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 the first half of 2025, producing a net staffing increase of 47 officers so far this year and a recruiting target he described as a goal of 200 hires by year end.

Barnes also discussed technology and investigative tools the department is scaling up, including a real-time crime center, automatic license plate readers (ALPR), public-space cameras and a recently approved StarChase program. He said those systems can reduce dangerous pursuits and strengthen investigative capacity.

Committee members pressed Barnes on several operational priorities. Vice Chair Saka praised Barnes’s emphasis on data-driven responses to gun violence and asked what changes the chief has made since taking interim command; Barnes said the department expanded weekly gun-incident coordination to twice weekly during peak periods and is using task-force and intelligence-led approaches to support prosecutions. Councilmember Hollingsworth and others emphasized tailored neighborhood approaches, officer wellness and partnerships with other city departments, including SDOT for traffic safety and Vision Zero aims.

Public comment before the committee included a mix of support and critique. Erin Goodman, identified as executive director of the SODO Business Improvement Area, told the committee she supported nuisance-property and graffiti measures because of safety impacts around nightlife venues. Several speakers called for stronger accountability in police responses to people in crisis; Tassie Hightower, who identified herself as the sister of Herbert Hightower Jr., said her brother was killed by Seattle police while experiencing a mental-health crisis and asked what the chief would do to prevent further deaths.

The committee moved and seconded a recommendation to confirm Barnes. In a roll-call vote the recommendation carried 4-0: Councilmember Hollingsworth (yes), Council President Nelson (aye), Councilmember Osaka (aye) and Chair Kettle (aye). The committee record shows no votes opposed. The recommendation will be transmitted to the full City Council for final action.

Committee discussion also signaled continued focus on recruitment, officer retention and community engagement as prerequisites for longer-term reductions in violent crime. Barnes said the department will launch women-only leadership training and other retention measures this fall and described an expanded officer-support program including chaplains and counseling.

The committee hearing did not finalize any ordinance related to policing policy; it was a confirmation hearing and question-and-answer session centered on Barnes’s management plans and department priorities.

The appointment will proceed to the full City Council per committee procedures. The committee record and public testimony will remain available for councilmembers as they consider the final confirmation vote.