It’s been two months since the fatal mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival. Questions about accountability within city government remain.
Three people are dead, four were injured and only one of as many as three suspects is in custody.
The Seattle Police Department recently presented its after-action report — an evaluation of what went right and what went wrong — as SPD reacted to deaths, injuries and chaos that ensued at Seattle Center on July 26. The report was illuminating. The findings mainly pointed to a breakdown in communications within the police department and between SPD and the mayor’s office.
“The FBI showed up and no one had a contact with them. We have things in place so that therefore that doesn’t happen when this happens again,” interim Police Chief Andre Sayles told the City Council’s Public Safety Committee last week. Former Chief Shon Barnes told The Times editorial board on Aug. 31 that it was he who called the FBI from his hotel in Dallas, Texas, where he was attending a law enforcement conference.
“When you think of a mass casualty incident I believe the situation was severely and adversely impacted due to personnel that were not on the scene trying to give orders at the time,” Sayles said.
The after-action report also noted a need for more police resources and a change in staffing when it comes to leadership. Sayles said he has since created a shared calendar, and he will allow for no more than three executive and command officers to be off at the same time.
The most glaring failure was the five hours the public was kept in the dark when it came to information.
Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis explained that he twice offered to hold news conferences or issue statements to the media to inform the public of the details they knew at 7:30 p.m., but a mayor’s representative told him to wait for the mayor. That was a mistake. The public deserved better.
Mayor Katie Wilson had cited communications failures with SPD after Barnes’ forced resignation, when in actuality, it was her office that failed the public that night.
Among the takeaways is that there are different lanes in city government — law enforcement and policymaking are just two. They often intersect, but when they don’t, those in charge should know when and how to stay in their lanes.
As the city begins its search for a new police chief, it must be held accountable for promised improvements in order to attract the best potential candidates. The city’s future and lives depend on as much.
