Demotion costs Seattle’s ex-police chief his title at national police org

Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz was demoted this week. Mayor Bruce Harrell made the change, citing a “distracting” amount of litigation by SPD officers and the need for an outside investigation to proceed unimpeded. Now, Diaz has lost another title as well.

He is no longer listed as the president of the Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit think tank focused on improving law enforcement through research and policy development. Diaz was elected president of the group’s all-volunteer board by his fellow chiefs across the country. But now the group’s website contains a blank space where his name would have been.

PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler told KUOW in an email, “You need to be a police chief to be a member of the Board of Directors of PERF. Since [Diaz] is no longer a chief he is automatically no longer eligible to be president. He wasn’t removed but rather does not meet the criteria any longer. So the position is vacant and there will need to be an election to fill his position.”

Wexler said Diaz was elected to replace Baltimore Police Commissioner Mike Harrison and served about a year. (The organization’s vice president also recently retired.) Wexler oversees PERF’s day-to-day operations and research.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said Diaz will continue with SPD but his rank, role, and salary aren’t clear. The Seattle Police Department and Diaz himself are the target of legal claims and lawsuits by seven different officers and members of his command staff. They have filed claims of race and gender discrimination, retaliation, and harassment. Last month SPD responded that the tort claim by four female officers reflected “perceptions of victimhood that are unsupported.”

Speaking on KUOW’s Soundside this week, Mayor Harrell said that SPD statement “doesn’t reflect how we view these matters, and I’m sure they would restate that if given the opportunity.”

Harrell named former King County Sheriff and Criminal Justice Training Commission Director Sue Rahr to serve as Seattle’s interim police chief while the city launches a national search to fill the position.

Harrell said Rahr has full authority to make changes and to determine Diaz’ future role. But Harrell said that after a 27-year career at SPD, “I don’t think it is appropriate or fair just to discharge him. He has a lot of community support that he’s earned, he still has a lot of talent.”

Asked if Diaz could end up forming part of SPD’s command staff, Harrell said, “I don’t think that’s the path where we’re heading,” but he said he hasn’t discussed that possibility with Diaz either way.

"I'm really interested in moving forward," Harrell said.