Interim Seattle Police Chief John Diaz and chiefs Rick Braziel of Sacramento and Ronald Davis of East Palo Alto, Ca., are the finalists for the job of Seattle police chief, reports the Seattle Times. Their names now go to Mayor Mike McGinn, who must submit his pick to the City Council for confirmation.
McGinn’s decision will be among the most important he will make in his first year as mayor, as the Police Department remains under fire after the release last week of a videotape showing two officers kicking a detainee and using ethnically inflammatory language. Seattle has not had a permanent police chief selected from within its ranks in more than 30 years.