Seattle Police Interim Chief Discusses Plans for Department – ​​KIRO 7 News Seattle

Friday was her second day on the job, as she replaced Adrian Diaz as sworn police chief after just a year and a half.

“You know, I expected there to be a little bit of a commotion. I’d probably get some angry looks. But the opposite was the case. There were people in my room who just sat there and said, ‘We’re ready, coach,'” Rahr explained.

She says the next six months will be a sprint, not a marathon, to get everything ready for the next permanent boss.

“In order to stabilize things, we need to find ways to launch different initiatives. Make sure we are on the right track. I guess I would describe it as planting seeds that will sprout when I am no longer there,” she said.

As a former sheriff of King County, community policing remains her highest priority.

“Community policing is inseparable from everything else we do. It’s about how we conduct our policing,” added Police Chief Rahr.

She wants to make sure her police officers not only interact with the community, but also understand what each individual needs to improve.

“And that’s different in every community. Some communities like to see police cars, some don’t, and maybe that’s not the most effective way to keep their community safe,” Rahr said.

Rahr also places emphasis on accelerating officer recruitment and retention.

“If the process takes too long, we lose good applicants to another department. That’s why we need to become more competitive,” she said.

Police Chief Rahr wants to highlight the tools and technologies available to officers to do their jobs efficiently.

She also wants to show candidates that there is support for officers in the community.

Their main motivation is to ensure flexible working hours.

“If they decide to start a family or maybe take on the care of an elderly parent, those are life circumstances,” Rahr added. “If they have the opportunity to work part-time for a while, they don’t have to leave. It’s very expensive to replace a retiring officer.”