SEATTLE — Seattle's police chief, Adrian Diaz, is exiting his current role and being reassigned to another position after just a few years at the helm of the department.
His departure comes as lawsuits mount against the Seattle Police Department, with some directed at him in particular. At least seven current and former employees have filed lawsuits, with the allegations ranging from race and gender discrimination to retaliation.
Diaz worked for Seattle police for more than 20 years. He started as an officer in 1997. The Department’s website shows he worked Patrol, the Mountain Bike Unit, and the Anti-Crime Unit before he moved to the Investigations Bureau. In 2014 he was promoted to lieutenant, and then assistant chief in 2018.
Diaz was a deputy chief in 2020 when Carmen Best resigned as the Chief of Police in the wake of nationwide protests over policing. Diaz took over as the interim chief that summer.
Diaz would hold that title longer than the permanent position. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell picked Diaz as the permanent chief in September 2022, less than two years ago.
Police chief tenures appear to be getting shorter. Before Diaz, Carmen Best served for nearly six months as interim chief, and nearly two years as a permanent chief.
Best’s predecessor was Kathleen O’Toole. Chief O’Toole served Seattle police for nearly four years, starting in 2014. She was the city’s first female police chief.
On average in the U.S. chiefs of police at departments with more than 1,000 employees reported chiefs served more than five years in their roles, according to a 2021 survey by the Police Executive Research Forum.
The average has shortened in recent years. The Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) represents police leaders from the largest cities in the U.S. and Canada. In 2021, it reported that 39 of their 79 police chief members had departed their roles in the last two years for various reasons.