Carmen Best served with the Seattle police department for 28 years, rising through the ranks to take over as chief in August 2018. She led the department through the turbulence of the George Floyd protests culminating in the more-than-three-week occupation of the Capitol Hill neighborhood in what became the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. Best resigning in protest when Seattle City Council voted to downsize the department by about 100 officers. We talk about all of that - and more - in this episode.
A US Army veteran and graduate of Western Illinois University and Northeastern University, Best was the first African American woman to lead the Seattle police department. Having filled many policing roles, as chief she focused on diversity hiring and community engagement. Her professional education includes courses with the FBI National Executive Institute (NEI), the FBI National Academy, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association Police Executive Leadership Institute.