 Chief Barnes expressed his pride in them and so do 17 00:01:03,588 --> 00:01:06,822 I. I am grateful for his service and I share his 18 00:01:06,822 --> 00:01:10,159 hope that we can return our full focus to what matters 19 00:01:10,159 --> 00:01:13,343 most right now addressing youth gun violence and 20 00:01:13,343 --> 00:01:16,266 making sure that every family in this city can feel 21 00:01:16,266 --> 00:01:18,780 safe in their neighborhood and across Seattle. 22 00:01:20,180 --> 00:01:22,980 That work does not wait, and I do not take lightly 23 00:01:22,980 --> 00:01:26,060 what it means to make decisions that affect people's 24 00:01:26,060 --> 00:01:27,459 safety and their lives. 25 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,500 I love this city and the people who make it what it is. 26 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,420 And this is what I know to be true about Seattle. 27 00:01:37,599 --> 00:01:39,846 This is a city full of people who are trying to do right by 28 00:01:39,846 --> 00:01:42,239 their families, their neighbors, and their communities. 29 00:01:43,239 --> 00:01:45,453 People who go to festivals and block parties and 30 00:01:45,453 --> 00:01:48,108 neighborhood events because they want to be together 31 00:01:48,108 --> 00:01:50,900 because they want to enjoy everything the city has to 32 00:01:50,900 --> 00:01:54,742 offer and all of the wonderfully diverse people who live 33 00:01:54,742 --> 00:01:58,028 here every parent renter commuter and immigrant should 34 00:01:58,028 --> 00:02:00,379 be able to walk to the light rail drop their kids 35 00:02:00,379 --> 00:02:03,605 off at school shop at a neighborhood small business 36 00:02:03,605 --> 00:02:05,926 and cross the street without fear. 37 00:02:05,926 --> 00:02:09,324 Every neighborhood deserves parks and public 38 00:02:09,324 --> 00:02:12,774 spaces that anyone can enjoy and feel proud of. 39 00:02:12,774 --> 00:02:16,900 All young people should have positive places to gather 40 00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:20,358 and develop that don't involve guns and plans to 41 00:02:20,358 --> 00:02:21,568 harm each other. 42 00:02:21,568 --> 00:02:24,120 Belonging in this city includes the 43 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,729 unconditional right to be safe in it. 44 00:02:26,729 --> 00:02:29,157 Keeping those people safe is the job. 45 00:02:29,157 --> 00:02:32,437 Everything else we want to build for this city starts 46 00:02:32,437 --> 00:02:36,348 there. Seattle deserves a public safety system that 47 00:02:36,348 --> 00:02:39,866 works. That means showing up for every neighborhood in 48 00:02:39,866 --> 00:02:42,580 the ways that work for them, investing in what keeps 49 00:02:42,580 --> 00:02:45,473 harm from happening in the first place, and making 50 00:02:45,473 --> 00:02:48,173 sure that when something happens we send the right 51 00:02:48,173 --> 00:02:50,500 people and the right tools for what that moment 52 00:02:50,500 --> 00:02:54,549 requires. Safety built around what residents actually 53 00:02:54,549 --> 00:02:57,198 need, not just what we decide to give them. 54 00:02:57,198 --> 00:02:59,072 And that actually solves problems 55 00:02:59,072 --> 00:03:01,806 rather than moves them from one block to the 56 00:03:01,806 --> 00:03:05,086 next. That is what earning trust looks like. 57 00:03:05,086 --> 00:03:06,967 And I'm standing here because we 58 00:03:06,967 --> 00:03:09,800 are taking a significant step in turning that vision 59 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:10,925 into reality. 60 00:03:10,925 --> 00:03:13,651 I have selected Deputy Chief Andre 61 00:03:13,651 --> 00:03:17,764 Sayles to be the interim police chief of this 62 00:03:17,764 --> 00:03:24,598 department. I chose Andre Sayles because he has done this job 63 00:03:24,598 --> 00:03:27,002 before and can hit the ground running. 64 00:03:27,002 --> 00:03:29,560 He served as chief of police in Wisconsin 65 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:31,941 where he led with a community focused approach that 66 00:03:31,941 --> 00:03:35,102 strengthened both public safety and community trust. 67 00:03:35,102 --> 00:03:38,500 He has earned the respect of our police force in his 68 00:03:38,500 --> 00:03:42,193 time here and that is exactly what we need right now. 69 00:03:42,193 --> 00:03:45,354 His background spans the full range of what this 70 00:03:45,354 --> 00:03:46,282 role requires. 71 00:03:46,282 --> 00:03:48,280 He has serious investigative and 72 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,603 operational credentials having led specialized 73 00:03:50,603 --> 00:03:53,229 units including a drug and gang investigative unit 74 00:03:53,229 --> 00:03:56,120 and served on a SWAT team for 12 years including four 75 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,240 four years as team leader. 76 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,900 He understands complex investigations. 77 00:04:00,900 --> 00:04:02,877 He understands tactical operations. 78 00:04:02,877 --> 00:04:06,020 He understands how to build and lead specialized teams. 79 00:04:06,020 --> 00:04:08,318 And he is deeply committed to community policing 80 00:04:08,318 --> 00:04:11,120 and youth engagement, consistently prioritizing 81 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,460 the relationships between law enforcement 82 00:04:13,460 --> 00:04:15,900 and the people being served. 83 00:04:15,900 --> 00:04:18,639 That philosophy aligns directly with what I believe 84 00:04:18,639 --> 00:04:20,860 effective public safety looks like in Seattle. 85 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,100 And he will not be leading alone. 86 00:04:25,338 --> 00:04:28,769 Deputy Chief Yvonne Underwood has been inside 87 00:04:28,769 --> 00:04:30,879 this department since 1997. 88 00:04:30,879 --> 00:04:33,846 She has led accountability reform, overseen use 89 00:04:33,846 --> 00:04:36,603 of force investigations, managed the Professional 90 00:04:36,603 --> 00:04:39,040 Standards Bureau, and built the systems that keep this 91 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,680 department answerable to our public. 92 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:43,899 She is the kind of steady, experienced leader 93 00:04:43,899 --> 00:04:45,762 that this moment calls for. 94 00:04:45,762 --> 00:04:48,759 I have confidence in this command staff and I 95 00:04:48,759 --> 00:04:50,725 have confidence in the members of the Seattle 96 00:04:50,725 --> 00:04:53,838 Police Department who show up every single day to serve 97 00:04:53,838 --> 00:04:54,620 this city. 98 00:04:54,620 --> 00:04:57,480 Interim Chief Sayles and I share a vision 99 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,052 for what public safety in Seattle looks like and he 100 00:05:00,052 --> 00:05:03,187 is ready to do the work it it takes to get us there. 101 00:05:03,187 --> 00:05:07,100 Now I'm excited for you to hear directly from him. 102 00:05:11,959 --> 00:05:13,410 Thank you, Mayor Wilson. 103 00:05:13,410 --> 00:05:14,860 Good morning, everyone. 104 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,406 Mayor Wilson, thank you for this opportunity. 105 00:05:19,406 --> 00:05:21,259 I don't take this responsibility lightly. 106 00:05:22,540 --> 00:05:25,800 This week has been difficult, but I also know what this 107 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,627 department and city are capable of when we come 108 00:05:28,627 --> 00:05:32,180 together with a common goal of keeping our community safe. 109 00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:35,879 My commitment to you all is simple. 110 00:05:37,079 --> 00:05:40,939 We will be one department, united and grounded in 111 00:05:40,939 --> 00:05:43,480 service, pride and dedication. 112 00:05:44,838 --> 00:05:48,387 It is not just a slogan, but a standard we at the Seattle 113 00:05:48,387 --> 00:05:52,180 Police Department hold, each of us two. 114 00:05:52,180 --> 00:05:56,600 Every shift, every call, and every community interaction. 115 00:05:59,420 --> 00:06:03,083 The ongoing investigation into the Seattle Center shooting 116 00:06:03,083 --> 00:06:04,519 remains a top priority. 117 00:06:04,519 --> 00:06:06,819 The men and women of this department continue 118 00:06:06,819 --> 00:06:09,000 working tirelessly to identify and arrest 119 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:10,278 anyone responsible. 120 00:06:11,860 --> 00:06:14,696 In light of the tragic incident, the Seattle Police Department 121 00:06:14,696 --> 00:06:17,910 has heard from our community about safety concerns at 122 00:06:17,910 --> 00:06:20,300 public gatherings and events. 123 00:06:21,379 --> 00:06:22,720 We hear you. 124 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:24,451 We understand your anxiety. 125 00:06:24,451 --> 00:06:27,480 In response to these concerns, the Seattle Police 126 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,918 Department will increase staffing at all remaining 127 00:06:30,918 --> 00:06:32,324 major summer events. 128 00:06:32,324 --> 00:06:33,901 The department is currently 129 00:06:33,901 --> 00:06:36,519 reviewing staffing plans for all other upcoming 130 00:06:36,519 --> 00:06:40,180 events as well as will ensure we have an appropriate 131 00:06:40,180 --> 00:06:42,139 number of officers on hand. 132 00:06:43,439 --> 00:06:47,598 While SPD does not discuss specific staffing numbers at 133 00:06:47,598 --> 00:06:50,882 events, you can be assured that the busy events that are 134 00:06:50,882 --> 00:06:52,800 occurring this weekend will be fully staffed. 135 00:06:58,019 --> 00:07:02,927 You will see an increase of foot patrol officers, bike officers, 136 00:07:02,927 --> 00:07:06,276 POET officers, which is our our police outreach 137 00:07:06,276 --> 00:07:09,379 engagement team officers and other units from the 138 00:07:09,379 --> 00:07:09,959 police department. 139 00:07:11,199 --> 00:07:14,444 I look forward to the city's future and I'm confident 140 00:07:14,444 --> 00:07:17,701 that ongoing efforts of our sworn professionals 141 00:07:17,701 --> 00:07:20,500 staff here as PD to ensure the safety and 142 00:07:20,500 --> 00:07:23,040 transparency, which is my highest priority. 143 00:07:24,379 --> 00:07:26,786 Again, thank you, Mayor Wilson and everyone in 144 00:07:26,786 --> 00:07:28,846 the city of Seattle for providing me with 145 00:07:28,846 --> 00:07:30,860 this opportunity to work along this team 146 00:07:30,860 --> 00:07:35,682 and everyone in this amazing city. 147 00:07:35,682 --> 00:07:37,180 Thank you. 148 00:07:46,319 --> 00:07:47,901 Thank You Chief Sayles. 149 00:07:47,901 --> 00:07:50,067 I hope what you're hearing from 150 00:07:50,067 --> 00:07:53,115 Interim Chief Sayles today helps you understand the 151 00:07:53,115 --> 00:07:55,141 confidence that I have in his leadership. 152 00:07:55,141 --> 00:07:57,016 The safety of people in this city is 153 00:07:57,016 --> 00:07:59,699 our first obligation and we are ready to meet it 154 00:07:59,699 --> 00:08:02,129 this weekend and every day that follows. 155 00:08:02,129 --> 00:08:04,060 Now I want to talk about how we are 156 00:08:04,060 --> 00:08:06,632 moving forward to find a permanent chief. 157 00:08:06,632 --> 00:08:09,060 Permanent search will focus on someone 158 00:08:09,060 --> 00:08:12,247 who drives operational excellence and leads 159 00:08:12,247 --> 00:08:14,009 organizational change. 160 00:08:14,009 --> 00:08:15,906 About the process, we will be moving 161 00:08:15,906 --> 00:08:18,079 forward with urgency to begin a search for a new 162 00:08:18,079 --> 00:08:19,463 permanent police chief. 163 00:08:19,463 --> 00:08:22,228 The process for selecting a new permanent chief is 164 00:08:22,228 --> 00:08:24,920 set by the city charter and we will follow that process 165 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,579 with the transparency and community engagement the city 166 00:08:27,579 --> 00:08:30,350 deserves. We have let Councilmember Kettle know 167 00:08:30,350 --> 00:08:32,918 about our intention to partner on this search 168 00:08:32,918 --> 00:08:35,585 and I look forward to working with him and the 169 00:08:35,585 --> 00:08:37,099 council on this process. 170 00:08:37,099 --> 00:08:39,740 It is a rigorous process with multiple layers of 171 00:08:39,740 --> 00:08:42,440 accountability and that is exactly as it should be for 172 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:45,937 one of the most consequential appointments a mayor 173 00:08:45,937 --> 00:08:46,590 can make. 174 00:08:46,590 --> 00:08:48,697 What the Charter requires is a floor 175 00:08:48,697 --> 00:08:51,240 not a ceiling and I'm committed to making sure 176 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,374 that the people of Seattle have a genuine voice 177 00:08:53,374 --> 00:08:55,475 in shaping what we are looking for in our next 178 00:08:55,475 --> 00:08:57,940 chief and we will build real community engagement 179 00:08:57,940 --> 00:09:00,543 into every stage of this search. 180 00:09:00,543 --> 00:09:04,019 The people of Seattle deserve a voice in the 181 00:09:04,019 --> 00:09:06,666 selection and I'm committed to making sure they have one. 182 00:09:06,666 --> 00:09:08,320 The chief will be accountable to the 183 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,105 communities of this city and that means the communities of 184 00:09:11,105 --> 00:09:13,600 this city need to be part of choosing who leads this 185 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:15,706 department. As we move forward we will be 186 00:09:15,706 --> 00:09:19,042 announcing a search committee that reflects the full diversity 187 00:09:19,042 --> 00:09:22,177 of Seattle, bringing together voices and stakeholders from 188 00:09:22,177 --> 00:09:24,215 across our neighborhoods and communities. 189 00:09:24,215 --> 00:09:25,423 We will build a meaningful 190 00:09:25,423 --> 00:09:27,839 engagement process into this search so that residents 191 00:09:27,839 --> 00:09:29,966 have a real opportunity to shape what we're looking 192 00:09:29,966 --> 00:09:30,860 for in our next chief. 193 00:09:33,139 --> 00:09:35,576 I want to say a little bit about what I will be looking 194 00:09:35,576 --> 00:09:36,940 for in a new permanent chief. 195 00:09:38,399 --> 00:09:41,004 I will be looking for someone who can be an effective leader 196 00:09:41,004 --> 00:09:43,264 of our police department from top to bottom. 197 00:09:43,264 --> 00:09:45,480 In particular, that means listening 198 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:49,048 to and building relationships with the people standing 199 00:09:49,048 --> 00:09:52,879 behind me, the experienced and dedicated people who are 200 00:09:52,879 --> 00:09:56,072 leading our officers on the ground in neighborhoods 201 00:09:56,072 --> 00:09:58,210 across our city every single day. 202 00:09:58,210 --> 00:10:01,033 I will be looking for someone who can earn 203 00:10:01,033 --> 00:10:04,389 the respect of our police force while also leading 204 00:10:04,389 --> 00:10:07,840 needed changes to culture and protocol in a way that is 205 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:09,129 firm and fair. 206 00:10:09,129 --> 00:10:11,715 I will be looking for someone 207 00:10:11,715 --> 00:10:15,716 who can practice clear communication in stressful 208 00:10:15,716 --> 00:10:18,980 situations. I will be looking for someone who is 209 00:10:18,980 --> 00:10:22,177 consistently present in Seattle, keeping travel to an 210 00:10:22,177 --> 00:10:25,139 appropriate minimum, and who also ensures that when 211 00:10:25,139 --> 00:10:27,899 they are away there is sufficient SPD leadership in 212 00:10:27,899 --> 00:10:31,062 town to guide our city through any emergency. 213 00:10:31,062 --> 00:10:33,057 I will be looking for someone 214 00:10:33,057 --> 00:10:35,812 who can navigate the inevitable criticism that 215 00:10:35,812 --> 00:10:39,062 comes with this job and who can course correct with 216 00:10:39,062 --> 00:10:40,417 grace when needed. 217 00:10:40,417 --> 00:10:42,700 I will be looking for someone who 218 00:10:42,700 --> 00:10:46,423 understands the value of our alternative crisis response 219 00:10:46,423 --> 00:10:49,466 system, our CARE and fire departments and our service 220 00:10:49,466 --> 00:10:52,120 providers, and can forge the partnerships needed to 221 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:54,576 make that successful so that we are sending the 222 00:10:54,576 --> 00:10:57,807 right response to every situation and our police 223 00:10:57,807 --> 00:10:59,590 can focus on policing. 224 00:10:59,590 --> 00:11:01,557 And I will be looking for a 225 00:11:01,557 --> 00:11:04,009 chief who moves in strong partnership with our 226 00:11:04,009 --> 00:11:07,004 accountability agencies to ensure effective policing 227 00:11:07,004 --> 00:11:09,460 in our city and active pathways for community 228 00:11:09,460 --> 00:11:13,239 feedback and input into how SPD approaches its 229 00:11:13,239 --> 00:11:16,657 work. We have work to do to reduce gun violence, to 230 00:11:16,657 --> 00:11:19,739 support our youth and keep them out of harm's way, to 231 00:11:19,740 --> 00:11:21,960 to make sure that every neighborhood across our city 232 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:24,379 feels safe and is safe. 233 00:11:24,379 --> 00:11:26,158 I know we can do this. 234 00:11:26,158 --> 00:11:28,500 And I know how important the relationship 235 00:11:28,500 --> 00:11:31,980 between my office and SPD is to our success. 236 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:35,658 Despite the challenges of this moment, 237 00:11:35,658 --> 00:11:37,840 I feel deeply hopeful about the future 238 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:40,719 of our police department and of public safety in Seattle. 239 00:11:42,057 --> 00:11:44,479 I believe that the vast majority of people in our city 240 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:45,460 want the same thing. 241 00:11:46,658 --> 00:11:49,441 We want a response to public safety problems that is both 242 00:11:49,441 --> 00:11:50,979 compassionate and effective. 243 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:55,706 We want our police to perform their essential role with 244 00:11:55,706 --> 00:11:57,499 professionalism and care. 245 00:11:57,500 --> 00:12:00,735 And we also understand that achieving true public safety 246 00:12:00,735 --> 00:12:02,219 goes far beyond policing. 247 00:12:02,220 --> 00:12:04,724 To how we invest in our communities, support our 248 00:12:04,724 --> 00:12:07,042 families and youth, and how we respond to and 249 00:12:07,042 --> 00:12:08,418 care for people in crisis. 250 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,219 I believe that we can make great progress. 251 00:12:12,220 --> 00:12:15,162 and I am looking forward to working with Chief Sayles, 252 00:12:15,162 --> 00:12:18,293 our police department, our City Council members, and 253 00:12:18,293 --> 00:12:21,479 everyone in communities around Seattle to make this 254 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:23,220 happen. Thank you. 255 00:12:28,019 --> 00:12:32,456 Mayor, you still haven't told the people of Seattle 256 00:12:32,456 --> 00:12:36,379 why. Was it him being out of the city too often? 257 00:12:36,379 --> 00:12:39,417 Was it taking too long to release information that night 258 00:12:39,417 --> 00:12:42,519 or was it the kerfuffle with the reporter or was it all for? 259 00:12:43,639 --> 00:12:47,091 I will say that in the conversations that I had with 260 00:12:47,091 --> 00:12:51,363 Chief Barnes over the last few days that resulted in our mutual 261 00:12:51,363 --> 00:12:54,595 agreement to his resignation, there were multiple 262 00:12:54,595 --> 00:12:57,298 factors some of which were related to the events of 263 00:12:57,298 --> 00:13:00,273 someday but that that certainly was not the 264 00:13:00,273 --> 00:13:03,658 only thing mayor wilson I wanted to ask about your 265 00:13:03,658 --> 00:13:05,605 relationship with the city council because many of 266 00:13:05,605 --> 00:13:07,278 them were very critical of this decision and 267 00:13:07,278 --> 00:13:09,923 very critical of your leadership in this moment I want to give 268 00:13:09,923 --> 00:13:12,436 you a chance to respond to that and explain how you're going 269 00:13:12,436 --> 00:13:14,817 to improve relationships with city council especially 270 00:13:14,820 --> 00:13:18,113 as you need them to move forward with on policies for the city 271 00:13:18,113 --> 00:13:20,966 absolutely thank you for that question yeah I understand 272 00:13:20,966 --> 00:13:22,960 that many of my colleagues on the City Council 273 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:26,806 disagree with the decision to move forward with a 274 00:13:26,806 --> 00:13:29,701 leadership change at SPD at this time and I respect 275 00:13:29,701 --> 00:13:32,480 their differences of opinion I guess what I 276 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,807 will say is that as the mayor as the executive 277 00:13:35,807 --> 00:13:39,548 of the city I do have a different window into our police 278 00:13:39,548 --> 00:13:43,129 department than they do and I'm confident that as we move 279 00:13:43,129 --> 00:13:46,340 forward with our search for a permanent chief we will 280 00:13:46,340 --> 00:13:48,509 be able to come together because I really think that 281 00:13:48,509 --> 00:13:51,009 we want the same thing for our city and I think we're looking 282 00:13:51,009 --> 00:13:53,697 for a lot of the same qualities in a leader for this department. 283 00:13:53,697 --> 00:13:56,820 What is your criticism of your leadership in this moment? 284 00:13:57,937 --> 00:14:00,567 I am making what I firmly believe is the right 285 00:14:00,567 --> 00:14:02,200 decision at the right time. 286 00:14:04,619 --> 00:14:08,899 Yeah, Chief, excuse me, Mayor Wilson, you had 287 00:14:08,899 --> 00:14:13,860 released a high-level gun violence reduction plan, 288 00:14:13,860 --> 00:14:16,965 and much of that plan relies, of course, on the 289 00:14:16,965 --> 00:14:20,479 Seattle Police Department buy-in from the council 290 00:14:20,479 --> 00:14:22,359 and parts of our community. 291 00:14:22,359 --> 00:14:25,730 And right now, you've got a new police chief here 292 00:14:25,730 --> 00:14:28,701 at odds with the council, And at least some voices in 293 00:14:28,701 --> 00:14:31,158 our community, of course, objected to your move here. 294 00:14:32,599 --> 00:14:36,200 Considering the situation now, what is the status of this plan? 295 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,171 And what does the timeline look like for you to be able 296 00:14:39,171 --> 00:14:42,479 to implement this gun violence reduction plan in our city? 297 00:14:42,479 --> 00:14:44,903 Yeah, I mean, I'm excited and extremely committed to 298 00:14:44,903 --> 00:14:47,259 moving forward with this plan, which, as you noted, 299 00:14:47,259 --> 00:14:49,485 has been in development this year in partnership 300 00:14:49,485 --> 00:14:51,980 with council members, in partnership with community. 301 00:14:51,980 --> 00:14:54,456 But we need to move forward, right? 302 00:14:54,456 --> 00:14:57,798 And some of this was kicked off back in late January 303 00:14:57,798 --> 00:15:00,139 when we had the tragic shooting of youth in Rainier Beach, 304 00:15:00,139 --> 00:15:02,940 and that really kick-started a lot of this. 305 00:15:02,940 --> 00:15:07,119 And I really believe that we're going to be able to move forward 306 00:15:07,119 --> 00:15:09,317 more effectively now with this change. 307 00:15:09,317 --> 00:15:12,057 I really appreciate Council's commitment to this work, 308 00:15:12,057 --> 00:15:13,519 and especially Councilmember Rivera, 309 00:15:13,519 --> 00:15:15,859 who I know has been working on these issues for years. 310 00:15:15,859 --> 00:15:18,754 And you know my office participated in a symposium 311 00:15:18,754 --> 00:15:21,239 that she organized recently that included 312 00:15:21,239 --> 00:15:25,230 national experts in gun violence reduction and you know we've 313 00:15:25,230 --> 00:15:28,652 been talking specifically about the group by group violence 314 00:15:28,652 --> 00:15:30,644 interruption which is a you know part of the 315 00:15:30,644 --> 00:15:32,648 strategy that's been successful in cities 316 00:15:32,648 --> 00:15:34,721 like Baltimore that we haven't necessarily 317 00:15:34,721 --> 00:15:37,125 really used here so we are committed to moving forward with 318 00:15:37,125 --> 00:15:39,359 that work and we'll be doing that in partnership with council 319 00:15:39,359 --> 00:15:40,839 of members and community. 320 00:15:40,839 --> 00:15:43,302 Here, here, and then Chris, and then I'll just jump 321 00:15:43,302 --> 00:15:44,360 back around this way. 322 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:45,399 All right, go ahead. 323 00:15:46,937 --> 00:15:47,798 Oh, thank you. 324 00:15:48,979 --> 00:15:50,080 That's why you pointed here. 325 00:15:51,298 --> 00:15:55,461 Mayor, you've blamed much of the failures on Sunday night, 326 00:15:55,461 --> 00:15:59,384 communications failures on Sunday night on the police 327 00:15:59,384 --> 00:16:03,759 department and said that you didn't know that communication 328 00:16:03,759 --> 00:16:04,979 wasn't happening. 329 00:16:04,979 --> 00:16:07,119 Why didn't you know? 330 00:16:07,119 --> 00:16:10,158 - Yeah, and I wanna be clear that I think there were gaps 331 00:16:10,158 --> 00:16:12,668 in communication all around, and I definitely wanna own 332 00:16:12,668 --> 00:16:13,677 my part in that, right? 333 00:16:14,817 --> 00:16:18,839 So, I think part of this is communication failures 334 00:16:18,839 --> 00:16:21,719 within SPD, and part of that is communication failures 335 00:16:21,719 --> 00:16:22,980 between SPD and my office. 336 00:16:22,980 --> 00:16:26,197 And so we're taking steps now, both internally at SPD, 337 00:16:26,197 --> 00:16:29,057 to review protocols, make sure that they're being implemented 338 00:16:29,057 --> 00:16:31,057 so that there is clear and consistent, 339 00:16:31,057 --> 00:16:33,056 appropriate communication with the public much 340 00:16:33,056 --> 00:16:35,346 earlier when an incident like that happens and 341 00:16:35,346 --> 00:16:38,379 that includes improving communication between my 342 00:16:38,379 --> 00:16:40,850 office and SPD and I think just to be very clear you 343 00:16:40,850 --> 00:16:43,384 know one one part that I want to take some 344 00:16:43,384 --> 00:16:47,839 responsibility for is just thinking back to the press 345 00:16:47,839 --> 00:16:49,719 conferences earlier this week right I should not 346 00:16:49,719 --> 00:16:52,105 have defended the failure to use Alert Seattle to get 347 00:16:52,105 --> 00:16:55,200 information out to the public in our after-action review 348 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,153 I've since learned that there was a miscommunication 349 00:16:58,153 --> 00:17:01,239 between departments that led to that tool not being used 350 00:17:01,239 --> 00:17:03,076 when it actually would have been a good tool to use. 351 00:17:03,076 --> 00:17:05,095 So I think there's there's a lot of things that we can 352 00:17:05,095 --> 00:17:07,490 learn from and how Sunday unfolded and we're really 353 00:17:07,490 --> 00:17:10,448 committed to moving forward in a better way and you know 354 00:17:10,448 --> 00:17:13,337 this leadership change I think will facilitate that. 355 00:17:13,337 --> 00:17:16,980 Madam Mayor, members of the public are telling me that it 356 00:17:16,980 --> 00:17:20,693 appears, the optics are, that you are making Chief Barnes 357 00:17:20,693 --> 00:17:24,413 the fall guy for missteps that happened after the Seattle 358 00:17:24,413 --> 00:17:28,596 Center shooting, including the five-hour lack of information, 359 00:17:28,596 --> 00:17:32,778 except for a statement from your office which contained errors. 360 00:17:32,778 --> 00:17:35,482 What do you want members of the public to say? 361 00:17:35,482 --> 00:17:37,240 You've made him the fall guy. 362 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:39,431 Yeah, I'll say again, I firmly believe that I'm 363 00:17:39,431 --> 00:17:41,509 making the right decision at the right time. 364 00:17:41,509 --> 00:17:43,076 And part of this is a feeling of 365 00:17:43,076 --> 00:17:46,317 urgency around upcoming events this summer, including this 366 00:17:46,317 --> 00:17:49,441 weekend, wanting to make sure that we have the 367 00:17:49,441 --> 00:17:52,396 right leadership in place at SPD, the right 368 00:17:52,396 --> 00:17:55,371 communications protocols so that as we move forward, we can be 369 00:17:55,371 --> 00:17:56,798 much clearer with the public. 370 00:17:56,798 --> 00:17:59,376 If something like that should happen again. 371 00:17:59,376 --> 00:18:02,278 In place with that fast switch in leadership, 372 00:18:02,278 --> 00:18:03,959 are we going to be ready for the weekend? 373 00:18:03,959 --> 00:18:04,836 Absolutely, absolutely. 374 00:18:04,836 --> 00:18:06,913 And I want to open it up if Chief Sayles 375 00:18:06,913 --> 00:18:09,074 wants to say anything about our preparations 376 00:18:09,074 --> 00:18:09,759 for this weekend. 377 00:18:09,759 --> 00:18:12,460 But again, we have seasoned, experienced leadership 378 00:18:13,557 --> 00:18:16,000 that has been already doing this work. 379 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,179 And so we are confident as we move forward into the weekend. 380 00:18:20,616 --> 00:18:22,894 Mayor, this is obviously the biggest decision you've 381 00:18:22,894 --> 00:18:23,856 made during your term. 382 00:18:23,856 --> 00:18:25,815 The council is not here, the council is not 383 00:18:25,815 --> 00:18:26,817 standing behind you. 384 00:18:26,817 --> 00:18:29,803 The council, as you know, is criticized, and I want to get 385 00:18:29,803 --> 00:18:31,200 down to their exact words. 386 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:33,623 Joy Hollingsworth, the council president, called 387 00:18:33,623 --> 00:18:36,159 this move irresponsible, and it's a tad bit reckless. 388 00:18:36,159 --> 00:18:38,317 Debora Juarez says the emergent issue is this. 389 00:18:38,317 --> 00:18:40,577 You do not fire your chief of police in the middle 390 00:18:40,577 --> 00:18:41,880 of a murder investigation. 391 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,481 What we're seeing under this administration, her 392 00:18:44,481 --> 00:18:46,836 words, are more than just gaffes or missteps. 393 00:18:46,836 --> 00:18:49,519 I see a complete lack of leadership and for us for 394 00:18:49,519 --> 00:18:52,200 some of us no confidence in this administration 395 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:54,365 This has reached a level where we have to have 396 00:18:54,365 --> 00:18:56,707 a serious conversation about the confidence we 397 00:18:56,707 --> 00:18:59,461 have in this executive So this is your chance 398 00:18:59,461 --> 00:19:02,634 to respond to the council Why should the city of 399 00:19:02,634 --> 00:19:05,432 Seattle in this council have confidence in your 400 00:19:05,432 --> 00:19:07,038 leadership going forward? 401 00:19:07,038 --> 00:19:09,016 Yeah, I mean, I think I'll repeat what to it when I said 402 00:19:09,016 --> 00:19:11,413 to one of your colleagues here which is that I respect 403 00:19:11,413 --> 00:19:13,160 their differences of opinion. 404 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,159 And as the mayor, as the executive of the city, 405 00:19:16,159 --> 00:19:18,557 I do have a different window into our police 406 00:19:18,557 --> 00:19:19,959 department than they do. 407 00:19:19,959 --> 00:19:22,720 And I'm making the decision that I believe is best 408 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,189 and urgent at this time for our police department 409 00:19:25,189 --> 00:19:25,999 and for this city. 410 00:19:27,939 --> 00:19:32,479 Mayor, the last two chiefs have been asked to resign by mayors. 411 00:19:32,479 --> 00:19:35,154 Is there really a problem going on with these 412 00:19:35,154 --> 00:19:36,460 chiefs or within SPD? 413 00:19:36,460 --> 00:19:40,346 Or is there something bigger systemically happening within 414 00:19:40,346 --> 00:19:43,778 City Hall and the relationship with City Hall and SPD? 415 00:19:43,778 --> 00:19:46,005 I mean, I think it's no secret that we've that the 416 00:19:46,005 --> 00:19:48,451 Seattle Police Department has had a lot of different 417 00:19:48,451 --> 00:19:49,900 challenges for for a long time. 418 00:19:49,900 --> 00:19:52,351 And you know leadership change is kind of part 419 00:19:52,351 --> 00:19:55,317 of those challenges but certainly not necessarily the 420 00:19:55,317 --> 00:19:58,817 root of them so you know I think moving forward 421 00:19:58,817 --> 00:20:02,038 I will be looking for a leader who is really 422 00:20:02,038 --> 00:20:07,036 committed to the city to being here and really wants to lead 423 00:20:07,036 --> 00:20:10,040 the department in in a good direction and that means 424 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:11,856 really building relationships within the department from 425 00:20:11,856 --> 00:20:15,979 from top to bottom and being both committed to a reform 426 00:20:15,979 --> 00:20:19,842 agenda change when needed, but also in bringing the department 427 00:20:19,842 --> 00:20:20,939 along as we do that work. 428 00:20:20,939 --> 00:20:23,673 And yeah, I'm not in terms of making this 429 00:20:23,673 --> 00:20:27,538 position attractive to whoever is is the final pick, right? 430 00:20:27,538 --> 00:20:30,038 How are you going to do that if there are concerns? 431 00:20:30,038 --> 00:20:31,980 Hey, you know, the last two have been ousted. 432 00:20:33,076 --> 00:20:36,075 I mean, I think Seattle's a great city, right? 433 00:20:36,075 --> 00:20:38,046 We have great neighborhoods. 434 00:20:38,046 --> 00:20:40,251 And I think that the chance to lead 435 00:20:40,251 --> 00:20:44,115 a department like this and to contribute to such an amazing 436 00:20:44,115 --> 00:20:48,057 community, I think that that is an attractive opportunity. 437 00:20:50,298 --> 00:20:54,107 returning to the subject of Sunday's investigation. 438 00:20:54,107 --> 00:20:56,817 There is still a suspect outstanding. 439 00:20:56,817 --> 00:20:59,019 Chief Barnes indicated earlier this week that 440 00:20:59,019 --> 00:21:01,278 there is the possibility of there being another 441 00:21:01,278 --> 00:21:04,847 suspect. Why has the department not released more information, 442 00:21:04,847 --> 00:21:07,789 including a description of the outstanding 443 00:21:07,789 --> 00:21:09,538 suspect or suspects. 444 00:21:09,538 --> 00:21:10,700 Yeah, I think all defer to them. 445 00:21:11,798 --> 00:21:13,096 Thank you for that question. 446 00:21:13,096 --> 00:21:15,719 When you look at the gravity of that situation, 447 00:21:15,719 --> 00:21:17,979 there were so many people involved over 448 00:21:17,979 --> 00:21:19,278 at the Seattle Center. 449 00:21:19,278 --> 00:21:22,450 And our investigation team want to make sure that we 450 00:21:22,450 --> 00:21:25,499 have the appropriate person that we're looking for. 451 00:21:25,499 --> 00:21:27,807 We don't want to have any injustices by taking 452 00:21:27,807 --> 00:21:29,990 someone in custody that may not be the 453 00:21:29,990 --> 00:21:33,136 actual shooter or involved in that situation. 454 00:21:33,136 --> 00:21:35,866 We are working diligently, we are working tirelessly to 455 00:21:35,866 --> 00:21:37,376 bring these people to justice. 456 00:21:37,376 --> 00:21:39,699 We're gonna continue to do that as a police department. 457 00:21:39,699 --> 00:21:42,617 But at the same time, we wanna make sure that we have it right. 458 00:21:42,617 --> 00:21:44,778 We don't want to put someone and take someone's 459 00:21:44,778 --> 00:21:46,709 liberties away from them, because we think 460 00:21:46,709 --> 00:21:47,519 that is the person. 461 00:21:47,519 --> 00:21:50,430 We want to know 100% that that is the person and bring 462 00:21:50,430 --> 00:21:51,919 that person into justice. 463 00:21:53,278 --> 00:21:56,939 The department still believe there's no danger to the public? 464 00:21:56,939 --> 00:21:59,759 We believe that whenever there's gun violence, there 465 00:21:59,759 --> 00:22:01,077 is a danger to the public. 466 00:22:01,077 --> 00:22:03,421 And we're going to say that, but we're going to continue 467 00:22:03,421 --> 00:22:04,439 to look for that person. 468 00:22:04,439 --> 00:22:07,038 Because guns cause danger to the public. 469 00:22:07,038 --> 00:22:09,846 It would be reckless of me to say that it's not, but 470 00:22:09,846 --> 00:22:12,342 we're continuing to go out and do what we need to do 471 00:22:12,342 --> 00:22:13,317 as a police department. 472 00:22:13,317 --> 00:22:15,760 But we know that this situation was amongst two 473 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:18,317 fractions of people, and and we're continuing to 474 00:22:18,317 --> 00:22:21,038 look for those individuals involved in this is also a 475 00:22:21,038 --> 00:22:23,586 question for interim chief sayles. 476 00:22:23,586 --> 00:22:26,659 Um, you like Chief Barnes, maintain a home 477 00:22:26,659 --> 00:22:28,317 out of town in Wisconsin. 478 00:22:28,317 --> 00:22:31,636 And I wanted to ask how much you typically have been 479 00:22:31,636 --> 00:22:34,651 traveling to Wisconsin and how much and how that will 480 00:22:34,651 --> 00:22:36,019 change in this new role. 481 00:22:36,019 --> 00:22:37,737 Thank you for your question. 482 00:22:37,737 --> 00:22:40,240 I maintain a home in East King County here. 483 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:42,146 I also also have a secondary home in 484 00:22:42,146 --> 00:22:43,698 Illinois, not in Wisconsin. 485 00:22:43,698 --> 00:22:45,961 I was the police chief in Wisconsin. 486 00:22:45,961 --> 00:22:48,539 I do frequently go back to visit my 487 00:22:48,539 --> 00:22:51,817 family, uh, probably about every eight weeks or so. 488 00:22:51,817 --> 00:22:54,076 But my wife spends most of her time out here with 489 00:22:54,076 --> 00:22:56,788 me. We're looking to make this our home. 490 00:22:56,788 --> 00:22:59,336 This our area that we can retire to one 491 00:22:59,336 --> 00:23:02,728 day. But right now we have some kids that we need 492 00:23:02,728 --> 00:23:05,317 to get settled and then one day would make this 493 00:23:05,317 --> 00:23:07,199 area our home but I currently live in East King County 494 00:23:08,919 --> 00:23:11,155 mayor this is a question for you you talk a lot 495 00:23:11,155 --> 00:23:13,576 about transparency and trust this is something 496 00:23:13,576 --> 00:23:18,054 that you campaigned on so why did it take more than nearly 24 497 00:23:18,054 --> 00:23:22,065 hours for the community and even council members to know what was 498 00:23:22,065 --> 00:23:25,096 happening with chief barnes can you be transparent about maybe 499 00:23:25,096 --> 00:23:29,450 be the one single decision that Barnes made that 500 00:23:29,450 --> 00:23:32,701 it caused you to lose confidence in his leadership 501 00:23:32,701 --> 00:23:35,000 or was this just solely about what happened at the 502 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:36,996 Bite of Seattle and that miscommunication? 503 00:23:36,996 --> 00:23:37,856 Yeah absolutely so 504 00:23:40,576 --> 00:23:43,941 conversations between me and my office and Chief Barnes 505 00:23:43,941 --> 00:23:45,836 over the last couple of days. 506 00:23:45,836 --> 00:23:50,355 These are confidential personnel conversations 507 00:23:50,355 --> 00:23:54,029 and we had to have those conversations and come to 508 00:23:54,029 --> 00:23:56,999 the agreement around our path forward, around a 509 00:23:56,999 --> 00:23:59,480 resignation. We also had to have conversations 510 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:01,250 with potential interim chiefs. 511 00:24:01,250 --> 00:24:03,990 These are sensitive confidential matters 512 00:24:03,990 --> 00:24:06,920 and so it was simply not appropriate or possible 513 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,596 for us to share the outcome or details of those 514 00:24:09,596 --> 00:24:12,563 conversations until those agreements and decisions had 515 00:24:12,563 --> 00:24:13,115 been made. 516 00:24:13,115 --> 00:24:15,434 And I know that you know rumors were flying 517 00:24:15,434 --> 00:24:18,317 around and there was impatience but this is simply 518 00:24:18,317 --> 00:24:20,528 part of leading a large organization where you have 519 00:24:20,528 --> 00:24:22,739 to have sometimes these confidential processes. 520 00:24:22,739 --> 00:24:26,538 Why not have these conversations and maybe even alert city 521 00:24:26,538 --> 00:24:29,636 council members who even the public chair of the 522 00:24:29,636 --> 00:24:31,659 safety committee said that he never received a 523 00:24:31,659 --> 00:24:34,718 phone call that they found out many of them through the 524 00:24:34,718 --> 00:24:35,634 local media. 525 00:24:35,634 --> 00:24:37,765 Yeah, we we were in the process of having 526 00:24:37,765 --> 00:24:40,827 conversations with council members and rumors started 527 00:24:40,827 --> 00:24:44,852 flying before we were able to complete those calls. 528 00:24:44,852 --> 00:24:48,220 So, you talk about the rumors and the 529 00:24:48,220 --> 00:24:50,356 speculation. I think it's because there's a related 530 00:24:50,356 --> 00:24:52,317 information and the transparency of what happened 531 00:24:52,317 --> 00:24:52,976 Sunday night. 532 00:24:52,976 --> 00:24:54,124 So, just wanna ask again. 533 00:24:54,124 --> 00:24:56,115 Uh you have command staff who's there in those 534 00:24:56,115 --> 00:24:59,288 meetings. Many of them are here here tonight, we again 535 00:24:59,288 --> 00:25:02,990 are hearing that your office told them to hold 536 00:25:02,990 --> 00:25:04,940 off on media briefings. 537 00:25:04,940 --> 00:25:08,429 Are you telling the truth when it comes to that night 538 00:25:08,429 --> 00:25:11,739 about your office telling them to hold off? 539 00:25:11,739 --> 00:25:14,960 Yeah, so to be transparent about what happened, the piece of 540 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:18,846 this that my office was directly involved in and that I want to 541 00:25:18,846 --> 00:25:21,713 own is in the time period from 9:45 p.m. 542 00:25:21,713 --> 00:25:22,701 to 10:45 p.m. 543 00:25:22,701 --> 00:25:24,471 when the press conference 544 00:25:24,471 --> 00:25:25,759 ultimately took place. 545 00:25:25,759 --> 00:25:30,239 I learned at 9:40 p.m., five minutes before 9:45, 546 00:25:30,239 --> 00:25:34,057 that a press conference was being planned at Seattle Center. 547 00:25:34,057 --> 00:25:39,220 At that time, if I had known that next to no information, 548 00:25:39,220 --> 00:25:43,159 apart from my own office's blog post, 549 00:25:43,159 --> 00:25:46,074 had been shared with the public since the time of the 550 00:25:46,074 --> 00:25:48,699 incident at 6:00 p.m., I would have immediately said, 551 00:25:48,699 --> 00:25:51,573 yes tell the press everything you know. 552 00:25:51,573 --> 00:25:53,489 Yeah in that absolutely no 553 00:25:53,489 --> 00:25:56,731 direction from my office not to share information. 554 00:25:56,731 --> 00:25:58,857 You had no communication from your office 555 00:25:58,857 --> 00:26:00,376 to anybody at SPD at that time? 556 00:26:00,376 --> 00:26:03,095 We had communication but not we were not directing anyone 557 00:26:03,095 --> 00:26:04,336 to not share information. 558 00:26:04,336 --> 00:26:06,948 Information was coming out for five hours how did 559 00:26:06,948 --> 00:26:09,239 you not know did you not turn on the tv did you 560 00:26:09,239 --> 00:26:10,688 Did you not look at an app on your phone and no one 561 00:26:10,688 --> 00:26:11,577 in your administration did? 562 00:26:11,577 --> 00:26:13,919 I was not watching TV that evening. 563 00:26:13,919 --> 00:26:16,470 Did no one in your administration knew 564 00:26:16,470 --> 00:26:19,576 that no information was going out to the public 565 00:26:19,576 --> 00:26:21,979 about a mass shooting that happened at the Seattle Center? 566 00:26:21,979 --> 00:26:22,679 No one knew? 567 00:26:22,679 --> 00:26:26,104 The reason why we put out a statement on our 568 00:26:26,104 --> 00:26:28,159 website around 8.45 p.m. 569 00:26:28,159 --> 00:26:30,625 is because at that point we did realize that nothing 570 00:26:30,625 --> 00:26:32,673 was getting out there and we knew that the public 571 00:26:32,673 --> 00:26:33,919 was desperate for information. 572 00:26:33,919 --> 00:26:36,814 So we put out a statement with the best information we had 573 00:26:36,814 --> 00:26:39,769 at that time from SPD, which, as everyone knows, included 574 00:26:39,769 --> 00:26:42,538 some misinformation about the number of suspects who 575 00:26:42,538 --> 00:26:44,019 had been taken into custody. 576 00:26:44,019 --> 00:26:45,876 - Can we get on the dime please? 577 00:26:45,876 --> 00:26:48,699 - Communications were flying around 578 00:26:48,699 --> 00:26:53,679 and I personally at 9:40 was not aware 579 00:26:53,679 --> 00:26:56,659 that basic information such as the status 580 00:26:56,659 --> 00:26:59,699 of Seattle Center Campus and information 581 00:26:59,699 --> 00:27:01,856 about potential suspects at large 582 00:27:01,856 --> 00:27:03,356 had not gotten out in any form. 583 00:27:03,356 --> 00:27:05,278 And that information should have been shared earlier. 584 00:27:05,278 --> 00:27:06,778 It could have been shared in a number of forms. 585 00:27:06,778 --> 00:27:10,778 Social media, the SPD blotter, our emergency alert system, 586 00:27:10,778 --> 00:27:12,356 potentially an off-site press conference. 587 00:27:13,896 --> 00:27:16,159 It begs the question why? 588 00:27:16,159 --> 00:27:16,769 Sorry, sir. 589 00:27:16,769 --> 00:27:18,778 We're just looking to go to the next one. 590 00:27:18,778 --> 00:27:22,096 So Sunday's miscommunication is bad. 591 00:27:22,096 --> 00:27:26,136 What's not understandable is on Monday at 1:30 592 00:27:26,136 --> 00:27:29,028 King County Prosecutor's Office presented evidence 593 00:27:29,028 --> 00:27:31,759 that the 19 year old who died at Seattle Center 594 00:27:31,759 --> 00:27:34,000 was actually part of the shooting. 595 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,509 Less than two hours hours before that you held 596 00:27:36,509 --> 00:27:39,459 a press conference with the police chief and didn't disclose 597 00:27:39,459 --> 00:27:40,636 that information. 598 00:27:40,636 --> 00:27:43,188 It is not possible in any world that the King 599 00:27:43,188 --> 00:27:45,876 County Prosecutor's Office did not have that 600 00:27:45,876 --> 00:27:48,939 information very, very early on Monday. 601 00:27:48,939 --> 00:27:51,817 How is it possible that you didn't have that information? 602 00:27:51,817 --> 00:27:55,940 And specifically, if it wasn't your office, how did SPD 603 00:27:55,940 --> 00:27:59,239 communicate that to KCPAO but not to you? 604 00:27:59,239 --> 00:28:01,814 I will just say that I was not aware of that 605 00:28:01,814 --> 00:28:03,479 information at that time. 606 00:28:03,479 --> 00:28:07,040 And also, just for everyone's knowledge, that was also the 607 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,876 root of the misinformation about two suspects 608 00:28:09,876 --> 00:28:11,479 being taken into custody. 609 00:28:11,479 --> 00:28:13,519 That second suspect, I understand, but I 610 00:28:13,519 --> 00:28:15,920 was just clarifying something else for people. 611 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:19,392 But again, my question is, I think you do owe the public an 612 00:28:19,392 --> 00:28:23,159 explanation for how there was a breakdown in communication. 613 00:28:23,159 --> 00:28:26,343 Since SPD gave that information to KCPAO, how 614 00:28:26,343 --> 00:28:28,019 did it not give it to you? 615 00:28:28,019 --> 00:28:31,659 We did not have that information in my office at that time. 616 00:28:31,659 --> 00:28:33,179 And then we're going to jump back over here. 617 00:28:35,179 --> 00:28:38,659 So, tagging along to what my colleague said over here. 618 00:28:38,659 --> 00:28:41,886 Since 2000, there have been around 10 police 619 00:28:41,886 --> 00:28:45,380 chiefs, and only one of them have been temporary 620 00:28:45,380 --> 00:28:50,376 or only one of them have not been temporary or fired. 621 00:28:50,376 --> 00:28:52,999 So I've been hearing a lot of, I will do this, 622 00:28:52,999 --> 00:28:54,919 I will do that for the next police chief. 623 00:28:54,919 --> 00:28:57,919 But I've also been hearing a lot about community. 624 00:28:57,919 --> 00:29:01,557 So how are you, especially in such a short time, 625 00:29:01,557 --> 00:29:06,219 going to get the community aspect on a good police chief, 626 00:29:06,219 --> 00:29:09,896 especially in the Chinatown International District, 627 00:29:09,896 --> 00:29:12,959 a place that had been neglected by Seattle police so much? 628 00:29:12,959 --> 00:29:14,903 Yeah, so we are committed to making sure that 629 00:29:14,903 --> 00:29:17,479 communities around Seattle are involved in this process, 630 00:29:17,479 --> 00:29:20,557 and so we're going to be working on that, and we'll come out 631 00:29:20,557 --> 00:29:21,836 with more of a plan soon. 632 00:29:21,836 --> 00:29:24,226 But I didn't hear you mention *unintelligible*, I didn't 633 00:29:24,226 --> 00:29:27,211 hear you mention CARE, I didn't hear you mention the 634 00:29:27,211 --> 00:29:30,576 BIA does a lot of work in Chinatown, or we deliver CARE. 635 00:29:30,576 --> 00:29:34,409 So who specifically will be involved in these 636 00:29:34,409 --> 00:29:38,439 conversations, if not the people who live here? 637 00:29:38,439 --> 00:29:41,038 It is the people who live here and communities around our 638 00:29:41,038 --> 00:29:43,699 city and many organizations have a stake in this process. 639 00:29:43,699 --> 00:29:46,130 And so I'm not going to list them because there's going to 640 00:29:46,130 --> 00:29:47,317 be some I don't list, right? 641 00:29:47,317 --> 00:29:50,317 But we're going to create a process that invites 642 00:29:50,317 --> 00:29:52,116 input from multiple angles. 643 00:29:52,116 --> 00:29:53,557 Okay, all the way in the back there. 644 00:29:53,557 --> 00:29:57,699 And then we'll go to the yellow side. 645 00:29:57,699 --> 00:30:01,142 Okay, for Chief Sayles, what can you disclose right 646 00:30:01,142 --> 00:30:04,337 now about the search for a suspect or suspects? 647 00:30:04,337 --> 00:30:05,979 What is the status of this? 648 00:30:05,979 --> 00:30:09,019 What does the public need to know about this? 649 00:30:09,019 --> 00:30:10,376 How can they help? 650 00:30:10,376 --> 00:30:13,179 What is the situation as far as finding this person? 651 00:30:13,179 --> 00:30:16,288 I think we're very close in that finding that suspect and taking 652 00:30:16,288 --> 00:30:17,636 that suspect into custody. 653 00:30:17,636 --> 00:30:20,383 I've been working with Assistant Chief Nicole 654 00:30:20,383 --> 00:30:21,719 Powell on this matter. 655 00:30:21,719 --> 00:30:23,758 After we're done here today, we're going to meet with 656 00:30:23,758 --> 00:30:25,728 our detectives on this and then start moving 657 00:30:25,728 --> 00:30:26,999 forward in the right way. 658 00:30:26,999 --> 00:30:29,679 Like I said earlier, to bring the right person to justice. 659 00:30:29,679 --> 00:30:31,759 We want to identify the correct person. 660 00:30:31,759 --> 00:30:34,308 We don't want to have a person that's arrested 661 00:30:34,308 --> 00:30:37,199 that may have just been running to save their lives. 662 00:30:37,199 --> 00:30:40,836 It is paramount that we get the correct person. 663 00:30:40,836 --> 00:30:43,048 I do not want our police department to be put in a 664 00:30:43,048 --> 00:30:45,660 bad situation where we're arresting the wrong person. 665 00:30:45,660 --> 00:30:47,759 I wish I could give you that information right 666 00:30:47,759 --> 00:30:50,076 now, but for the integrity of that investigation, 667 00:30:50,076 --> 00:30:52,211 we want to keep that close to the vest right now and 668 00:30:52,211 --> 00:30:54,451 make sure our detectives have the best angle to take 669 00:30:54,451 --> 00:30:55,596 that person into custody. 670 00:30:55,596 --> 00:30:58,159 We're going to get there, and that's what we're doing. 671 00:30:58,159 --> 00:31:03,298 Chief, is your home in East King County or multiple people? 672 00:31:05,778 --> 00:31:06,557 Multiple people. 673 00:31:07,739 --> 00:31:11,499 Chief, is your home in East King County in Seattle? 674 00:31:12,699 --> 00:31:13,896 Get started. 675 00:31:13,896 --> 00:31:15,019 Thank you. 676 00:31:15,019 --> 00:31:17,346 Mayor Wilson, there have been a lot of questions in 677 00:31:17,346 --> 00:31:19,896 the room today about your relative lack of experience. 678 00:31:19,896 --> 00:31:22,856 It's something that was brought up on the campaign trail. 679 00:31:22,856 --> 00:31:25,827 Black community leaders brought it up yesterday, as Chris 680 00:31:25,827 --> 00:31:28,616 alluded to, council members have brought it up as well. 681 00:31:28,616 --> 00:31:30,711 You're seven months into the job. 682 00:31:30,711 --> 00:31:33,480 What can you say to community members who are 683 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:36,624 concerned that you have not at this point shown the 684 00:31:36,624 --> 00:31:40,439 leadership capability to run this city for three more years? 685 00:31:40,439 --> 00:31:43,585 I'll just say I'm working with a great team and I 686 00:31:43,585 --> 00:31:47,866 believe that we are making the right decisions for 687 00:31:47,866 --> 00:31:48,998 this city. 688 00:31:48,998 --> 00:31:51,257 Two quick questions. 689 00:31:51,257 --> 00:31:54,693 So was the Chief of Barnes the fact that he 690 00:31:54,693 --> 00:31:58,219 never fully moved to Seattle, that he was out of town 691 00:31:58,219 --> 00:32:01,881 a lot, was that an issue for you that he wasn't here? 692 00:32:01,881 --> 00:32:04,740 Again there were multiple factors that figured 693 00:32:04,740 --> 00:32:06,999 into the conversations between me and Chief Barnes 694 00:32:06,999 --> 00:32:09,586 that led to the decision that he would resign. 695 00:32:09,586 --> 00:32:11,769 How is this severance agreement work? 696 00:32:11,769 --> 00:32:14,151 Does he receive an extra year's 697 00:32:14,151 --> 00:32:17,207 pay? Was there a sweetener thrown in? 698 00:32:17,207 --> 00:32:18,569 We had conversations about the 699 00:32:18,569 --> 00:32:20,356 terms of that agreement and we came to an agreement. 700 00:32:20,356 --> 00:32:23,457 I'm not going to be sharing details of that at this 701 00:32:23,457 --> 00:32:26,240 time. This statement that came out yesterday afternoon 702 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:28,076 from the Police Officers Guild, it just said that 703 00:32:28,076 --> 00:32:30,419 that with your administration there's been confusion, 704 00:32:30,419 --> 00:32:33,616 mis-mixed messages and chaos surrounding Barnes, 705 00:32:33,616 --> 00:32:35,959 and that public safety does not seem to be your priority. 706 00:32:35,959 --> 00:32:37,396 I want you to just address that. 707 00:32:37,396 --> 00:32:38,778 What would you say about that? 708 00:32:38,778 --> 00:32:41,115 - Yeah, I mean, I'll say again that there were 709 00:32:41,115 --> 00:32:43,328 really good reasons why we weren't able 710 00:32:43,328 --> 00:32:45,778 to offer information about Chief Barnes 711 00:32:45,778 --> 00:32:48,538 and our path forward until we had actually finalized 712 00:32:48,538 --> 00:32:49,636 those agreements and decisions. 713 00:32:49,636 --> 00:32:52,979 And as soon as we did that, we sent out a release yesterday 714 00:32:52,979 --> 00:32:55,159 and planned this press conference. 715 00:32:55,159 --> 00:32:56,459 Are you placing that? 716 00:32:56,459 --> 00:33:01,199 By any measure, the chief's tenure here was successful. 717 00:33:01,199 --> 00:33:02,616 Do you agree with that? 718 00:33:02,616 --> 00:33:07,096 And if not, what was the straw that broke the camel's back? 719 00:33:07,096 --> 00:33:09,688 I'll just repeat that as the mayor, I have a different window 720 00:33:09,688 --> 00:33:10,876 into the police department 721 00:33:11,939 --> 00:33:13,636 than many of our council members. 722 00:33:13,636 --> 00:33:15,923 And I made the decision that I firmly believe was 723 00:33:15,923 --> 00:33:17,814 the right one at this time, as we are moving 724 00:33:17,814 --> 00:33:20,163 forward with the summer, to put us in the best position 725 00:33:20,163 --> 00:33:22,144 to keep our community safe and to communicate 726 00:33:22,144 --> 00:33:23,439 transparently with the public. 727 00:33:23,439 --> 00:33:25,459 -What deserves more than that, though, Mayor? 728 00:33:25,459 --> 00:33:27,278 Respectfully, you can say I have this window 729 00:33:27,278 --> 00:33:29,278 into the police department that nobody else has, 730 00:33:29,278 --> 00:33:30,959 but that's not good enough for the public. 731 00:33:30,959 --> 00:33:33,278 What wasn't Shon Barnes getting done? 732 00:33:33,278 --> 00:33:35,179 Crime is down, recruitment is up, 733 00:33:35,179 --> 00:33:37,336 major progress has been made in the last year and a half 734 00:33:37,336 --> 00:33:38,317 under his tenure. 735 00:33:38,317 --> 00:33:39,616 What wasn't he getting done? 736 00:33:40,876 --> 00:33:43,239 -I'm grateful for Chief Barnes' service, 737 00:33:43,239 --> 00:33:45,959 and I outlined in my remarks some of the qualities 738 00:33:45,959 --> 00:33:48,096 that I will be looking for in the next chief. 739 00:33:48,096 --> 00:33:51,173 I would just say that I believe that the path we are on now is 740 00:33:51,173 --> 00:33:54,380 the one that is going to put us in the best position to achieve 741 00:33:54,380 --> 00:33:55,915 our public safety outcomes. 742 00:33:55,919 --> 00:33:59,116 And that includes transparent communication with the public. 743 00:33:59,116 --> 00:34:02,218 That includes operational relationships throughout 744 00:34:02,218 --> 00:34:04,643 the department that are going to allow us to 745 00:34:04,643 --> 00:34:06,259 actually achieve our goals. 746 00:34:10,079 --> 00:34:12,217 There's a cloak of secrecy here. 747 00:34:12,217 --> 00:34:14,117 We've asked multiple times. 748 00:34:14,117 --> 00:34:17,757 A number of media outlets have asked the same question. 749 00:34:17,759 --> 00:34:20,344 You're refusing to give us transparent answers 750 00:34:20,344 --> 00:34:21,380 on the reasons why. 751 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:26,003 Do you think that that's going to create more of 752 00:34:26,003 --> 00:34:29,539 a problem moving forward, whoever takes over SPD? 753 00:34:29,539 --> 00:34:32,978 That it's going to create this culture of secrecy on 754 00:34:32,978 --> 00:34:34,739 you know no transparency? 755 00:34:35,759 --> 00:34:38,780 I think there is a lot of information out there 756 00:34:38,780 --> 00:34:41,880 that can suggest to people the reasons why this 757 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:42,864 decision was made. 758 00:34:42,864 --> 00:34:44,342 What I'm saying is that there 759 00:34:44,342 --> 00:34:45,572 were multiple factors. 760 00:34:45,572 --> 00:34:48,416 The events of Sunday certainly played into it and 761 00:34:48,416 --> 00:34:51,858 I think we've discussed some of the gaps and lapses that 762 00:34:51,858 --> 00:34:56,204 that happened um and again my decision here is based on what I 763 00:34:56,204 --> 00:35:00,121 believe is going to be best for this department and for the city 764 00:35:00,121 --> 00:35:03,478 moving forward your process and how you're going to be working 765 00:35:03,478 --> 00:35:06,007 with the mayor here it sounds like there's some 766 00:35:06,007 --> 00:35:08,599 some concerns that yes I think the biggest thing 767 00:35:08,599 --> 00:35:11,472 is first I'd be remiss if I didn't say that chief 768 00:35:11,472 --> 00:35:14,199 barnes and I are friends we were main friends 769 00:35:14,199 --> 00:35:18,052 I had the opportunity to come over with him from Wisconsin to 770 00:35:18,052 --> 00:35:19,980 our work that we did together. 771 00:35:19,980 --> 00:35:22,498 And then also my friend and colleague, Yvonne 772 00:35:22,498 --> 00:35:25,414 Underwood, that we've known for several years, had a 773 00:35:25,414 --> 00:35:26,938 role with me coming in here. 774 00:35:26,938 --> 00:35:30,134 I think this morning when I had a meeting with the mayor, some 775 00:35:30,134 --> 00:35:33,201 of the things that we're going to do as a police department 776 00:35:33,201 --> 00:35:34,478 is to be very proactive. 777 00:35:34,478 --> 00:35:36,882 If you look at some of my statistics from when I was 778 00:35:36,882 --> 00:35:39,521 in Beloit, Wisconsin, we were a very proactive police 779 00:35:39,521 --> 00:35:42,396 department identifying the individuals that are causing 780 00:35:42,396 --> 00:35:44,918 the gun violence and the gang problems in that city. 781 00:35:44,918 --> 00:35:48,056 And we're going to identify them here in Seattle and we're going 782 00:35:48,056 --> 00:35:50,777 to put an effort, a concerted effort, into identifying 783 00:35:50,777 --> 00:35:53,619 those individuals, making the appropriate arrests, and 784 00:35:53,619 --> 00:35:56,518 sending them over to the King County Prosecutor's Office. 785 00:35:56,518 --> 00:35:59,965 The message that I received this morning and the message 786 00:35:59,965 --> 00:36:02,670 that I gave to the mayor aligns with what we want 787 00:36:02,670 --> 00:36:02,998 to do. 788 00:36:02,998 --> 00:36:05,358 It's about public safety, it's about being 789 00:36:05,358 --> 00:36:07,721 committed and working together not just as a police 790 00:36:07,721 --> 00:36:10,128 department but as the police department, the mayor's 791 00:36:10,128 --> 00:36:12,460 office and the council members of this city of Seattle 792 00:36:12,460 --> 00:36:15,010 and working with our outreach groups. 793 00:36:15,010 --> 00:36:17,639 It takes all of us and you know I know it's 794 00:36:17,639 --> 00:36:19,692 cliche but it takes the village to save some of 795 00:36:19,692 --> 00:36:22,119 these individuals in this in this community and that's 796 00:36:22,119 --> 00:36:23,099 what we're going to do. 797 00:36:23,099 --> 00:36:24,119 So that's the message that we have. 798 00:36:24,119 --> 00:36:26,259 - One more question and it's going to go to Connor 799 00:36:26,259 --> 00:36:27,139 because I called him. 800 00:36:27,139 --> 00:36:31,400 - Mayor Wilson, you said that you do have a window into SPD. 801 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,539 So when were you aware of former Chief Barnes's travels 802 00:36:35,539 --> 00:36:37,739 and for transparency that you said that you want to have 803 00:36:37,739 --> 00:36:40,878 for SPD, are you going to release his full calendar 804 00:36:40,878 --> 00:36:43,179 to show exactly how much he actually travels 805 00:36:43,179 --> 00:36:44,059 during his tenure? 806 00:36:46,659 --> 00:36:48,471 We can discuss releasing that. 807 00:36:48,471 --> 00:36:51,259 I think that should be a matter of public record. 808 00:36:51,259 --> 00:36:52,789 I'm wondering where specifically. 809 00:36:52,789 --> 00:36:54,318 You said you have a window into that. 810 00:36:54,318 --> 00:36:55,777 Of travel specifically? 811 00:36:55,777 --> 00:36:58,079 Yeah, of how often he traveled. 812 00:36:58,079 --> 00:37:00,666 I mean, I think that that has been something that 813 00:37:00,666 --> 00:37:03,320 has been discussed in public for quite some time. 814 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:04,079 Thank you, everyone. 815 00:37:04,079 --> 00:37:06,619 I do have one question for Chief. 816 00:37:06,619 --> 00:37:10,099 You said that you were friends with former Chief Shon Barnes. 817 00:37:10,099 --> 00:37:12,860 I don't know if there's been any conversations with him today 818 00:37:12,860 --> 00:37:15,516 and any advice that he's given you to take 819 00:37:15,516 --> 00:37:17,000 over this department. 820 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:19,199 I'd like to keep that matter private between him and I. 821 00:37:19,199 --> 00:37:21,699 Are you speaking here permanently? 822 00:37:21,699 --> 00:37:23,759 That's way too early for me to discuss that. 823 00:37:23,759 --> 00:37:26,559 It's been a very busy last five days. 824 00:37:26,559 --> 00:37:28,438 Are you making any command changes? 825 00:37:28,438 --> 00:37:29,099 Not at this moment. 826 00:37:30,277 --> 00:37:35,034 You made it sound like there was an agreement between you 827 00:37:35,034 --> 00:37:37,259 and Chief Barnes to leave. 828 00:37:37,259 --> 00:37:40,170 But is it the fact of the matter that you gave him an 829 00:37:40,170 --> 00:37:43,719 ultimatum that he would either leave or he'd be terminated? 830 00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:44,719 I asked him to resign. 831 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:46,679 Thank you. 832 00:37:46,679 --> 00:37:47,119 Thank you very much.