A Departed Police Chief Looks Back with Carmen Best

Almost a year since the protests that led to her resignation, Former Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best tells us what she thinks should be done to fix the force.

When Best was appointed Seattle police chief in 2018, many in the community celebrated. As the first Black woman to hold the post, her ascent was notable, especially for a department that was under federal supervision for using excessive force and possible bias.

Then, last summer, Best was leading that department through the tense protests that followed the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. As a result, she lost the confidence of many in the community.

A few months later, Best retired from her post as top cop, a move the 30-year SPD veteran attributed to Seattle City Councilmembers' stated aims to cut funding to the department.

For this episode of Crosscut Talks, Best sits with Crosscut reporter David Kroman to discuss her decision to leave, her thoughts on the protests and her opinions on how policing should change.

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Credits

Host: Mark Baumgarten

Event producers: Jake Newman, Andrea O'Meara

Engineers: Chi Lee, Resti Bagcal, Viktoria Ralph