Public Safety Committee recommends confirmation of Sean Fitzgerald Barnes as Seattle police chief

The Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee voted to recommend confirmation of interim Seattle Police Chief Sean Fitzgerald Barnes on June 24, 2025, sending the appointment to the full City Council after a confirmation hearing and public comment.

The recommendation matters because the committee’s approval moves Barnes a step closer to becoming permanent chief at a time the city is emphasizing recruitment, technology and community partnerships as part of a broader public safety strategy.

At the hearing, Barnes laid out crime and staffing statistics he said reflect early progress under his leadership. “The people of Seattle deserve a police department that is effective, trusted, and continuously evolving to meet their needs,” Barnes said, citing department figures that he said show homicide down 37 percent, robberies down 16 percent and motor vehicle theft down 27 percent. He told the committee the department hired 87 officers in…