Seattle’s new interim police chief, Andre Sayles, said he does not rule out applying for the job on a permanent basis. He said the experience he gained in his previous role in Beloit, Wisconsin, will help him handle the challenges of leading a large city department—though Seattle itself demands far more complicated management: higher political pressure, greater public expectations, and a more acute question of safety downtown.
In an interview given a week after his appointment by Mayor Katie Wilson, the 47-year-old Sayles said he has not yet had any specific conversations with her about what changes she wants to see in the police department. For now, he intends to broadly continue the course set by his predecessor, Sean Barnes, with possible small adjustments.
Sayles emphasized that he understands the temporary nature of his role, but believes he is an independent leader. He named public safety, protecting police officers and city residents, and working with other city agencies as his top priorities. One of the key themes, he said, remains fighting gun violence.
Sayles’ appointment came after Wilson demanded Barnes resign amid the shooting at Seattle Center, one of the most recognizable and symbolic places in Seattle—home to the Space Needle, major cultural venues, and festivals and family events. That tragedy therefore triggered significant political fallout: an attack on the sense of safety in such a space quickly became a question of responsibility for city officials. As a result of the shooting, three people were killed and at least four others were injured.
Wilson criticized not only the delay in informing the public—police updated the information only five hours later—but also that Barnes was out of town at the time of the tragedy.
Wilson also said separately that she will be looking for a leader who is constantly present in Seattle and limits travel to a minimum. For her, this matters because the police chief must be available for quick decisions, crisis response, and in-person coordination with city officials. Such a requirement is not unique to large departments, but during periods of conflict and growing concern about crime, it becomes especially noticeable.
Sayles acknowledged that he, too, sometimes leaves the state to see his family: his home is in Illinois, where his wife lives, and he rents housing in Issaquah. He said those trips may have to be reduced, though he does not intend to give them up entirely. If he decides to run for the permanent post, relocating to Seattle would become one of the key issues.
Sayles said he has three adult sons, as well as relatives in Wisconsin and Mississippi. He added that he is not very active on social media and values personal relationships because, for him, it is important to keep the human side of the work. At the same time, he did not rule out taking part in some professional conferences, believing they can be useful for sharing experience with colleagues from other cities.
Speaking about the new position, Sayles acknowledged that deciding to replace the person who brought him to the state from Wisconsin was not easy. He said he respected Barnes and wants to continue the positive momentum in the department that they started together. According to him, his job as interim leader is to “calm” the situation within the police department.
He also explained that he prefers not so much “open-door” leadership as an “open space”—meaning he will go to where his subordinates work rather than waiting for them at headquarters. In practice, this approach means more visible leadership presence in the city and near the units, which typically helps with quicker information sharing and maintaining a more trusting atmosphere in the department, though it leaves less room for remote management.
For now, his urgent task is the investigation of murders at Seattle Center. Police have already detained an armed 15-year-old suspect, and investigators are looking for other suspects. Sayles expects additional arrests, but he is not disclosing details of the case so as not to jeopardize the investigation.
Sayles began working for the police more than 20 years ago in Beloit, where in 2021 he became police chief. Before that, he served for 12 years in the SWAT unit group, four of them as commander of the unit. According to the Seattle Police Department, in Beloit under his leadership gunfire incidents fell sharply, and incidents involving shootings on city streets decreased as well. Mayor Wilson said she is confident in his ability to provide stability during the transition period, and that the search for a permanent leader will be conducted openly and at the national level.
Based on: Seattle’s new interim police chief says his role ‘is to calm’