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Seattle Council Unanimously Confirms Bonnie J. Glenn as Director of Office of Police Accountability
Summary
The Seattle City Council voted 8-0 to confirm Bonnie J. Glenn as director of the Office of Police Accountability for a term through Dec. 31, 2026. Her nomination, advanced under a 30-day confirmation deadline, drew both support from the mayor’s office and criticism from some public commenters over transparency and her prosecutorial background.
Bonnie J. Glenn was confirmed 8-0 by the Seattle City Council on Nov. 12 as director of the Office of Police Accountability (OPA), a post she has held on an interim basis since December 2024.
The confirmation came during a short special meeting scheduled because city rules create a 30-day window for the council to act on mayoral appointments. Council President Sarah Nelson said the deadline required an irregular session alongside ongoing budget deliberations.
The mayor’s office, represented at the hearing by Chief of Staff Andrew Myerberg, described Glenn as the product of a national search and singled out her legal and community background. "Bonnie is uniquely qualified to serve as the OPA director," Myerberg said, citing her experience in civil and criminal law, administrative hearings, and local community work.
Councilmember Robert Kettle, chair of the public safety committee and sponsor of the nomination, reviewed Glenn’s record in OPA leadership and in a variety of state and city roles, saying her mix of prosecutorial, administrative and community experience "brings a great amount of experience that is solid and brings these different pieces together." Kettle moved to confirm the appointment.
Glenn, who told the council she has "over 30 plus years of public service," emphasized due process and community trust-building in oversight work. She described steps taken while interim director — staff retreats, developing guiding principles, and work to build mediation capacity — and said she is committed to expanding mediation and improving data and dashboard tools for investigations.
Council members pressed Glenn on specifics of the OPA mediation program and partnerships with oversight bodies. Councilmember Teresa Rivera asked how the voluntary mediation program could be encouraged; Glenn said the office has trained a stable pool of mediators, produced a demonstration video drawn from a real case, and is studying other city models to increase participation while acknowledging time and trust are barriers.
Public commenters offered contrasting views. Remote speaker Howard Gail told the council the appointment process had been "done with an astounding lack of transparency" and argued Glenn’s prosecutorial background made her a poor fit for independent oversight. In-person commenter Gabriel Diaz urged the council to vote no, saying the nominee would not hold officers accountable. The council did not adopt those positions and proceeded to a roll-call confirmation.
Council members also noted a recent SPOG (police union) contract change that increases civilian investigator participation in some investigations and said the OPA’s work is occurring during a dynamic transition period after Seattle exited its consent decree.
The council confirmed Appointment 3328 on an 8-0 roll call. The appointment will run through Dec. 31, 2026, an end date council staff said is offset to mayoral terms per ordinance. Glenn said she plans to return to the council with updates on mediation and other OPA work.
What’s next: Director Glenn will continue in the role and report back to the council on OPA initiatives, including efforts to expand mediation and improve data dashboards for investigations.
