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Seattle City Council confirms Sean Fitzgerald Barnes as police chief after committee review and public concerns about ICE
Summary
The Seattle City Council unanimously confirmed Sean Fitzgerald Barnes as Seattle Police Chief on July 1 after the public safety committee and full council reviewed his nomination; public commenters pressed the council to clarify SPD protocols around federal immigration enforcement.
Sean Fitzgerald Barnes was confirmed as Seattle Police Chief by the Seattle City Council on July 1 following a public safety committee recommendation and a roll-call vote that was unanimous.
The confirmation followed a multiweek nomination process and committee review. Council President Sarah Nelson read the public safety committee report that forwarded appointment 3175 for full council consideration. Council Member Joe Kettle, chair of the public safety committee, described Barnes as an outside candidate with ‘‘a diverse background . . . as a teacher and a marine’’ and said the nominee showed outreach to neighborhood and accountability partners.
The nomination drew sustained attention from public commenters who urged the council to address interactions between Seattle Police Department officers and federal immigration teams. Public commenter Matt Payne said he had ‘‘not see[n] dangerous…
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