BY
BY WITH
BY WITH TRAFFIC AND WEATHER. BUT FIRST WE WANT TO GET TO OUR
TOP STORY.
TOP STORY. >> Reporter: THIS MORNING
SEATTLE POLICE CHIEF CARMEN
BEST OFFICIALLY WILL BE
RETIRING TODAY.
RETIRING TODAY. LAST MONTH SHE ANNOUNCED SHE IS
STEPPING ASIDE.
STEPPING ASIDE. THAT ANNOUNCEMENT COMING WEEKS
AFTER PROTESTS IN THE CITY WITH
PROTESTERS AND OFFICERS
CLASHING NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, AS
WELL AS THE CITY COUNCIL'S
DECISION TO MAKE CUTS TO THE
POLICE FORCE AND HER SALARY.
CHIEF BEST JOINING US NOW LIVE
HERE IN MORNING IN AN EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW AS WE SOCIAL DISTANCE
OUTSIDE THE STUDIO.
CHIEF, 751 DAYS SINCE YOU WERE
OFFICIALLY AND UNANIMOUSLY
CONFIRMED AS THE POLICE CHIEF
IN SEATTLE.
IN SEATTLE. HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
>> IS THAT ALL?
>> THAT IS A SHORT PERIOD OF
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. >>
TIME. >> SOME WOULD SAY WE HAVE HAD
CERTAINLY A LOT OF ACTIVITY
HERE IN THE CITY.
THIS LAST FEW MONTHS, OF
COURSE, WE HAD THE LARGEST MASS
SHOOTING IN DOWNTOWN, WE WERE
DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC, WE
HAD A SERIES OF PROTESTERS AND
RYE ON HIS AND THEN THE CHAZ
THAT TURNED INTO THE CHOP AND
THEN THE ISSUE OF DEFUNDING THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE MASS A
LOVES.
LOVES.
LOVES. SO
LOVES. SO IT HAS BEEN JAM PACKED FOR
ME.
ME.
ME. >>
ME. >> Reporter: I WANT TO LAY A
COUPLE OF GROUND RULES.
THIS IS POTENTIALLY YOUR LAST
INTERVIEW AS POLICE CHIEF.
YOU HAVE HAD A LONG TIME TO
THINK ABOUT THIS.
I WANT YOU TO SAY WHATEVER YOU
NEED TO SAY THIS MORNING.
GET IT OUT THERE AS YOUR FINAL
DAYS NEARS.
DAYS NEARS. YOU HAVE 18 HOURS LEFT, AND I
WANT TO PLAY A MOMENT FROM YOUR
ANSWERING IN CEREMONY ALMOST
TWO YEARS AGO.
LET'S LISTEN.
LET'S LISTEN. >> IT IS GREAT TO BE SUPPORTED
DURING THE GOOD TIMES.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TOUGH
TIMES.
TIMES.
TIMES. I
TIMES. I LOOK FOR ALL OF US TO WORK
TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ON
THE SAME PAGE DOING WHAT WE
NEED TO DO TO KEEP THE CITY OF
SEATTLE GREAT AND THE
OUTSTANDING POLICE DEPARTMENT.
>> Reporter: DID THE CITY LET
YOU DOWN?
YOU DOWN?
YOU DOWN? >> WELL I DON'T FEEL LET DOWN,
JAKE.
JAKE.
JAKE. I
JAKE. I FEEL LIKE SOME REAL
CHALLENGES AND REAL
OPPORTUNITIES AND SOME GOOD
THINGS HAVE HAPPENED.
BUT YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, WHEN I
DECIDED I WAS GOING TO STEP
ASIDE AND RETIRE, IT WAS A GOOD
TIME TO DO THAT.
TO GET SOME FRESH EYES ON IT.
MAYBE TO START THE CONVERSATION
SO THAT WE COULD ADVANCE AND
MOVE THINGS FORWARD.
IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO DO THAT.
WHEN I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT
I MIGHT WANT TO SAY ABOUT THOSE
LAST DAYS, WHAT IS MOST
IMPORTANT?
IMPORTANT? FIRST AND FOREMOST THE MEN AND
WOMEN OF THE DEPARTMENT WHO
CONTINUE TO WORK REALLY HARD TO
THE CITY AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO
LIVE HERE, WHO HAVE BEEN VERY
SUPPORTIVE.
SUPPORTIVE. THE MADIA, TOO.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR
TRYING TO MAKE THIS A BETTER
PLACE.
PLACE.
PLACE. AND I THINK WE ARE GOING TO DO
EVEN GREATER THINGS IN THE
FUTURE.
FUTURE.
FUTURE. >> Reporter: ONE OF THE REASONS
THAT YOU SAID YOU WOULD STEP
ASIDE IS YOU JUST COULDN'T
BRING YOURSELF TO CUT ROOKIE
COPS, LIKE THAT YOUNG AFRICAN-
AMERICAN MAN WHO LOOKS UP TO
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. THAT
YOU. THAT SEEMED TO BE VERY CLOSE TO
YOU IN YOUR HEART.
ARE YOU WORRIED THAT PEOPLE,
LIKE HIM, MAY SEE YOU AS
QUITTING AND WALKING AWAY AT A
BAD TIME?
BAD TIME?
BAD TIME? >> YEAH, ACTUALLY I THINK THE
FACT THAT I HAVE DECIDED TO
STEP ASIDE AND MOVE ON HAS
ACTUALLY HELPED THE DEPARTMENT.
PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION.
THEY ARE LASER FOCUSED ON
PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE CITY.
THEY ARE TRYING TO HOLD THE
WHOLE CITY COUNCIL ACCOUNTABLE.
THE DISCUSSION, AS YOU KNOW,
HAS INCREASED AND INTENSIFIED,
AND IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THERE MAY BE A POSSIBILITY WE
ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO LAY
OFF AS MANY PEOPLE HERE.
SO FOR THAT REASON, I THINK IT
WAS A GOOD THING.
IT WAS NECESSARY TO SHAKE IT
UP.
UP.
UP. >>
UP. >> Reporter: INTERESTING.
EVERY NATURE WE SEE VIDEOS OF
RIOTS, WE SEE ABOUT THELES
BEING THROWN AT OFFICERS,
POLICE OFFICERS ARE INJURED.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?
WHAT DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU SEE
THAT?
THAT?
THAT? IT
THAT? IT IS SO DISTURBING TO WATCH
THIS DAY AFTER DAY.
>> IT IS DISTURBING TO SEE.
BUT WE ARE IN A TIME OF INTENSE
CHANGE.
CHANGE.
CHANGE. NOT JUST HERE, BUT ALL ACROSS
THE NATION.
THE NATION. THESE PICTURES AREN'T JUST
SEATTLE OR JUST PORTLAND.
THEY ARE HAPPENING ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE
CALLED IT A RECKONING, IF YOU
WILL.
WILL.
WILL. WE
WILL. WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF THAT.
WE ARE A PART OF IT AS POLICE.
WE HAVE TO KNOW IT IS GOING TO
BE INTENSE EMOTION BEHIND WHAT
IS HAPPENING.
IS HAPPENING. BUT IT IS, ON THE OTHER HAND,
ALSO REALLY TRYING TO GO
THROUGH THESE TIME.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO FIND A PATH
FORWARD THAT DOESN'T LEAD TO
VIOLENCE, THAT DOESN'T LEAD TO
PROPERTY DESTRUCTION OR PEOPLE
BEING HURT.
BEING HURT. AND NOT EVERYONE IS DOING THAT.
BUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE, THEY ARE
WRONG.
WRONG.
WRONG. >>
WRONG. >> Reporter: DO YOU FEEL LIKE
YOU DID ENOUGH TO TRY TO
PROTECT YOUR OFFICERS AND.
>> I DID EVERYTHING I COULD.
MY DAUGHTER USED TO PLAY
BASKETBALL AND AFTER THE GAME
SHE WOULD TELL ME MOM, I LEFT
IT ALL ON THE COURT.
AND I FELT LIKE I LEFT IT ALL
OUT THERE.
OUT THERE. I DID AS MUCH AS I COULD.
THIS IS A JOB.
WE HAVE A NEW PERSON COMING IN.
BUT THIS IS A JOB 24 HOURS A
DAY SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
THERE REALLY IS NOT A DAY YOU
ARE NOT ON.
EVEN ON VACATION, PEOPLE ARE
CALLING.
CALLING.
CALLING. SO YOU HAVE TO BE ALL IN.
>>
>>
>> >>
>> >> Reporter: I HAVE TO ASK YOU
ABOUT A DEFINING PERIOD OF
TIME, THE WHOLE MONTH OF JUNE
WAS ALL ABOUT THE CHOP ON
CAPITOL HILL.
CAPITOL HILL. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> Reporter: THE OFFICERS WERE
FORCED OUT OF THE PRECINCT.
THAT IS SORT OF WHAT CREATED
THE CHOP.
THE CHOP.
THE CHOP. DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING FROM
THAT PERIOD OF TIME?
>> I LEARNED A LOT FROM THAT
PERIOD OF TIME.
I MEAN, ONE DAY I HOPE TO WRITE
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. BECAUSE IT IS FASCINATING AND
THE BACK STORY TO IT IS VERY
INTERESTING.
INTERESTING. BUT I WILL SAY WE LEARNED A LOT
ABOUT OURSELVES, WHAT WE COULD
DO, RESILIENCE, AND REALLY, IT
WAS A UNIQUE SITUATION.
WE HAD GONE TO A NUMBER OF
FOLKS TO GET ASSISTANCE IN HOW
WE MIGHT MITIGATE SOME OF THE
OUTCOMES.
OUTCOMES.
OUTCOMES. AND I WAS TOLD VERY
SPECIFICALLY THAT NO PLACE ELSE
IN THE WORLD HAD DEALT WITH A
SITUATION LIKE THAT, THAT WE
WERE DEALING WITH IN SEATTLE.
SO WE REALLY WERE HAVING TO
FORGE AHEAD.
FORGE AHEAD. >>
>>
>> >>
>> >> Reporter: IT FELT LIKE YOU
WERE OVERRIDDEN DID I THE MAYOR
GETTING THE OFFICERS OUT OF THE
PRECINCT.
PRECINCT.
PRECINCT. DID YOU FEEL KIND OF DUPED WITH
ALL THAT?
ALL THAT?
ALL THAT? >> DUPED ISN'T THE RIGHT WORD.
>> Reporter: THAT WAS A PERIOD
OF TIME WHEN I SAW THAT I
THOUGHT SHE HAS GOT TO BE
FRUSTRATED.
FRUSTRATED. >> THE WHOLE CIRCUMSTANCE WAS
FRUSTRATING.
FRUSTRATING. THINK ABOUT IT.
WE HAD PEOPLE DESCEND ON A
NEIGHBORHOOD AND SET UP
CHECKPOINTS AND ALL SORTS OF
OTHER THINGS THAT WENT ALONG
WITH THAT.
WITH THAT. SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE
KEPT OUR EYE ON THE FACT THAT
YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE OVER A
PUBLIC AREA.
PUBLIC AREA. WE HADN'T BEEN THROUGH THAT
SITUATION BEFORE, NOT LIKE THAT
IN THE CITY.
NOT ANYWHERE.
NOT ANYWHERE. SO IT REALLY WAS TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO
DO IT AND REALLY GET ENOUGH
SUPPORT, BOTH FROM THE PUBLIC
AND FROM THE ELECTEDS TO MAKE
SURE WE DO THE RIGHT THING.
>> Reporter: WHERE DO YOU LEAVE
THINGS WITH MAYOR JENNY DURKAN,
TELL ME THE STATE OF YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH HER AND HER
ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD.
>> OBVIOUSLY WE HAD A LITTLE
BIT OF A ROCKY START.
OVER TIME, AS I HAVE GOTTEN TO
KNOW THE MAYOR, AND SOME OF THE
VERY SERIOUS AND UNIQUE
CHALLENGES IN THE CITY, THAT IS
A REALLY TOUGH JOB.
AND THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT
HAS TO BE DONE.
I THINK SHE IS WORKING REALLY
HARD ON EVERY SINGLE FRONT.
WE HAVE WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE
THAT IS IN TROUBLE, WE HAVE A
PIER THAT IS IN TROUBLE, WE
HAVE A HOMELESS CRISIS, WE HAVE
AN ECONOMIC CRISIS, WE HAVE A
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. >> Reporter: AND WHAT ABOUT HER
ABILITY TO KEEP THE PEACE ON
THE STREETS?
THE STREETS? >> I THINK SHE IS WORKING
REALLY HARD TO DO THAT AND SHE
WORKED REALLY HARD WITH ME.
SHE WAS SUPPORTIVE OF ME AND
SHE IS GOING TO BE SUPPORTIVE
OF THE NEW CHIEF, COMING IN.
>> Reporter: SPEAKING OF THE
NEW CHIEF, ASSISTANT CHIEF
ADRIENNE DIAZ IS GOING TO BE
TAKING YOUR POSITION.
WHAT DO YOU WARN HIM ABOUT?
>> I DON'T HAVE TO DO MUCH.
WE HAVE WORKED CLOSELY TOGETHER
LITERALLY OVER A DECADE.
I KNOW HIM WELL BOTH PERSONALLY
AND PROFESSIONALLY.
AND PROFESSIONALLY. I KNOW FOR A FACT, THIS IS ONE
OF I THINK MY GREAT
ACHIEVEMENTS IS I WAS ABLE TO
MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT
PEOPLE IN PLACE TO DO SUCCESS
TRAINING TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE
WAS READY SO WHEN I WALKED OUT
OF THE DAR, IT WOULD BE A
TRANSITION THAT WOULD BE VERY
SMOOTH.
SMOOTH.
SMOOTH. SO I'M EXCITED FOR HIM.
>> Reporter: WHAT ARE YOU MOST
PROUD OF, CHIEF, AS YOU STEP
AWAY FROM THIS POSITION HERE?
YOU HAVE 18 HOURS LEFT.
>> HARD TO BELIEVE, RIGHT?
AFTER ALMOST 30 YEARS.
I'M REALLY PROUD OF LIKE I SAID
THE SUCCESSION TRAINING, THE
TEAM I HAVE ASSEMBLED.
THEY ARE SMART, THEY ARE
ENERGETIC, THEY ARE EDUCATED
AND THEY WANT TO DO THE WORK.
SO I'M PROUD OF THAT.
I'M PROUD OF THE DIVERSITY WE
BROUGHT TO THE ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE MANY MORE WOMEN AND
MANY MORE PEOPLE OF COLOR HERE
WORKING, TRYING TO MAKE SURE
OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT REFLECTS
THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE.
AND WHILE WE ARE NOT FINISHED,
WE DEFINITELY MADE HUGE STRIDES
ON A DEESCALATION AND TRAINING
AND ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE
NECESSARY TO KEEP THE ENGINES
RUNNING AT THE ORGANIZATION.
>> Reporter: ARE YOU GOING TO
MISS BEING A COP?
>> I ABSOLUTELY WILL.
THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
>> Reporter: WHAT IS NEXT FOR
YOU?
YOU?
YOU? >>
YOU? >> I'M NOT SURE YET.
I NEED TO TAKE A MONTH OR SO
OFF, JUST TO SORT OF REFLECT.
THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST
CHALLENGING TIMES AND I,
LITERALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING
EVERY DAY, WITH THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT ON POLICE ISSUES, ON
STAFFING, ON TRAINING ON
DISCIPLINE, USE OF FORCE,
PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELESS ON
CRISIS.
CRISIS.
CRISIS. AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A
MONTH OFF.
MONTH OFF. MY DAUGHTER AND HER HUSBAND ARE
HAVING OUR FIRST GRANDCHILD.
I WANT TO SPEND SOME TIME
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. AND THEN WE'LL SEE.
YOU CAN HAVE ME BACK AND I'LL
BE ABLE TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> Reporter: IF YOU WRITE A
BOOK, I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO
SEE