Seattle Deputy Police Chief Andre Sayles has been named interim head of the department after Police Chief Sean Barnes resigned Thursday. The resignation followed a wave of criticism of police after a mass shooting in Seattle Center on Sunday that killed three people and injured five others.
Seattle Center is a sprawling cultural and public space created for the 1962 World’s Fair, home to the iconic Space Needle, the Climate Pledge Arena, theaters, museums and concert venues. The area is known as “the living room of Seattle.” City festivals, fairs and celebrations take place there, so the tragedy at such a signature location for the city was especially painful.
Mayor Kacie Wilson said she and Barnes agreed with Sayles as an interim choice while they search for a permanent chief, adding that she is confident he will provide “stability” during the transition.
Sayles began his career more than 20 years ago with the Beloit Police Department in Wisconsin, where he rose to chief in 2021. During 12 years with the SWAT unit, including four years as commander, he led numerous crime-reduction initiatives. According to a biography on the Seattle Police Department website, it was during Sayles’s tenure in Beloit from 2021 to 2024 that the number of victims suffering gunshot wounds fell by 81%, and shootings in public places dropped by 80%. Barnes was also the one who recruited Sayles to Seattle from Wisconsin.
The news was welcomed by colleagues. Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis, who had also been mentioned as a possible interim chief, called Sayles “an amazing and reliable person” and said everyone would be happy with his appointment. For Sayles, it is a significant challenge: Seattle has a population of more than 800,000 and a force of about 1,000 officers—far larger than Beloit, where roughly 36,000 people live and a little more than 70 officers serve.
The issue of gun violence has been one of the major focuses of the Wilson administration after Sunday’s tragedy.
Sayles has publicly argued for what he called “respectable, progressive policing,” emphasizing community trust, diversity in hiring and community engagement. He created specialized units—narcotics and gangs—built a tactical unit and revived the youth program “Explorer.”
Sayles holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa Wesleyan and a master’s degree in criminal justice with an emphasis on police leadership from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, and he has completed several leadership training programs.
The interim appointment has already taken effect. In Seattle, the mayor selects the permanent police chief, and then the candidate is confirmed by the city council during public hearings. The interim chief, by contrast, is appointed by the mayor without the full confirmation process and can fully manage the department, but without a guaranteed term in office. The city plans to announce the search for a permanent police chief soon.
Based on: Andre Sayles named Seattle’s new interim police chief