City Council Approves Seattle's First Female Chief
Vowing to create a police force “second to none,” Kathleen O’Toole was sworn in as chief of the Seattle Police Department on Monday afternoon, shortly after the City Council voted 8-to-1 to confirm her for a job that will immediately test her ability to carry out federally mandated reforms, restore morale throughout the ranks and rebuild community trust.
Vowing to create a police force “second to none,” Kathleen O’Toole was sworn in as chief of the Seattle Police Department on Monday afternoon, shortly after the City Council voted 8-to-1 to confirm her for a job that will immediately test her ability to carry out federally mandated reforms, restore morale throughout the ranks and rebuild community trust.
With her husband, Dan, and adult daughter, Meghan, watching, O’Toole, 60, took the oath from Mayor Ed Murray, who nominated her May 19 after a nationwide search, the Seattle Times reports.
O’Toole became the first woman to be confirmed for the job. She served as Boston’s first female police commissioner from 2004 to 2006.
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