Police Chief Carmen Best is the leader Seattle needs

This post originally appeared in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s “Wright on Center” column on November 16, 2018.

Midterm elections may be over, and there is a new, lower bar for civil discussion.

The other Washington, where positive leadership is in short supply, should take note of Seattle.

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best is leading a department through promised reforms, contending with a homelessness and mental health crisis, and opening communication channels to many communities eager to be heard.

I sat down with Chief Best for coffee on a rainy morning recently to discuss some of the challenges facing the city and its businesses.

More than anything, I conveyed to her what I’ve seen, specifically how business owners want to be a part of community-based initiatives to enhance public safety.

From that conversation, I learned why her selection as police chief was applauded by so many groups with diverging interests. Chief Best is someone with an open mind, whose primary concern is working toward solutions-based outcomes.

Homelessness and mental health are weighing heavily on the minds of business owners. We worry about property crime and the safety of our establishments.

Ultimately, we are responsible for the safety of our customers and our employees when they’re on the clock or in our shops. Chief Best understands our concerns.

She is making strides to connect with people of all stripes and backgrounds. She is asking the business community to develop collaborative partnerships that will increase civility and safety on our streets.

Chief Best is the right person for this conversation. She knows the department and she knows our city. By prompting citizen engagement and gathering information directly from the community, SPD can effect real change.

Collaborative partnerships between the business community and SPD should not compete for resources with other programs and initiatives. Like the One Table report that addresses our housing affordability and homelessness crisis, we should look for solutions that are immediately workable and cost effective.

We’re in the midst of a regional inflection point where everyone is affected. Real leadership is expected. The business community can support officers and social service providers in the field to do everything that we can to improve the livability and civility of our community.

To get there, we need an honest and open channel with the leadership of someone who sits at the intersection of public health, public safety and livability.

Chief Best is that kind of leader.